Question 1

When people are motivated by external rewards, such as money or grades, they are intrinsically motivated.

Accepted Answer

When people are motivated by external rewards, they are extrinsically motivated, not intrinsically motivated. Intrinsic motivation comes from within oneself, driven by personal interest or enjoyment in a task or activity.

Question 2

Gifted Asian American female students who were reminded of their identity as Asians scored higher on a difficult math test than a matched group of female Asian American students who took the same test but were reminded of their gender identity did. This result provides evidence for the effects of stereotype threat.

Accepted Answer

The statement describes a study where reminding gifted Asian American female students of their identity as Asians improved their test scores on a difficult math test compared to those who were reminded of their gender identity. This supports the concept of stereotype threat, which refers to the negative influence of stereotypes and social expectations on people's performance. Therefore, the statement is true.

Question 3

When a test was described as measuring "problem-solving skills," African American students did just as well as white students. But when told that the same test measured "intellectual ability," African American students scored lower than white students. This is an example of stereotype lift.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of stereotype threat, where awareness of a negative stereotype about one's group can negatively impact performance. Stereotype lift refers to improved performance when a positive stereotype is activated.

Question 4

Under some circumstances, external rewards, such as awards, money, or grades, can motivate creative behavior.

Accepted Answer

While external rewards are not the only factor that can motivate creative behavior, they can be a useful incentive in certain situations. For example, a cash prize for winning an art competition may inspire an artist to push themselves to create their best work. However, it is important to note that intrinsic motivation (personal interest, enjoyment, and satisfaction) is typically a stronger and more sustainable motivator for creative work.

Question 5

When tests were described as measuring intelligence: Hispanic students performed more poorly than white students; children from a low socioeconomic background performed more poorly than students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds; and social science majors scored lower than natural science majors. These examples all illustrate stereotype threat.

Accepted Answer

Stereotype threat refers to the phenomenon where members of a group feel pressure to conform to negative stereotypes about their group, leading to poorer performance on tasks related to that stereotype. The examples given, where certain groups perform more poorly on tests that are seen as measuring intelligence, suggest that stereotype threat is likely at play.

Question 6

Psychologists have found that virtually everyone possesses the intelligence and cognitive processes needed to be creative.

Accepted Answer

According to research in psychology, the majority of people have the necessary cognitive abilities and thinking processes required to be creative. While some individuals may have a natural inclination or talent for creativity, it is believed that creativity can also be developed and enhanced through various techniques and approaches.

Question 7

People from some cultural backgrounds may use different problem-solving strategies than those that are required for solving problems on standardized intelligence tests.

Accepted Answer

This is true. Different cultures may have different approaches to problem solving, which may not necessarily align with the methods required for standardized intelligence tests. This can lead to discrepancies in test scores and misunderstandings about an individual's cognitive abilities.

Question 8

It is now generally recognized that it is virtually impossible to design a test that is completely culture-free because ability tests reflect the values, knowledge, and communication strategies of their culture of origin.

Accepted Answer

Ability tests are developed within a cultural context and therefore reflect the cultural values, norms, and communication styles. As a result, it is difficult to completely eliminate cultural bias from a test, making it virtually impossible to design a test that is completely culture-free.

Question 9

Stereotype lift refers to the finding that awareness of positive expectations can actually improve performance.

Accepted Answer

Stereotype lift is a real phenomenon where just being made aware of positive expectations about one's abilities can actually improve their performance. This has been observed across various domains, including academic performance and athletic performance.

Question 10

When reminded of the "elderly as wise" stereotype, senior adults scored higher on a memory test than those who were not reminded of that positive stereotype did. This is an example of stereotype lift.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. The phenomenon described is known as stereotype lift, where individuals perform better on tasks related to a positive stereotype about their social group. In this case, the positive stereotype was that elderly people are wise, and when reminded of this, seniors scored higher on a memory test.

Question 11

Children of Burakumin who have immigrated to the United States from Japan do as well in school and on IQ tests as other Japanese Americans, but Burakumin children who remain in Japan, where they face social discrimination, score lower on IQ tests than other Japanese children do.

Accepted Answer

The statement is true based on the information provided. Burakumin children who immigrate to the United States do as well as other Japanese Americans, but those who face social discrimination in Japan score lower on IQ tests than other Japanese children.

Question 12

Research has shown that the underlying cause of stereotype threat is that people experience social functional fixedness, which interferes with effective communication in diverse social situations.

Accepted Answer

Stereotype threat is primarily caused by the fear of confirming negative stereotypes about one's group, not social functional fixedness.

Question 13

Only a few highly gifted people are capable of true creativity.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. While some people may have a natural aptitude for creativity, research suggests that creativity can be cultivated and developed in anyone with practice, effort, and a willingness to take risks and think outside the box.

Question 14

By being flexible and imaginative, people seeking creative solutions generate many different responses. This approach is called divergent thinking because it involves moving away from the problem and considering it from a variety of perspectives.

Accepted Answer

Divergent thinking involves generating multiple solutions by considering the problem from different perspectives, which requires flexibility and imagination.

Question 15

Cross-cultural research has shown that members of stigmatized social groups tend to score 10 to 15 points lower on IQ tests than members of the dominant social group, even when they share the same racial or ethnic background.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Studies have found that members of stigmatized social groups (such as ethnic or racial minorities) tend to score lower on IQ tests than members of the dominant social group, even when controlling for factors such as socioeconomic status and education. This difference is believed to be due to various systemic barriers and discrimination that these groups face, which can affect their access to resources and opportunities for intellectual development.

Question 16

Hundreds of psychological studies have demonstrated that individual performance on fair and objective tests is susceptible to stereotype threat.

Accepted Answer

Stereotype threat is the phenomenon where the awareness of negative stereotypes about a particular group can negatively impact one's performance on a task, even if the task is unrelated to the stereotype. Numerous studies have shown that this effect is real and can occur in a variety of contexts.

Question 17

Divergent thinking is another name for functional fixedness and is a major obstacle to creative problem solving.

Accepted Answer

Divergent thinking is actually the opposite of functional fixedness. Divergent thinking is the ability to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions, whereas functional fixedness is the tendency to only see an object's typical or familiar uses and overlook alternative uses. Therefore, divergent thinking is actually an important aspect of creative problem solving.

Question 18

Although there are stereotypes about many different kinds of groups, research has shown that the phenomenon of stereotype threat is limited to negative gender and racial stereotypes.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that stereotype threat can apply to many different stereotypes, not just those related to gender and race. For example, stereotype threat has been observed in relation to age, weight, and socioeconomic status.

Question 19

When reminded of the stereotype of the "elderly as forgetful," older adults scored lower on a memory test than a matched group not given that reminder did. This is an example of neurotypical threat.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of stereotype threat, not neurotypical threat. Stereotype threat occurs when individuals are at risk of confirming negative stereotypes about their social group, which can affect their performance.

Question 20

Elderly people who were made aware of the stereotype of the elderly as having poor memories scored lower on a memory test than elderly people who were made aware of the stereotype of being wise did.

Accepted Answer

This is a true statement based on various studies and researches conducted on stereotype threat among the elderly population. The awareness of negative stereotypes can lead to negative impacts on their performance, especially in memory-related tasks.

Quiz 7: Thinking, Language, and Intelligence