Question 1

Research participants were asked to identify a word that would form a compound word or phrase with each of three other words.Solutions that occurred with sudden insight were accompanied by a burst of activity in the brain's ________ lobe.
A) right temporal
B) left temporal
C) right occipital
D) left occipital

Accepted Answer

Solutions that occurred with sudden insight, often referred to as "aha" moments, have been associated with a burst of activity in the brain's right temporal lobe. This area of the brain is involved in processing complex stimuli and integrating information, which is crucial for insight and creative problem-solving.

Question 2

Mr.Smith,a business manager,is often overly confident of his own hiring ability because he is more likely to monitor the successes of people he has hired than the achievements of those he has rejected.This illustrates that overconfidence may be facilitated by
A) an algorithm.
B) prototypes.
C) the framing effect.
D) confirmation bias.

Accepted Answer

Confirmation bias is the tendency to favor information that confirms one's pre-existing beliefs or values. In this case, Mr. Smith's monitoring of the successes of only those he has hired is a clear example of confirmation bias, as he is only seeking out information that confirms his belief in his own hiring ability.

Question 3

Unintended racism may be a result of
A) the availability heuristic.
B) the representativeness heuristic.
C) intuition.
D) a mental set.

Accepted Answer

Unintended racism may result from the representativeness heuristic, which is the tendency to make judgement about a group based on the characteristics of a small sample from that group. This can result in stereotyping and discrimination based on race or ethnicity. The other options listed may play a role in decision making, but are not specifically related to unintended racism.

Question 4

After spending two hours trying to solve an engineering problem,Amira finally gave up.As she was trying to fall asleep that night,a solution to the problem popped into her head.Amira's experience best illustrates
A) belief perseverance.
B) the availability heuristic.
C) insight.
D) a mental set.

Accepted Answer

Amira experienced insight, which is the sudden realization of a solution to a problem. This is different from belief perseverance, which is the tendency to cling to one's initial beliefs even in the face of contradictory evidence, the availability heuristic, which is the tendency to rely on readily available information when making decisions, and a mental set, which is the tendency to approach problems in a particular way based on past experiences.

Question 5

Andy's new employer looks somewhat similar to a TV actor who played the role of a very dishonest politician.Without consciously realizing the similarity,Andy experienced an immediate gut-level distrust of his new employer.His reaction best illustrates the impact of
A) algorithms.
B) confirmation bias.
C) intuition.
D) extrinsic motivation

Accepted Answer

Andy's immediate gut-level distrust of his new employer suggests that he relied on his intuition to form his impression of his employer.

Question 6

In contrast to our explicit conscious reasoning,our seemingly effortless and automatic feelings or thoughts are called
A) mental sets.
B) aptitudes.
C) algorithms.
D) intuitions.

Accepted Answer

The term "intuitions" refers to our automatic and unconscious feelings or thoughts, which contrast with explicit conscious reasoning. Mental sets refer to a tendency to approach a problem in a particular way based on past experiences, while aptitudes refer to natural abilities or talents, and algorithms are specific sets of instructions or rules for solving a problem.

Question 7

Catherine is on a commercial plane to the capital when she notices three Arab passengers also on the plane.She begins to feel uneasy and nervous and fears that a terrorist attack could take place.Catherine has intuitively compared the passengers to those who committed the terrorist attacks on 9/11.This is an example of
A) overconfidence.
B) the representativeness heuristic.
C) belief perseverance.
D) the availability heuristic.

Accepted Answer

Catherine's comparison of the Arab passengers to the terrorists on 9/11 demonstrates the use of the representativeness heuristic, where she is making judgments based on how similar the passengers appear to a prototype or stereotype of terrorists.

Question 8

Scientists are trained to carefully observe and record any research outcomes that are inconsistent with their hypotheses.This practice most directly serves to reduce
A) the representativeness heuristic.
B) divergent thinking.
C) confirmation bias.
D) algorithms.

Accepted Answer

Carefully observing and recording outcomes that are inconsistent with hypotheses serves to reduce confirmation bias, which is the tendency to search for and interpret information in a way that confirms preexisting beliefs or hypotheses. By acknowledging and considering contradictory evidence, scientists can develop more accurate and unbiased conclusions. The other options are not directly related to this practice.

Question 9

The inability to see a problem from a new perspective is called
A) divergent thinking.
B) a fixation.
C) a heuristic.
D) framing.

Accepted Answer

A fixation is when a problem solver becomes stuck on a particular approach or way of thinking, preventing them from considering alternative solutions or perspectives. The other options are not directly related to this inability to see things from a new perspective.

Question 10

A reliance on quick intuitive judgments is best illustrated by our use of
A) convergent thinking.
B) algorithms.
C) trial and error.
D) heuristics.

Accepted Answer

The reliance on quick intuitive judgments is best illustrated by the use of heuristics, which are mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that allow us to make rapid decisions based on limited information.

Question 11

________ may lead us to ignore other relevant information as we intuitively compare something to a particular prototype.
A) Overconfidence
B) The representativeness heuristic
C) Belief perseverance
D) The availability heuristic

Accepted Answer

The representativeness heuristic is the tendency to make judgments about an event or situation based on how closely it matches a particular prototype or stereotype. This can lead us to ignore other relevant information that contradicts or modifies our initial impression.

Question 12

The inability to solve the matchstick problem may be associated with
A) algorithms.
B) fixation.
C) prototypes.
D) cognition.

Accepted Answer

The inability to solve the matchstick problem may be associated with fixation, which is a cognitive bias that prevents individuals from seeing alternative solutions to a problem due to being stuck in a particular mindset.

Question 13

The confirmation bias refers to the tendency to
A) search for information that supports our preconceptions.
B) judge the likelihood of events on the basis of how easily we can remember examples of them.
C) overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments.
D) make judgments in a very inefficient,time-consuming fashion.

Accepted Answer

The confirmation bias refers to the tendency to search for information that confirms our pre-existing beliefs or ideas, rather than seeking out information that challenges them. This bias can limit our ability to see and consider alternative perspectives or evidence, and can lead to flawed decision-making and judgments.

Question 14

Some people are unable to arrange six matches to form four equilateral triangles because they fail to consider a three-dimensional arrangement.This best illustrates the effects of ________ on problem solving.
A) fixation
B) heuristics
C) framing
D) overconfidence

Accepted Answer

Fixation is the tendency to get stuck on one approach or way of thinking and not consider alternative solutions. In this case, the inability to arrange the matches in four equilateral triangles shows fixation as the person is not considering a three-dimensional arrangement. Heuristics refer to mental shortcuts or rules of thumb used to make decisions or solve problems, framing involves how a problem is presented or framed affecting problem solving, and overconfidence refers to the tendency to be too confident in one's abilities or judgments. None of these concepts directly relate to the specific problem-solving issue presented.

Question 15

Insight refers to
A) a simple thinking strategy for solving problems quickly.
B) a sudden realization of the solution to a problem.
C) expanding the number of possible solutions to a problem.
D) solving problems by means of trial and error.

Accepted Answer

Insight refers to a sudden realization or "Aha!" moment of the solution to a problem, rather than a deliberate thinking strategy or trial and error.

Question 16

During high school,Charlie found it easy to get away with cheating on his tests.College is a different story,so Charlie spends as many hours devising new ways to cheat as it would take him to study and perform well in an honest fashion.Charlie's shortsightedness best illustrates the consequences of
A) an algorithm.
B) a mental set.
C) confirmation bias.
D) the availability heuristic.

Accepted Answer

Charlie's behavior of relying on cheating during high school became a mental set for him, making it difficult for him to change his approach in college where cheating is less feasible.

Question 17

The representativeness heuristic is defined as
A) the tendency to be more confident than correct.
B) the tendency to approach a problem in one particular way,often a way that has been successful in the past.
C) estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory.
D) estimating the likelihood of events in terms of how well they seem to represent,or match,particular prototypes.

Accepted Answer

The representativeness heuristic involves making judgments about the likelihood of an event based on how closely it resembles a typical case or prototype. It often leads to errors in thinking, such as assuming that someone who looks like a professor must also have a high level of intelligence.

Question 18

Because she believes that boys are naughtier than girls,Mrs.Zumpano,a second-grade teacher,watches boys more closely than she watches girls for any signs of misbehavior.Mrs.Zumpano's surveillance strategy best illustrates
A) the availability heuristic.
B) confirmation bias.
C) the representativeness heuristic.
D) belief perseverance.

Accepted Answer

Mrs. Zumpano's strategy illustrates confirmation bias because she has a preconceived belief that boys are naughtier than girls and selectively pays attention to evidence that confirms this belief, while potentially ignoring evidence that contradicts it.

Question 19

A tendency to approach a problem only in the particular way that worked previously is most indicative of
A) the availability heuristic.
B) divergent thinking.
C) overconfidence.
D) a mental set.

Accepted Answer

A mental set is a tendency to approach problems in a certain way, based on past experiences or strategies that have proven successful in the past. This can sometimes be beneficial, but it can also lead to difficulties in problem-solving when the current situation calls for a different approach.

Question 20

A mental set is most likely to inhibit
A) confirmation bias.
B) overconfidence.
C) creativity.
D) belief perseverance.

Accepted Answer

A mental set is a tendency to approach problems in a certain way based on past experiences and knowledge. This can often inhibit creativity because it limits the individual's ability to consider alternative approaches and solutions.

Quiz 9: Thinking, Language, and Intelligence

Research participants were asked to identify a word that would form a compound word or phrase with each of three other words.Solutions that occurred with sudden insight were accompanied by a burst of activity in the brain's ________ lobe.

Mr.Smith,a business manager,is often overly confident of his own hiring ability because he is more likely to monitor the successes of people he has hired than the achievements of those he has rejected.This illustrates that overconfidence may be facilitated by

Unintended racism may be a result of

After spending two hours trying to solve an engineering problem,Amira finally gave up.As she was trying to fall asleep that night,a solution to the problem popped into her head.Amira's experience best illustrates

Andy's new employer looks somewhat similar to a TV actor who played the role of a very dishonest politician.Without consciously realizing the similarity,Andy experienced an immediate gut-level distrust of his new employer.His reaction best illustrates the impact of

In contrast to our explicit conscious reasoning,our seemingly effortless and automatic feelings or thoughts are called

Scientists are trained to carefully observe and record any research outcomes that are inconsistent with their hypotheses.This practice most directly serves to reduce

The inability to see a problem from a new perspective is called

A reliance on quick intuitive judgments is best illustrated by our use of

________ may lead us to ignore other relevant information as we intuitively compare something to a particular prototype.

The inability to solve the matchstick problem may be associated with

The confirmation bias refers to the tendency to

Some people are unable to arrange six matches to form four equilateral triangles because they fail to consider a three-dimensional arrangement.This best illustrates the effects of ________ on problem solving.

Insight refers to

During high school,Charlie found it easy to get away with cheating on his tests.College is a different story,so Charlie spends as many hours devising new ways to cheat as it would take him to study and perform well in an honest fashion.Charlie's shortsightedness best illustrates the consequences of

The representativeness heuristic is defined as

Because she believes that boys are naughtier than girls,Mrs.Zumpano,a second-grade teacher,watches boys more closely than she watches girls for any signs of misbehavior.Mrs.Zumpano's surveillance strategy best illustrates

A tendency to approach a problem only in the particular way that worked previously is most indicative of

A mental set is most likely to inhibit