Question 1

Psychologists who support the situated-cognition approach to problem solving would be most likely to emphasize

Accepted Answer

A)  that people often learn to solve a problem in a specific context, and then they cannot transfer it to other situations. 
B)  how people reach creative solutions, rather than obvious solutions. 
C)  that people can easily transfer their knowledge from one problem to another similar problem. 
D)  how people typically divide their attention among several competing components of the initial state. 
A)  that people often learn to solve a problem in a specific context, and then they cannot transfer it to other situations. 
B)  how people reach creative solutions, rather than obvious solutions. 
C)  that people can easily transfer their knowledge from one problem to another similar problem. 
D)  how people typically divide their attention among several competing components of the initial state.

Question 2

You would expect a matrix to be a useful problem solving representation when

Accepted Answer

A)  the problem is very abstract. 
B)  the problem is relatively simple. 
C)  the information is stable, not changing over time. 
D)  you need to represent visual information. 
A)  the problem is very abstract. 
B)  the problem is relatively simple. 
C)  the information is stable, not changing over time. 
D)  you need to represent visual information.

Question 3

According to the research on mental sets,

Accepted Answer

A)  mental set is an overreliance on bottom-up processing. 
B)  mental set is especially helpful when you are trying to solve a problem creatively. 
C)  people may produce inferior problem solutions if they are shown examples of possible solutions before they try to solve the problem. 
D)  mental sets neither help nor hinder problem solving. 
A)  mental set is an overreliance on bottom-up processing. 
B)  mental set is especially helpful when you are trying to solve a problem creatively. 
C)  people may produce inferior problem solutions if they are shown examples of possible solutions before they try to solve the problem. 
D)  mental sets neither help nor hinder problem solving.

Question 4

In computer simulation, the computer is programmed

Accepted Answer

A)  to perform a task the same way that a human would. 
B)  to perform a task that matches the minimum performance of a human problem solver. 
C)  to use algorithms, but not heuristics. 
D)  to solve a problem as efficiently as possible. 
A)  to perform a task the same way that a human would. 
B)  to perform a task that matches the minimum performance of a human problem solver. 
C)  to use algorithms, but not heuristics. 
D)  to solve a problem as efficiently as possible.

Question 5

Suppose that you learned to make peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches by spreading peanut butter on one piece of bread, jelly on the other, and then placing the two pieces together. You are now making sandwiches for a crowd, and you use this same strategy. However, it would be more efficient to first spread peanut butter on half the pieces, and then spread jelly on the other half. Your inefficient problem solving illustrates the concept called

Accepted Answer

A)  parallel processing. 
B)  insight. 
C)  mental set. 
D)  problem isomorphs. 
A)  parallel processing. 
B)  insight. 
C)  mental set. 
D)  problem isomorphs.

Question 6

Chapter 11 examines the effect of stereotype threat on problem solving. Which of the following students provides the most accurate information about stereotype threat?

Accepted Answer

A)  Kirsten: "When people are in a threatening situation, they try to act in a counter-stereotypical fashion." 
B)  Liam: "Stereotype threat seems to reduce the capacity of working memory." 
C)  Treena: "Stereotype threat seems to increase the use of the hill-climbing heuristic." 
D)  Scott: "Stereotype threat seems to change problem-solving strategies, so that people are more likely to attend to the structural similarities of problems." 
A)  Kirsten: "When people are in a threatening situation, they try to act in a counter-stereotypical fashion." 
B)  Liam: "Stereotype threat seems to reduce the capacity of working memory." 
C)  Treena: "Stereotype threat seems to increase the use of the hill-climbing heuristic." 
D)  Scott: "Stereotype threat seems to change problem-solving strategies, so that people are more likely to attend to the structural similarities of problems."

Question 7

Which of the following is the best example of the hill-climbing heuristic?

Accepted Answer

A)  You try to figure out what courses you'll take next semester by obtaining an overview of the initial state; this perspective is similar to the overview from the top of a hill. 
B)  You want to become a social worker, so at each choice point, you choose the option that appears to lead most directly toward your goal. 
C)  You divide the problem into an orderly series of "hills," each of which must be surmounted before you move forward. 
D)  You realize that you must sometimes move backwards (returning to a previous "hill"), in order to move forwards to a solution. 
A)  You try to figure out what courses you'll take next semester by obtaining an overview of the initial state; this perspective is similar to the overview from the top of a hill. 
B)  You want to become a social worker, so at each choice point, you choose the option that appears to lead most directly toward your goal. 
C)  You divide the problem into an orderly series of "hills," each of which must be surmounted before you move forward. 
D)  You realize that you must sometimes move backwards (returning to a previous "hill"), in order to move forwards to a solution.

Question 8

Imagine that you are conducting a summer workshop to enhance the creativity of high school students. Which of the following ideas should you use, based on your understanding of Chapter 11?

Accepted Answer

A)  Watch the students carefully, so that they know you are monitoring their progress. 
B)  Offer a prize for the most creative project. 
C)  List on the blackboard the name of the most creative student of the week; however, make certain that no material rewards are given. 
D)  Do not place firm restrictions on the ways in which the students can express their creativity. 
A)  Watch the students carefully, so that they know you are monitoring their progress. 
B)  Offer a prize for the most creative project. 
C)  List on the blackboard the name of the most creative student of the week; however, make certain that no material rewards are given. 
D)  Do not place firm restrictions on the ways in which the students can express their creativity.

Question 9

The section on creativity in Chapter 11 examined research about intrinsic motivation and creativity in writing poetry. According to this research, people were especially likely to be creative

Accepted Answer

A)  when they had high intrinsic motivation for working on the task. 
B)  when they knew that the best poem would receive a cash prize. 
C)  when they wrote poems with other participants in the same room, rather than when no other participants were in the room. 
D)  when the researchers specified the initial state, the goal state, and the obstacles. 
A)  when they had high intrinsic motivation for working on the task. 
B)  when they knew that the best poem would receive a cash prize. 
C)  when they wrote poems with other participants in the same room, rather than when no other participants were in the room. 
D)  when the researchers specified the initial state, the goal state, and the obstacles.

Question 10

Which of the following students provides the most accurate information about expertise during problem solving?

Accepted Answer

A)  Lisa: "Experts are better at estimating how long it would take nonexperts to solve a problem." 
B)  Pernelle: "Experts are more likely to use a mental set." 
C)  Jack: "Experts are more likely to use their top-down processing effectively." 
D)  Sabino: "Experts are more likely to use serial processing." 
A)  Lisa: "Experts are better at estimating how long it would take nonexperts to solve a problem." 
B)  Pernelle: "Experts are more likely to use a mental set." 
C)  Jack: "Experts are more likely to use their top-down processing effectively." 
D)  Sabino: "Experts are more likely to use serial processing."

Question 11

One way that functional fixedness and mental set are similar to each other is that

Accepted Answer

A)  Both emphasize our reliance on bottom-up processing. 
B)  Both show that we rely too heavily on a strategy that is typically useful. 
C)  Both show that we tend to emphasize the positive, rather than the negative. 
D)  Both emphasize our inability to use situated learning effectively. 
A)  Both emphasize our reliance on bottom-up processing. 
B)  Both show that we rely too heavily on a strategy that is typically useful. 
C)  Both show that we tend to emphasize the positive, rather than the negative. 
D)  Both emphasize our inability to use situated learning effectively.

Question 12

Suppose that several high school algebra teachers are trying to encourage their students to use analogies more appropriately when they try to solve word problems. The teachers should instruct students

Accepted Answer

A)  to make an educated guess about the answer before trying to solve it. 
B)  to make a matrix that shows the surface similarities between a current problem and a previous problem. 
C)  to sort a number of problems into categories, based on structural similarities. 
D)  to use the hill-climbing heuristic. 
A)  to make an educated guess about the answer before trying to solve it. 
B)  to make a matrix that shows the surface similarities between a current problem and a previous problem. 
C)  to sort a number of problems into categories, based on structural similarities. 
D)  to use the hill-climbing heuristic.

Question 13

Which of the following students provides the best summary of the situated-cognition approach?

Accepted Answer

A)  Pearlie: "People typically cannot solve a problem unless they picture themselves situated at the goal state." 
B)  Laurie: "Visual imagery is especially helpful because it encourages problem solvers to vividly picture themselves in the situation." 
C)  Vladimir: "Psychologists who study problem solving should emphasize how people can solve everyday problems in the real world, rather than in an artificial setting." 
D)  Samuel: "Psychologists can understand problem solving better if they try playing the role of a research participant who is faced with a representative problem." 
A)  Pearlie: "People typically cannot solve a problem unless they picture themselves situated at the goal state." 
B)  Laurie: "Visual imagery is especially helpful because it encourages problem solvers to vividly picture themselves in the situation." 
C)  Vladimir: "Psychologists who study problem solving should emphasize how people can solve everyday problems in the real world, rather than in an artificial setting." 
D)  Samuel: "Psychologists can understand problem solving better if they try playing the role of a research participant who is faced with a representative problem."

Question 14

According to the research on expertise and problem solving,

Accepted Answer

A)  expert chess-players are much better than novices at remembering random arrangements of chess pieces. 
B)  expert problem-solvers are more likely than novices to emphasize structural features in the representation of a problem. 
C)  experts and novices are similar in their usage of means-ends heuristics. 
D)  experts are skilled at judging whether a problem will be difficult for novices to solve. 
A)  expert chess-players are much better than novices at remembering random arrangements of chess pieces. 
B)  expert problem-solvers are more likely than novices to emphasize structural features in the representation of a problem. 
C)  experts and novices are similar in their usage of means-ends heuristics. 
D)  experts are skilled at judging whether a problem will be difficult for novices to solve.

Question 15

Suppose that you belong to an organization in which an average of only 8 out of 12 people attend meetings on a regular basis. Which of the following ideas best illustrates the way of overcoming a mental set when solving this problem of low attendance?

Accepted Answer

A)  Try to think of all the previous techniques the group has used, and vote to decide which technique to use this time. 
B)  Encourage everyone to try to figure out a new way to solve the problem, avoiding the solutions that the group members had previously tried. 
C)  Emphasize the importance of functional fixedness when trying to solve the problem. 
D)  Use the hill-climbing heuristic to make sure that the group members choose the most direct route, each time they make a decision. 
A)  Try to think of all the previous techniques the group has used, and vote to decide which technique to use this time. 
B)  Encourage everyone to try to figure out a new way to solve the problem, avoiding the solutions that the group members had previously tried. 
C)  Emphasize the importance of functional fixedness when trying to solve the problem. 
D)  Use the hill-climbing heuristic to make sure that the group members choose the most direct route, each time they make a decision.

Question 16

Suppose that you have solved a problem by letting the letter x represent one unknown and by letting the letter y represent another unknown. Which problem-solving method have you used?

Accepted Answer

A)  Symbols 
B)  Imagery 
C)  Matrix 
D)  Graph 
A)  Symbols 
B)  Imagery 
C)  Matrix 
D)  Graph

Question 17

When people try to solve problems, which feature of the problem should they emphasize the most?

Accepted Answer

A)  Structural features 
B)  Surface features 
C)  Schematic features 
D)  Algorithms 
A)  Structural features 
B)  Surface features 
C)  Schematic features 
D)  Algorithms

Question 18

Suppose that you have an assignment to write a review of the literature on a topic in cognitive psychology. If you used the means-ends heuristic, you would begin by

Accepted Answer

A)  breaking the problem into parts (e.g., select a topic, locate resources, etc.) and then solve each part. 
B)  creating a matrix consisting of possible problems and possible solutions. 
C)  searching systematically through all possible alternatives (e.g., all possible topics on perception, all possible topics on memory, etc.) until you have found a solution. 
D)  trying to think of occasions on which you faced a similar problem (e.g., writing a paper in a child development course) and use that information to help you solve the present problem. 
A)  breaking the problem into parts (e.g., select a topic, locate resources, etc.) and then solve each part. 
B)  creating a matrix consisting of possible problems and possible solutions. 
C)  searching systematically through all possible alternatives (e.g., all possible topics on perception, all possible topics on memory, etc.) until you have found a solution. 
D)  trying to think of occasions on which you faced a similar problem (e.g., writing a paper in a child development course) and use that information to help you solve the present problem.

Question 19

Chapter 11 compared how-on some tasks-experts and novices use parallel processing. According to this discussion,

Accepted Answer

A)  novices use parallel processing more than experts do. 
B)  experts use parallel processing more than novices do. 
C)  when researchers have controlled for the kind of problem that is being solved, experts and novices make similar use of parallel processing. 
D)  both experts and novices make too much use of parallel processing. 
A)  novices use parallel processing more than experts do. 
B)  experts use parallel processing more than novices do. 
C)  when researchers have controlled for the kind of problem that is being solved, experts and novices make similar use of parallel processing. 
D)  both experts and novices make too much use of parallel processing.

Question 20

In the means-ends heuristic,

Accepted Answer

A)  the matrix approach is most useful. 
B)  we disregard some aspects of the problem in order to make the problem simpler. 
C)  we solve a problem by emphasizing embodied cognition. 
D)  we divide the problem into a number of subproblems. 
A)  the matrix approach is most useful. 
B)  we disregard some aspects of the problem in order to make the problem simpler. 
C)  we solve a problem by emphasizing embodied cognition. 
D)  we divide the problem into a number of subproblems.

Psychologists who support the situated-cognition approach to problem solving would be most likely to emphasize

You would expect a matrix to be a useful problem solving representation when

According to the research on mental sets,

In computer simulation, the computer is programmed

Chapter 11 examines the effect of stereotype threat on problem solving. Which of the following students provides the most accurate information about stereotype threat?

Which of the following is the best example of the hill-climbing heuristic?

Imagine that you are conducting a summer workshop to enhance the creativity of high school students. Which of the following ideas should you use, based on your understanding of Chapter 11?

The section on creativity in Chapter 11 examined research about intrinsic motivation and creativity in writing poetry. According to this research, people were especially likely to be creative

Which of the following students provides the most accurate information about expertise during problem solving?

One way that functional fixedness and mental set are similar to each other is that

Suppose that several high school algebra teachers are trying to encourage their students to use analogies more appropriately when they try to solve word problems. The teachers should instruct students

Which of the following students provides the best summary of the situated-cognition approach?

According to the research on expertise and problem solving,

Suppose that you belong to an organization in which an average of only 8 out of 12 people attend meetings on a regular basis. Which of the following ideas best illustrates the way of overcoming a mental set when solving this problem of low attendance?

Suppose that you have solved a problem by letting the letter x represent one unknown and by letting the letter y represent another unknown. Which problem-solving method have you used?

When people try to solve problems, which feature of the problem should they emphasize the most?

Suppose that you have an assignment to write a review of the literature on a topic in cognitive psychology. If you used the means-ends heuristic, you would begin by

Chapter 11 compared how-on some tasks-experts and novices use parallel processing. According to this discussion,

In the means-ends heuristic,

An Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

Visual and Auditory Recognition

Attention and Consciousness

Working Memory

Long-Term Memory

Memory Strategies and Metacognition

Mental Imagery and Cognitive Maps

General Knowledge

Language I: Introduction to Language and Language Comprehension

Language Ii: Language Production and Bilingualism

Deductive Reasoning and Decision Making

Cognitive Development Throughout the Lifespan

Filters

Exam 11: Problem Solving and Creativity

Psychologists who support the situated-cognition approach to problem solving would be most likely to emphasize

You would expect a matrix to be a useful problem solving representation when

According to the research on mental sets,

In computer simulation, the computer is programmed

Chapter 11 examines the effect of stereotype threat on problem solving. Which of the following students provides the most accurate information about stereotype threat?

Which of the following is the best example of the hill-climbing heuristic?

Imagine that you are conducting a summer workshop to enhance the creativity of high school students. Which of the following ideas should you use, based on your understanding of Chapter 11?

The section on creativity in Chapter 11 examined research about intrinsic motivation and creativity in writing poetry. According to this research, people were especially likely to be creative

Which of the following students provides the most accurate information about expertise during problem solving?

One way that functional fixedness and mental set are similar to each other is that

Suppose that several high school algebra teachers are trying to encourage their students to use analogies more appropriately when they try to solve word problems. The teachers should instruct students

Which of the following students provides the best summary of the situated-cognition approach?

According to the research on expertise and problem solving,

Suppose that you belong to an organization in which an average of only 8 out of 12 people attend meetings on a regular basis. Which of the following ideas best illustrates the way of overcoming a mental set when solving this problem of low attendance?

Suppose that you have solved a problem by letting the letter x represent one unknown and by letting the letter y represent another unknown. Which problem-solving method have you used?

When people try to solve problems, which feature of the problem should they emphasize the most?

Suppose that you have an assignment to write a review of the literature on a topic in cognitive psychology. If you used the means-ends heuristic, you would begin by

Chapter 11 compared how-on some tasks-experts and novices use parallel processing. According to this discussion,

In the means-ends heuristic,

An Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

Visual and Auditory Recognition

Attention and Consciousness

Working Memory

Long-Term Memory

Memory Strategies and Metacognition

Mental Imagery and Cognitive Maps

General Knowledge

Language I: Introduction to Language and Language Comprehension

Language Ii: Language Production and Bilingualism

Deductive Reasoning and Decision Making

Cognitive Development Throughout the Lifespan

Filters