Exam 8: A: Language and Thought

What must be true about babbling if infants who are learning sign language show evidence of manual babbling (using sign-language-based babbling), but other infants show only vocal babbling?

Why do we use "fast and frugal heuristics", according to Gigerenzer?

Which of the following statements is least accurate?

Which of the following theorists would expect apes to progress the furthest in language development, in light of their views on language acquisition?

Riley's algebra teacher is amazed at the creativity Riley shows in solving homework problems. He seldom uses the same method on two consecutive problems, even when the problems are very similar in content and structure. Although Riley makes lots of mistakes in algebra, what is he unlikely to experience?

Which of the following minimum ages would you expect Jesse to be, based on his use of sarcasm?

Christine wants to buy a new television. She will not purchase a television with a screen smaller than 25 inches. She will also not purchase a television that costs more than $500. What type of decision-making strategy is she using?

Which of the following seems to be enhanced by the educational practices in modern Western societies?

You applied for a job at a local store. You got an interview but were not offered a position. The next week, you see a very pretty new girl working behind the counter. You tell your friends that you didn't get the job because the manager hired the pretty girl rather than someone who was better qualified for the job. A week later, one of your friends tells you that the girl who was hired had four years of retail experience, and glowing letters of reference. You still believe that her looks got her the job. What does your opinion demonstrate?

What cognitive tendency is described by the representativeness heuristic?

When is working backward a good strategy to follow?

Clarice has a tendency to accept the physical environment as given and makes little if any attempt at analyzing or restructuring it. Which of the following describes Clarice?

There have been a number of reports in the news about the Avian Flu, including reports of a number of deaths. Other forms of flu kill many more people every year, but many people state that the Avian Flu is much more dangerous. Which of the following is likely responsible for this overestimation of the danger of Avian Flu?

What is the likelihood of misleading results in a small sample, compared to the likelihood of misleading results in a large sample?

Which of the following is true of bilingualism?

Many people mistakenly believe their chances of dying in an airplane crash are greater than their chances of dying in an automobile crash. Which of the following is reflected in this belief?

Which of the following is consistent with Noam Chomsky's theories of language?

Outline the key properties of language, and use these to evaluate the ape-language controversy.

Marc loves to solve anagrams, and spends a great deal of time working through books of anagrams. Which problem solving strategy does it appear that Marc enjoys?

Of the following theories, which one is NOT considered to be an interactionist theory of language acquisition?