Exam 8: A: Language and Thought

Kareem is working on a practical problem with his 16-year-old son, Josh, and his 8-year-old daughter, Lisa. They don't have the right tools for the job, and they need to come up with a creative solution that uses the items they have available. Based on research findings into the prevalence of functional fixedness, what should you predict?

Which of the following statements is most accurate?

What are people using when they overestimate the frequency of violent crimes because these events generate a great deal of media coverage?

Which of the following is a case of overextension?

Autumn has been figure skating since she was five years old. She has never placed higher than third in any of the competitions she has been in, but she is still convinced that she will be able to become a professional figure skater in a few years. Her coach and her parents have tried to tell her that not many people make it as professional skaters, but Autumn is convinced that she can beat the odds. What is Autumn doing in this case?

What is the smallest unit of meaning in a language?

Which theory of language is associated with the hypothesized "language acquisition device"?

During the Apollo 13 mission, the ground engineers had to devise a new way of cleaning the capsule air supply, using only the materials the astronauts had on board the space capsule. Which engineers would be most likely to be successful, based on the work of Witkin and his colleagues?

Which of the following types of activity best characterizes our ability to reason?

Claude and Marie are excited because they have just bought a restaurant from the previous owners. The two partners know that the last seven restaurants that have been operated at that location have gone bankrupt within a year of their openings, but Claude and Marie are certain their restaurant will be successful because they plan on working hard to be a success. What are the two new business partners doing in this case?

Which theories of language acquisition emphasize both the importance of children's learning experiences and their information-processing skills?

What is the function of the component of language called semantics?

Which of the following was Jesse demonstrating when he used sarcasm?

Byron has been watching his new neighbour for a week. She drives a sporty car, carries a cell phone, and wears nothing but blue business suits. Byron decides his new neighbour must be a lawyer. What did Byron use to form an opinion about his new neighbour's occupation?

You and your friend just met a woman at the bookstore, and she recommended a very good book to you. You guess, based on her appearance and demeanor, that she is a teacher. Your friend suggests that she is a teacher and also a writer. What should you think about your friend's suggestion?

In general, which of the following is true of toddlers' language abilities?

When Quentin sprained his ankle in a backyard softball game, his girlfriend grabbed a bag of frozen corn from the freezer to wrap around his ankle until they got him to the local clinic. What did Quentin's girlfriend do in this case?

Which of the following would change depending on whether you used a word in a literal sentence or a sarcastic sentence?

Compare and contrast the behaviourist and nativist theories of language acquisition. What is the interactionist view, and how has it arisen out of dissatisfaction with the other two approaches?

Marisa is trying to decide between two computers that are advertised at the same price, and have a lot of similar features. Computer A has a faster processor but less memory than computer B, though. Because Marisa thinks that the speed of the processor matters more than the amount of memory, she decides to buy computer A. How has Marissa made her decision in this case?