Deck 27: Thinking

Question 1

Pigeons can reliably discriminate pictures of cars from pictures of chairs. This best illustrates their capacity to develop

A) concepts.
B) mental sets.
C) heuristics.
D) algorithms.

Answer 1

concepts.

Question 2

Mental set is an example of a(n)

A) algorithm.
B) heuristic.
C) fixation.
D) insight.

Answer 2

fixation.

Question 3

A mental grouping of similar things, events, or people is called a(n)

A) prototype.
B) concept.
C) algorithm.
D) heuristic.

Answer 3

concept.

Question 4

Prompt feedback regarding your performance on psychology practice tests is most likely to inhibit

A) overconfidence.
B) the framing effect.
C) process simulation.
D) confirmation bias.

Question 5

When forming a concept, people often develop a best example, or ________, of a category.

A) denoter
B) heuristic
C) prototype
D) algorithm

Question 6

We more quickly recognize that a blue jay is a bird than that a penguin is a bird because a blue jay more closely resembles our ________ of a bird.

A) heuristic
B) prototype
C) algorithm
D) mental set

Question 7

Prototypes are especially important in the process of

A) trial and error.
B) constructing algorithms.
C) developing heuristics.
D) classifying objects.

Question 8

Because he erroneously believes that older workers are not as motivated as younger workers to work hard, a factory foreman is especially vigilant for any signs of laziness among his senior workers. His supervision strategy best illustrates

A) the availability heuristic.
B) an algorithm.
C) confirmation bias.
D) framing.

Question 9

The easier it is for people to remember an instance in which they were betrayed by a friend, the more they expect such an event to recur. This best illustrates the impact of

A) framing.
B) confirmation bias.
C) an algorithm.
D) the availability heuristic.

Question 10

College students are more likely to use a condom when told that it has a 95 percent success rate than when told it has a 5 percent failure rate. This best illustrates the impact of

A) framing.
B) confirmation bias.
C) a fixation.
D) the availability heuristic.

Question 11

Confirmation bias refers to the tendency to

A) allow preexisting beliefs to distort logical reasoning.
B) cling to one's initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited.
C) search randomly through alternative solutions when problem solving.
D) look for information that is consistent with one's beliefs.

Question 12

Thoughts and feelings that are automatic, effortless, immediate, and unreasoned are examples of

A) mental set.
B) confirmation bias.
C) heuristics.
D) intuition.

Question 13

Max is so used to thinking that a tough competitive style of behavior is the best way to impress others that he fails to recognize that the most effective way to impress his girlfriend is with cooperative tenderness. Max's oversight best illustrates

A) a fixation.
B) the framing effect.
C) an algorithm.
D) a critical period.

Question 14

To find Tabasco sauce in a large grocery store, you could systematically search every shelf in every store aisle. This best illustrates problem solving by means of

A) the availability heuristic.
B) belief perseverance.
C) an algorithm.
D) framing.

Question 15

When her professor failed to recognize that Judy had her hand raised for a question, Judy began to think her professor was unfriendly. Although she subsequently learned that the professor's limited vision kept him from seeing her raised hand, she continued thinking the professor was unfriendly. Judy's reaction best illustrates

A) the framing effect.
B) belief perseverance.
C) a critical period.
D) the availability heuristic.

Question 16

In her research, Professor Kyoto seeks to identify circumstances in which confirmation bias is especially likely to impede effective problem solving. Which specialty area does her research best represent?

A) biological psychology
B) developmental psychology
C) personality psychology
D) cognitive psychology

Question 17

In attempting to find and purchase high-quality cosmetics, Megan reminds herself that the most expensive brands are the best. Megan's self-reminder illustrates the use of

A) an algorithm.
B) trial and error.
C) framing.
D) a heuristic.

Question 18

The text defines cognition as

A) silent speech.
B) all mental activity.
C) the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating information.
D) logical reasoning.

Question 19

Unlike the use of algorithms or heuristics, insight does not involve

A) concepts.
B) prototypes.
C) cognition.
D) strategy-based solutions.

Question 20

Professor Chadwick evaluated a graduate student's research proposal negatively simply because he had heard a rumor about the student's incompetence. When later informed that the rumor had been patently false, the professor's assessment of the student's research proposal remained almost as negative as it was originally. This best illustrates

A) the representativeness heuristic.
B) the availability heuristic.
C) belief perseverance.
D) framing.

Question 21

In the process of classifying objects, people are especially likely to make use of

A) algorithms.
B) fixations.
C) prototypes.
D) framing.

Question 22

A prototype is a

A) mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people.
B) step-by-step procedure for solving problems.
C) best example of a particular category.
D) simple thinking strategy for solving problems efficiently.

Question 23

Prototype is to category as ________ is to ________.

A) rose; flower
B) couch; bed
C) man; woman
D) rope; weapon

Question 24

With which of the following statements will people typically agree most quickly?

A) A penguin is a bird.
B) A goose is a bird.
C) A robin is a bird.
D) An ostrich is a bird.

Question 25

After identifying an ethnically blended face as Asian rather than as Caucasian, Belgian students recalled the face as more closely resembling their ________ of an Asian face.

A) algorithm
B) heuristic
C) prototype
D) fixation

Question 26

Availability is an example of a(n)

A) mental set.
B) belief bias.
C) algorithm.
D) heuristic.

Question 27

Which of the following is an example of the use of heuristics?

A) trying every possible letter ordering when unscrambling a word
B) considering each possible move when playing chess
C) using the formula "area = length × width" to find the area of a rectangle
D) playing chess using a defensive strategy that has often been successful for you

Question 28

Researchers who believe that some primates can read intent point to evidence that

A) chimpanzees show more interest in a food container you have deliberately grasped.
B) great apes have recognized themselves in a mirror.
C) chimpanzees in the wild use sticks as tools.
D) sheep can recognize and remember individual faces.

Question 29

Eva had difficulty recognizing that a sea horse was a fish because it did not closely resemble her fish

A) syntax.
B) heuristic.
C) algorithm.
D) prototype.

Question 30

When we use the word automobile to refer to a category of transport vehicles, we are using this word as a(n)

A) mental set.
B) heuristic.
C) concept.
D) algorithm.

Question 31

The chimpanzee Sultan used a short stick to pull a longer stick that was out of reach into his cage. He then used the longer stick to reach a piece of fruit. Researchers hypothesized that Sultan's discovery of the solution to his problem was the result of

A) trial and error.
B) heuristics.
C) functional fixedness.
D) insight.

Question 32

Which term refers to all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating?

A) algorithm
B) heuristic
C) cognition
D) mental set

Question 33

Many psychologists are skeptical of claims that chimpanzees can acquire language because the chimps have not shown the ability to

A) use symbols meaningfully.
B) acquire speech.
C) acquire even a limited vocabulary.
D) use syntax in communicating.

Question 34

A common problem in everyday reasoning is our tendency to

A) accept as logical those conclusions that agree with our own opinions.
B) accept as logical those conclusions that disagree with our own opinions.
C) underestimate the accuracy of our knowledge.
D) accept as logical conclusions that involve unfamiliar concepts.

Question 35

If you want to be absolutely certain that you will find the solution to a problem you know is solvable, you should use

A) a heuristic.
B) an algorithm.
C) insight.
D) trial and error.

Question 36

The basic units of cognition are

A) algorithms.
B) concepts.
C) prototypes.
D) heuristics.

Question 37

Professor Pegler's research efforts focus on how the use of heuristics influences the way people assess financial risks. Which specialty area does his research best represent?

A) developmental psychology
B) biological psychology
C) cognitive psychology
D) personality psychology

Question 38

Assume that Congress is considering revising its approach to welfare and to this end is hearing a range of testimony. A member of Congress who uses the availability heuristic would be most likely to

A) want to experiment with numerous possible approaches to see which of these seems to work best.
B) want to cling to approaches to welfare that seem to have had some success in the past.
C) refuse to be budged from his or her beliefs despite persuasive testimony to the contrary.
D) base his or her ideas on the most vivid, memorable testimony given, even though many of the statistics presented run counter to this testimony.

Question 39

Researchers who are convinced that animals can think point to evidence that

A) chimpanzees demonstrate the ability to "count" by learning to touch pictures of objects in ascending numerical order.
B) chimpanzees regularly use sticks as tools in their natural habitats.
C) chimps invent grooming and courtship customs and pass them on to their peers.
D) they exhibit all of these skills.

Question 40

A mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people is a(n)

A) algorithm.
B) prototype.
C) heuristic.
D) concept.

Question 41

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

A) telegraphic speech.
B) algorithms.
C) trial and error.
D) heuristics.

Question 42

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

A) a critical period.
B) a fixation.
C) a heuristic.
D) framing.

Question 43

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) framing.
D) belief perseverance.

Question 44

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.

Question 45

A mental set is most likely to inhibit

A) confirmation bias.
B) overconfidence.
C) creativity.
D) belief perseverance.

Question 46

People are likely to take less time to recognize a woman as a nurse than a man as a nurse because a woman more closely resembles their nurse

A) heuristic.
B) prototype.
C) algorithm.
D) fixation.

Question 47

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

Question 48

An algorithm is a

A) simple thinking strategy for making decisions quickly and efficiently.
B) testing method involving trial and error.
C) automatic, intuitive judgment.
D) methodical step-by-step procedure for solving problems.

Question 49

The use of heuristics rather than algorithms is most likely to

A) save time in arriving at solutions to problems.
B) yield more accurate solutions to problems.
C) minimize the overconfidence phenomenon.
D) involve greater reliance on language skills.

Question 50

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

A) mental sets.
B) insights.
C) algorithms.
D) intuitions.

Question 51

Business managers are often overly confident of their own hiring ability because they are more likely to monitor the successes of people they hired than the achievements of those they rejected. This illustrates that overconfidence may be facilitated by

A) an algorithm.
B) prototypes.
C) the framing effect.
D) confirmation bias.

Question 52

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.

Question 53

Kevin did not know whether the locker room was located down the short hallway to his right or down the long hallway to his left. Crossing his fingers, he decided to try the short hallway. His problem-strategy best illustrates

A) confirmation bias.
B) the framing effect.
C) trial and error.
D) belief perseverance.

Question 54

As he attempted to spell the word receive, Tim reminded himself "i before e except after c." Tim's self-reminder best illustrates the use of

A) trial and error.
B) insight.
C) an algorithm.
D) a heuristic.

Question 55

Simple thinking strategies that allow us to solve problems and make judgments efficiently are called

A) fixations.
B) heuristics.
C) prototypes.
D) algorithms.

Question 56

Research participants were asked to identify a word that could be associated meaningfully 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

Question 57

During prior school years, Charlie found it easy to get away with cheating on his tests. Now its not so easy 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.

Question 58

People are likely to detect male prejudice against females ________ easily than they detect female prejudice against males. They are likely to detect younger people's prejudice against older people ________ easily than they detect older people's prejudice against younger people.

A) more; less
B) less; more
C) more; more
D) less; less

Question 59

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 framing effect.
B) process simulation.
C) confirmation bias.
D) algorithms.

Question 60

A chess-playing computer program that routinely calculates all possible outcomes of all possible game moves best illustrates problem solving by means of

A) the availability heuristic.
B) belief perseverance.
C) an algorithm.
D) framing.

Question 61

Just passing by a person who sneezes and coughs heightens our perceptions of various health risks. This best illustrates the impact of

A) the availability heuristic.
B) a critical period.
C) confirmation bias.
D) framing.

Question 62

By encouraging people to imagine their homes being destroyed by winds from a hurricane, insurance salespeople are especially successful at selling large homeowners' policies. They are most clearly exploiting the influence of

A) belief perseverance.
B) a critical period.
C) overconfidence.
D) the availability heuristic.

Question 63

Stockbrokers often believe that their own expertise will enable them to select stocks that will outperform the market average. This belief best illustrates

A) a fixation.
B) the framing effect.
C) the availability heuristic.
D) overconfidence.

Question 64

When Quang couldn't find his wallet, he began to wonder about his roommate's honesty. Although Quang later recalled that he had left his wallet in the glove compartment of his own car, he continued to doubt his roommate's honesty. Quang's irrational thinking best illustrates

A) confirmation bias.
B) an algorithm.
C) belief perseverance.
D) framing.

Question 65

Dean overestimates the proportion of family chores for which he takes sole responsibility because it's easier for him to recall what he has done than to recall what other family members have done. This best illustrates the impact of

A) overconfidence.
B) framing.
C) confirmation bias.
D) the availability heuristic.

Question 66

A televised image of a starving child had a greater impact on Mr. White's perception of the extensiveness of world hunger than did a statistical chart summarizing the tremendous scope of the problem. This suggests that his assessment of the world hunger problem is influenced by

A) belief perseverance.
B) an algorithm.
C) confirmation bias.
D) the availability heuristic.

Question 67

Stockbrokers who market their services with confidence that they can outperform the market average in picking stocks are especially likely to

A) appear credible to their customers.
B) find it difficult to decide which stocks to purchase.
C) avoid the dangers of belief perseverance.
D) use algorithms to generate stock choices.

Question 68

Research findings suggest that the best advice to give people who want to avoid belief perseverance is

A) "Try to justify your positions."
B) "Consider the opposite."
C) "Don't draw hasty conclusions."
D) "Be as objective as possible."

Question 69

When Larina started college, she was certain that she would never smoke marijuana. By the end of her freshman year, however, Larina had used this drug on three different occasions. Larina's experience best illustrates

A) the availability heuristic.
B) confirmation bias.
C) overconfidence.
D) the framing effect.

Question 70

Our tendency to judge the likelihood of an event on the basis of how readily we can remember instances of its occurrence is called

A) framing.
B) confirmation bias.
C) belief perseverance.
D) the availability heuristic.

Question 71

A single, memorable case of welfare fraud can have a greater impact on people's estimates of welfare abuse than do statistics showing that this case is actually the exception to the rule. This illustrates that judgments are influenced by

A) confirmation bias.
B) overconfidence.
C) belief perseverance.
D) the availability heuristic.

Question 72

We fear too little those events that will claim lives

A) accidentally.
B) undramatically.
C) in the near future.
D) one person at a time.

Question 73

People with opposing views of capital punishment reviewed mixed evidence regarding its effectiveness as a crime deterrent. As a result, their opposing views differed more strongly than ever. This best illustrates

A) the framing effect.
B) overconfidence.
C) belief perseverance.
D) the availability heuristic.

Question 74

The indelible memories of the 9/11 terrorist tragedy unduly inflated many people's estimates of the risks associated with air travel. This best illustrates the importance of

A) a critical period.
B) the availability heuristic.
C) confirmation bias.
D) framing.

Question 75

The value of making a good first impression when you begin work for a new employer is best underscored by the research on

A) overconfidence.
B) the framing effect.
C) belief perseverance.
D) the availability heuristic.

Question 76

The overconfidence phenomenon refers to the tendency to

A) cling to our initial conceptions, even though they have been discredited.
B) search for information that supports our preconceptions.
C) underestimate the extent to which our beliefs and judgments are inaccurate.
D) judge the likelihood of an event in terms of how readily instances of its occurrence are remembered.

Question 77

Wording a question or presenting an issue in such a way that it evokes a desired judgment is called

A) framing.
B) confirmation bias.
C) belief perseverance.
D) a prototype.

Question 78

An unwillingness to give up our beliefs even when the evidence proves us wrong is called

A) the availability heuristic.
B) trial and error.
C) belief perseverance.
D) confirmation bias.

Question 79

Which of the following best accounts for people's greater fear of commercial air flights than of driving an automobile?

A) perceived control
B) fixation
C) the framing effect
D) insight

Question 80

In writing survey questions, political pollsters who want to gather evidence of people's support for particular viewpoints are especially likely to understand the impact of

A) belief perseverance.
B) intuition.
C) a fixation.
D) framing.