Deck 18: Many Hands Make Diminished Responsibility

Question 1

A prototype is a
•mental grouping of similar objects,events,or people.
•step-by-step procedure for solving problems.
•best example of a particular category.
•simple thinking strategy for solving problems efficiently.

Answer 1

•best example of a particular category

Question 2

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
•the belief perseverance phenomenon.
•the availability heuristic.
•insight.
•a mental set.

Answer 2

•insight

Question 3

In the process of classifying objects,people are especially likely to make use of
•algorithms.
•fixations.
•prototypes.
•mental sets.

Answer 3

•prototypes

Question 4

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
•hierarchy.
•prototype.
•algorithm.
•fixation.

Question 5

Having learned the rule that a triangle has three sides,we thereafter classify all three-sided geometric forms as triangles. This best illustrates the role of ______ in concept formation.
•algorithms
•prototypes
•definitions
•category hierarchies

Question 6

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
•trial and error.
•insight.
•an algorithm.
•a heuristic.

Question 7

The use of heuristics rather than algorithms is most likely to
•save time in arriving at solutions to problems.
•yield more accurate solutions to problems.
•minimize the overconfidence phenomenon.
•involve greater reliance on language skills.

Question 8

Which term refers to all the mental activities associated with thinking,knowing,remembering and communicating?
•algorithm
•heuristic
•cognition
•mental set

Question 9

Eva had difficulty recognizing that a sea horse was a fish because it did not closely resemble her fish
•hierarchy.
•heuristic.
•algorithm.
•prototype.

Question 10

With which of the following statements will people typically agree most quickly?
•A penguin is a bird.
•A goose is a bird.
•A robin is a bird.
•An ostrich is a bird.

Question 11

Prototype is to category as ________ is to ________.
•rose; flower
•couch; bed
•man; woman
•rope; weapon

Question 12

By dividing broad concepts into increasingly smaller and detailed subgroupings,we create
•algorithms.
•category hierarchies.
•heuristics.
•overconfidence.

Question 13

Unlike the use of algorithms or heuristics,insight does not involve
•concepts.
•prototypes.
•cognition.
•strategy-based solutions.

Question 14

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
•confirmation bias.
•the framing effect.
•trial and error.
•belief perseverance.

Question 15

Simple thinking strategies that allow us to solve problems and make judgments efficiently are called
•fixations.
•heuristics.
•prototypes.
•algorithms.

Question 16

A chess-playing computer program that routinely calculates all possible outcomes of all possible game moves best illustrates problem solving by means of
•the availability heuristic.
•belief perseverance.
•an algorithm.
•the representativeness heuristic.

Question 17

When we use the word automobile to refer to a category of transport vehicles,we are using this word as a(n)
•mental set.
•heuristic.
•concept.
•algorithm.

Question 18

An algorithm is a
•simple thinking strategy for making decisions quickly and efficiently.
•method of hypothesis testing involving trial and error.
•best example of a particular category.
•methodical step-by-step procedure for solving problems.

Question 19

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.
•right temporal
•left temporal
•right occipital
•left occipital

Question 20

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?
•developmental psychology
•biological psychology
•cognitive psychology
•personality psychology

Question 21

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 the
•confirmation bias.
•representativeness heuristic.
•belief perseverance phenomenon.
•availability heuristic.

Question 22

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
•the belief perseverance phenomenon.
•the representativeness heuristic.
•confirmation bias.
•the availability heuristic.

Question 23

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
•the representativeness heuristic.
•the availability heuristic.
•confirmation bias.
•framing.

Question 24

Jacquelyn suffered symptoms so similar to those associated with pregnancy-induced morning sickness that she erroneously concluded that she was pregnant. Jacquelyn's conclusion best illustrates the influence of
•confirmation bias.
•the availability heuristic.
•the representativeness heuristic.
•belief perseverance.

Question 25

The representativeness heuristic refers to our tendency to
•judge the likelihood of category membership by how closely an object or event resembles a particular prototype.
•judge the likelihood of an event in terms of how readily instances of its occurrence are remembered.
•search for information that is consistent with our preconceptions.
•cling to our initial conceptions,even though they have been discredited.

Question 26

Mistakenly concluding that the forgetful acts of an older person must be indicative of Alzheimer's disease best illustrates the impact of
•confirmation bias.
•belief perseverance.
•the representativeness heuristic.
•framing.

Question 27

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
•the availability heuristic.
•confirmation bias.
•the framing effect.
•the representativeness heuristic.

Question 28

During his early school years,Charlie got away with copying his test answers from classmates. Because the university has test proctors who are very observant,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 strategy for passing tests illustrates the consequences of
•framing.
•a mental set.
•confirmation bias.
•the availability heuristic.

Question 29

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
•belief perseverance.
•the representativeness heuristic.
•overconfidence.
•the availability heuristic.

Question 30

University students were asked to figure out the rule used to devise the three-number sequence 2-4-6. After generating sets of three numbers to learn whether their sets met the rule,they typically convinced themselves of the wrong rule. Their errors best illustrated the impact of
•the representativeness heuristic.
•the availability heuristic.
•the framing effect.
•confirmation bias.

Question 31

Which of the following best accounts for people's greater fear of commercial air flights than of driving an automobile?
•perceived control
•fixation
•the framing effect
•category hierarchies

Question 32

Miss Jan De Jong is orderly,neat,fairly quiet,and shy. She enjoys reading in her spare time and belongs to a social club that includes three librarians,nine real estate agents,and eight social workers. A tendency to conclude that Jan must be one of the three librarians would illustrate the powerful influence of
•confirmation bias.
•the framing effect.
•the representativeness heuristic.
•the availability heuristic.

Question 33

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

Question 34

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
•overconfidence.
•the representativeness heuristic.
•confirmation bias.
•the availability heuristic.

Question 35

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.
•fixation
•heuristics
•framing
•overconfidence

Question 36

The danger of using the representativeness heuristic is that it may lead us to
•make judgments in a very inefficient,time-consuming fashion.
•judge event likelihood solely on the basis of event memorability.
•disregard information that is relevant to our judgments.
•judge objects only in terms of their functional utility.

Question 37

The inability to see a problem from a new perspective is called
•confirmation bias.
•fixation.
•a heuristic.
•the framing effect.

Question 38

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 framing effect.
•factor analysis.
•confirmation bias.
•algorithms.

Question 39

Our tendency to judge the likelihood of an event on the basis of how readily we can remember instances of its occurrence is called the
•framing effect.
•confirmation bias.
•representativeness heuristic.
•availability heuristic.

Question 40

A mental set is most likely to inhibit
•confirmation bias.
•overconfidence.
•creativity.
•belief perseverance.

Question 41

The risks of smoking are more alarming when presented in terms of the number of smokers with lung cancer than the percentage of smokers with lung cancer. This illustrates the importance of
•the representativeness heuristic.
•belief perseverance.
•overconfidence.
•framing.

Question 42

People are less upset when they miss getting an early payment discount than when they are asked to bear a late payment surcharge. This best illustrates the importance of
•belief perseverance.
•confirmation bias.
•framing.
•the representativeness heuristic.

Question 43

Research findings suggest that the best advice to give people who want to avoid belief perseverance is
•"Try to justify your positions."
•"Consider the opposite."
•"Don't draw hasty conclusions."
•"Be as objective as possible."

Question 44

The overconfidence phenomenon refers to the tendency to
•cling to our initial conceptions,even though they have been discredited.
•search for information that supports our preconceptions.
•underestimate the extent to which our beliefs and judgments are inaccurate.
•judge the likelihood of an event in terms of how readily instances of its occurrence are remembered.

Question 45

A $100 coat marked down from $150 can seem like a better deal than the same coat priced regularly at $100. This best illustrates the importance of
•belief perseverance.
•confirmation bias.
•framing.
•the availability heuristic.

Question 46

Stockbrokers often believe that their own expertise will enable them to select stocks that will outperform the market average. This belief best illustrates
•confirmation bias.
•the framing effect.
•the representativeness heuristic.
•overconfidence.

Question 47

Consumers respond more positively to ground beef advertised as "75 percent lean" than to ground beef described as "25 percent fat." This illustrates that consumer reactions are influenced by
•the representativeness heuristic.
•confirmation bias.
•the availability heuristic.
•framing.

Question 48

In contrast to our explicit conscious reasoning,our seemingly effortless and automatic feelings or thoughts are called
•mental sets.
•algorithms.
•functional fixedness.
•intuitions.

Question 49

On Monday,the meteorologist forecast a 20 percent chance of rain,so Sheryl took her umbrella to work. On Friday,he reported an 80 percent chance that it would not rain,so Sheryl left her umbrella at home. Sheryl's behavior illustrates the effect of
•confirmation bias.
•overconfidence.
•the representativeness heuristic.
•framing.

Question 50

Andre first became suspicious of his roommate's honesty when he could not find his wallet. Although Andre later recalled that he had left his wallet in the glove compartment of his own car,his newly formed doubt about his roommate's honesty remained as strong as ever. Andre's irrational suspicion of his roommate best illustrates
•confirmation bias.
•the representativeness heuristic.
•the belief perseverance phenomenon.
•the framing effect.

Question 51

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
•the availability heuristic.
•confirmation bias.
•overconfidence.
•the framing effect.

Question 52

The value of making a good first impression when you begin work for a new employer is best underscored by the research on
•overconfidence.
•the framing effect.
•belief perseverance.
•the representativeness heuristic.

Question 53

Students routinely underestimate how much time it will take them to complete assigned course projects. This best illustrates the impact of
•fixation.
•the availability heuristic.
•the representativeness heuristic.
•overconfidence.

Question 54

An unwillingness to give up our beliefs even when the evidence proves us wrong is called
•the representativeness heuristic.
•trial and error.
•belief perseverance.
•confirmation bias.

Question 55

If a stranger looks like someone who previously harmed or threatened us in some way,we may-without consciously recalling the earlier experience-react warily. This illustrates that our reactions to others may be influenced by
•critical periods.
•algorithms.
•intuition.
•functional fixedness.

Question 56

We fear too little those events that will claim lives
•accidentally.
•undramatically.
•in the near future.
•one person at a time.

Question 57

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
•the framing effect.
•the representativeness heuristic.
•belief perseverance.
•the availability heuristic.

Question 58

People are very likely to decide to be organ donors when the default option on their renewable drivers' license forms is yes but they can choose to drop out. They are much less likely to decide to be organ donors if the default option on their license forms is no but they can choose to opt in. This best illustrates the effects of
•framing.
•overconfidence.
•algorithms.
•the representativeness heuristic.

Question 59

Stockbrokers who market their services with confidence that they can outperform the market average in picking stocks are especially likely to
•appear credible to their customers.
•find it difficult to decide which stocks to purchase.
•avoid the dangers of belief perseverance.
•use algorithms to generate stock choices.

Question 60

Although intuition can at times hinder rationality,it is often valuable because it facilitates
•framing.
•quick decisions.
•belief perseverance.
•fixation.

Question 61

Students are more likely to choose a condom that is said to be effective when informed that it has a 95 percent success rate than when told it has a 5 percent failure rate. This best illustrates the impact of
•framing.
•confirmation bias.
•belief perseverance.
•the representativeness heuristic.

Question 62

The basic units of cognition are
•algorithms.
•concepts.
•prototypes.
•heuristics.

Question 63

You are the commissioner of a state lottery system that sponsors daily and weekly drawings. Lottery tickets have not been selling well over the past few months. Describe four ways you could take advantage of people's use of the availability heuristic to boost sales. Explain why you would judge your tactics to be fair or unfair to your customers.

Question 64

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
•the framing effect.
•belief perseverance.
•confirmation bias.
•category hierarchies.

Question 65

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
•the availability heuristic.
•factor analysis.
•an algorithm.
•the representativeness heuristic.

Question 66

When forming a concept,people often develop a best example,or ________,of a category.
•denoter
•heuristic
•prototype
•algorithm

Question 67

Prompt feedback regarding your performance on psychology practice tests is most likely to inhibit
•overconfidence.
•the framing effect.
•the representativeness heuristic.
•linguistic determinism.

Question 68

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
•an algorithm.
•confirmation bias.
•framing.
•a heuristic.

Question 69

The text defines cognition as
•silent speech.
•all mental activity.
•the mental activities associated with thinking,knowing,remembering,and communicating information.
•logical reasoning.

Question 70

Heike's older brother has suffered from chronic depression for several years. Unfortunately,Heike has been ly informed by her parents that there is a 40 percent chance she will also suffer from depression. Explain how the availability heuristic,framing,the confirmation bias,and belief perseverance might lead Heike to conclude that she will definitely be a victim of a severe depressive disorder.

Question 71

Which of the following is an example of the use of heuristics?
•trying every possible letter ordering when unscrambling a word
•considering each possible move when playing chess
•using the formula "area = length × width" to find the area of a rectangle
•playing chess using a defensive strategy that has often been successful for you

Question 72

A dessert recipe that gives you the ingredients,their amounts,and the steps to follow is an example of a(n)
•prototype.
•algorithm.
•heuristic.
•mental set.

Question 73

A defense attorney emphasizes to a jury that her client works full-time,supports his family,and enjoys leisure-time hobbies. Although none of this information is relevant to the trial,it is designed to make the defendant appear to be a typical member of the local community. The lawyer is most clearly seeking to take advantage of
•confirmation bias.
•algorithms.
•belief perseverance.
•the representativeness heuristic.

Question 74

Dr. Mendoza is studying the mental strategies people use when solving problems. Dr. Mendoza is clearly a(n)
•cognitive psychologist.
•experimental psychologist.
•organizational psychologist.
•developmental psychologist.

Question 75

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
•framing.
•the representativeness heuristic.
•insight.
•the availability heuristic.

Question 76

Complete the following analogy: Rose is to flower as
•concept is to prototype.
•prototype is to concept.
•concept is to hierarchy.
•hierarchy is to concept.

Question 77

A mental grouping of similar things,events,ideas,or people is called a(n)
•prototype.
•concept.
•algorithm.
•heuristic.

Question 78

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.
•heuristic
•prototype
•algorithm
•fixation

Question 79

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
•the representativeness heuristic.
•the availability heuristic.
•belief perseverance.
•framing.

Question 80

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
•the availability heuristic.
•the framing effect.
•confirmation bias.
•the representativeness heuristic.