Deck 9: Memory

Question 1

Using different words for two very similar objects enables people to recognize conceptual distinctions between the objects. This best illustrates

A) telegraphic speech.
B) linguistic determinism.
C) fixation.
D) the availability heuristic.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

In which of the following parts of the brain would a lesion most likely result in aphasia?

A) amygdala
B) hypothalamus
C) Wernicke's area
D) cerebellum

Answer 2

C

Question 3

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.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Rico, the border collie, can fetch 200 items by name. If asked to retrieve a toy with a name he has never heard before, Rico will fetch a toy that is

A) a prototype.
B) new.
C) most easily available.
D) broken.

Question 5

Introductory psychology students facing a midterm exam one week later spent five minutes each day visualizing themselves reading their assigned chapters, going over their notes, and eliminating study distractions. This ________ simulation had a ________ effect on their exam scores.

A) process; negative
B) outcome; positive
C) process; positive
D) outcome; negative

Question 6

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 7

Brain scans reveal that different ________ are activated when we process verbs rather than nouns.

A) Algorithms
B) Heuristics
C) neural networks
D) critical periods

Question 8

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) phoneme

Question 9

If you are experiencing a fixation, you are

A) searching for information that supports your preconceptions.
B) unable to see a problem from fresh perspective.
C) estimating the likelihood of a correct solution to your problem based on its availability in memory.
D) overestimating the accuracy of your judgment.

Question 10

Research suggests that humans can most easily master the grammar of a second language during

A) childhood.
B) adolescence.
C) early adulthood.
D) late adulthood.

Question 11

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 12

In the English language, adjectives are typically placed before nouns as in "green car." This illustrates an English language rule of

A) semantics.
B) algorithms.
C) syntax.
D) phonemes.

Question 13

During a lecture, your professor says, "A child learns language as he interacts with caregivers." This generic use of the pronoun he is more likely to trigger images of males than of females. This best illustrates the impact of

A) language on thinking.
B) a fixation on problem solving.
C) telegraphic speech on universal grammar.
D) insight on decision making.

Question 14

Native German speakers who pronounce the English word "this" as "dis" are demonstrating their difficulty with an English

A) morpheme.
B) prototype.
C) phoneme.
D) heuristic.

Question 15

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 16

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 17

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 18

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 19

When you add s to the word apple you are referring to more than one apple. This illustrates an English language rule of

A) semantics.
B) algorithms.
C) syntax.
D) telegraphic speech.

Question 20

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

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

Question 21

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 22

One reason an English-speaking adult may have difficulty pronouncing Russian words is that

A) the vocal tracts of English- and Russian-speaking people develop differently in response to the demands of the two languages.
B) although English and Russian have very similar morphemes, their phonemic inventories are very different.
C) although English and Russian have very similar phonemes, their morphemic inventories are very different.
D) after the babbling stage, a child who hears only English stops uttering other phonemes.

Question 23

Availability is an example of a(n)

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

Question 24

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 25

The older a person is when moving to a new country, the harder it is to learn the language. This best illustrates the importance of ________ for learning language.

A) Heuristics
B) mental age
C) algorithms
D) a critical period

Question 26

Regarding the relationship between thinking and language, which of the following most accurately reflects the position taken in the text?

A) Language determines everything about our thinking.
B) Language determines the way we think.
C) Thinking without language is not possible.
D) Thinking affects our language, which then affects our thought.

Question 27

Children first demonstrate a rudimentary understanding of syntax during the ________ stage.

A) Babbling
B) one-word
C) two-word
D) three-word

Question 28

Our ability to learn a new language

A) diminishes with age.
B) is limited by a sharply defined critical period.
C) remains constant throughout our lives.
D) depends on the language.

Question 29

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 30

Vocal sounds that are not included in one's native language first begin to disappear from usage during the ________ stage of language development.

A) one-word
B) two-word
C) telegraphic
D) babbling

Question 31

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

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

Question 32

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 33

Researchers taught the chimpanzee Washoe and the gorilla Koko to communicate by using

A) various sounds.
B) plastic symbols of various shapes and colors.
C) sign language.
D) all of these methods.

Question 34

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

A) overconfidence.
B) the framing effect.
C) process simulation.
D) linguistic determinism.

Question 35

Prototypes are especially important in the process of

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

Question 36

Phonemes are the basic units of ________ in language.

A) sound
B) Meaning
C) Grammar
D) semantics

Question 37

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 38

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 39

Complete the following: -ed is to sh as ________ is to ________.

A) phoneme; morpheme
B) morpheme; phoneme
C) grammar; syntax
D) syntax; grammar

Question 40

The word "chimps" contains ________ phoneme(s) and ________ morpheme(s).

A) 5; 2
B) 6; 1
C) 2; 5
D) 1; 6

Question 41

Telegraphic speech is typical of the ________ stage.

A) Babbling
B) one-word
C) two-word
D) three-word

Question 42

The study in which people who immigrated to the United States at various ages were compared in terms of their ability to understand English grammar found that

A) age of arrival had no effect on mastery of grammar.
B) those who immigrated as children understood grammar as well as native speakers.
C) those who immigrated as adults understood grammar as well as native speakers.
D) whether English was spoken in the home was the most important factor in

Question 43

Human infants display a remarkable ability to learn statistical aspects of speech. Specifically, research studies have shown that they

A) are quickly able to recognize syllable sequences that appear repeatedly.
B) respond to changes in the pitch of a speaker's voice.
C) pay less attention to a same-gender voice.
D) do all these things.

Question 44

Which of the following BEST describes Chomsky's view of language development?

A) Language is an entirely learned ability.
B) Language is an innate ability.
C) Humans have a biological predisposition to acquire language.
D) There are no cultural influences on the development of language.

Question 45

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

A) Denote
B) Heuristic
C) prototype
D) algorithm

Question 46

Syntax refers to the

A) sounds in a word.
B) rules for grouping words into sentences.
C) rules by which meaning is derived from sentences.
D) overall rules of a language.

Question 47

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 48

Deaf children who are not exposed to sign language until they are teenagers

A) are unable to master the basic words of sign language.
B) learn the basic words but not how to order them.
C) are unable to master either the basic words or syntax of sign language.
D) never become as fluent as those who learned to sign at a younger age.

Question 49

Which of the following is cited by Chomsky as evidence that humans are born with a predisposition to learn language?

A) Children master the complicated rules of grammar with ease.
B) Different languages do not have the same grammatical building blocks.
C) Children make unpredictable mistakes as they acquire language.
D) Children raised in isolation from language spontaneously begin speaking

Question 50

The bilingual advantage refers to the fact that people who are fluent in two languages are better at

A) inhibiting their attention to irrelevant information.
B) acquiring large vocabularies in both languages.
C) thinking in images.
D) all of these abilities.

Question 51

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 52

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

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

Question 53

Several studies have indicated that the generic "he"

A) tends for children and adults alike to trigger images of both males and females.
B) tends for adults to trigger images of both males and females, but for children to trigger images of males.
C) tends for both children and adults to trigger images of males but not females.
D) for both children and adults triggers images of females about one-fourth of the time it is used.

Question 54

Damage to ________ will usually cause a person to lose the ability to comprehend language.

A) any area of the brain
B) Broca's area
C) Wernicke's area
D) frontal lobe association areas

Question 55

According to the text, language acquisition is best described as

A) the result of conditioning and reinforcement.
B) a biological process of maturation.
C) an interaction between biology and experience.
D) a mystery of which researchers have no real understanding.

Question 56

The basic units of cognition are

A) phonemes.
B) concepts.
C) prototypes.
D) morphemes.

Question 57

The linguistic determinism hypothesis is challenged by the finding that

A) chimps can learn to communicate spontaneously by using sign language.
B) people with no word for a certain color can still perceive that color accurately.
C) the Eskimo language contains a number of words for snow, whereas English
D) has only one.
E) infants' babbling contains many phonemes that do not occur in their own language and that they therefore cannot have heard.

Question 58

The English language has approximately ________ phonemes.

A) 25
B) 30
C) 40
D) 45

Question 59

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 60

Which of the following is true regarding the relationship between thinking and language?

A) "Real" thinking requires the use of language.
B) People sometimes think in images rather than in words.
C) A thought that cannot be expressed in a particular language cannot occur to speakers of that language.
D) All of these statements are true.

Question 61

Broca's area is typically located in the left ________ lobe.

A) frontal
B) Occipital
C) Temporal
D) parietal

Question 62

Whorf's linguistic determinism hypothesis states that

A) language is primarily a learned ability.
B) language is partially an innate ability.
C) the size of a person's vocabulary reflects his or her intelligence.
D) our language shapes our thinking.

Question 63

Which of the following has been argued by critics of ape language research?

A) Ape language is merely imitation of the trainer's behavior.
B) There is little evidence that apes can equal even a 3-year-old's ability to order words with proper syntax.
C) By seeing what they wish to see, trainers attribute greater linguistic ability to apes than actually exists.
D) All of these are arguments by critics.

Question 64

A best example of a category of objects, events, ideas, or people is called a(n)

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

Question 65

Alex was an African Grey parrot who could

A) indicate which of two numbers was greater.
B) use a flexible stick for fishing termites.
C) demonstrate self-awareness by recognizing himself in a mirror.
D) understand the syntax of language as well as most 3-year-old children.

Question 66

After two minutes of exposure to an unbroken monotone string of nonsense syllables, infants could recognize three-syllable sequences that appeared repeatedly. This best illustrates the importance of ________ in language development.

A) Algorithms
B) Babbling
C) statistical learning
D) telegraphic speech

Question 67

A system of rules for deriving meaning from sounds and for ordering words into sentences is called

A) grammar.
B) an algorithm.
C) receptive language.
D) linguistic determinism.

Question 68

A mental set is a

A) methodical step-by-step procedure for solving problems.
B) mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people.
C) tendency to approach a problem in a way that has been successful in the past.
D) group of conclusions derived from certain assumptions or general principles.

Question 69

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 70

A concept is a

A) mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people.
B) a method of hypothesis testing involving trial and error.
C) a best example of a particular category.
D) a simple thinking strategy for solving problems efficiently.

Question 71

A European visitor to the United States asked a taxi driver, "Can you please a ride to the airport me give?" This visitor has apparently not yet mastered the ________ of the English language.

A) Phonemes
B) syntax
C) semantics
D) morphemes

Question 72

After learning that her two best friends had lost their jobs, Mariah began to grossly overestimate the national unemployment rate. Mariah's reaction best illustrates the consequences of

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

Question 73

After gathering extensive information about the colleges she was interested in attending, Krista let the information "incubate" outside her conscious awareness for several days. This provided time for her decision to be potentially enhanced by

A) a critical period.
B) confirmation bias.
C) an algorithm.
D) intuition.

Question 74

A sudden realization of the solution to a problem is called

A) framing.
B) insight.
C) a heuristic.
D) belief perseverance.

Question 75

An effort to "consider the opposite" would be most likely to inhibit

A) the availability heuristic.
B) belief perseverance.
C) receptive language.
D) insight.

Question 76

Belief perseverance refers to

A) a tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions.
B) approaching a problem in a particular way that has been successful in the past.
C) a methodical procedure that guarantees the eventual solution of a problem.
D) clinging to one's initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited.

Question 77

Anika resisted changing her answer to a test 1.after reminding herself that "it's always best to stick with your first answer." Anika's decision best illustrates the use of

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

Question 78

Brainstorming sessions that encourage people to spontaneously suggest new and unusual solutions to a problem are designed to avoid

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

Question 79

After she suffered a stroke, Mrs. Jacobitz had so much difficulty speaking that she had to communicate by writing. This suggests that her brain damage occurred in

A) the occipital lobe.
B) Broca's area.
C) the temporal lobe.
D) Wernicke's area.

Question 80

Which of the following is NOT true of babbling?

A) It is imitation of adult speech.
B) It is the same in all cultures.
C) It typically occurs from about age 4 months to 1 year.
D) Babbling increasingly comes to resemble a particular language.