Deck 9: Language and Thinking

Question 1

Research on mental rotation has found that the greater the degree of rotation, the less time it takes to judge if two shapes are the same.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Infants learn to discriminate more and more phonemes as they get older.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Your ability to comprehend what your friend is saying even if loud noises obscure some of what she says would be an example of using bottom-up processing for language comprehension.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

It is assumed that the availability heuristic sometimes results in inaccurate judgments by leading people to confuse probability judgments with how easy it is to call up information from memory.

Question 5

Morphemes are the smallest unit of sound that can be recognized as separate in a language.

Question 6

It is assumed that problem-solving schemas facilitate the performance of experts by allowing them to solve problems in working memory.

Question 7

Expertise and wisdom can be considered as the same constructs.

Question 8

A person who is generating many possible solutions to a problem and is attempting to incorporate new and unusual ideas into these solutions is engaged in convergent thinking.

Question 9

Research on the linguistic relativity hypothesis has revealed that language can determine how we think.

Question 10

The text discusses a problem where you assume that you have a drawer containing 19 single black socks and 13 single blues and you are asked to determine how many socks you must pull out in the dark in order to be sure of having a matching pair. This problem was presented to demonstrate how the belief bias can interfere with deductive reasoning.

Question 11

The five properties that are common to all languages are that they are all symbolic, have structure, convey meaning, are generative, and permits displacement.

Question 12

Research using fMRIs found that men exhibit greater left-hemisphere activation during language tasks compared to women.

Question 13

The surface structure consists of the way symbols are combined within a given language.

Question 14

A mode of thought in which we seem to "hear" verbal sentences in our minds is referred to as imaginal thought.

Question 15

Many concepts are defined by propositions, which are considered to be the most familiar or representative members of a class or group.

Question 16

The fact that a child will generally have great difficulty learning a language if he is first exposed to it after puberty is generally taken as evidence that language has a sensitive period.

Question 17

Procedures or formulas that, if used correctly, always lead to correct solutions are called algorithms.

Question 18

A person who engages in "top-down" processing and reasons from general principles to conclusions about a particular case is involved in deductive reasoning.

Question 19

Knowing how to politely interrupt someone who is speaking would be an example of pragmatics.

Question 20

"The Crow and the Trains" problem was presented to demonstrate the importance of framing a problem correctly.

Question 21

Identify the deep structure in the statement, "That's like finding a needle in a haystack."

A)The task referred to is very difficult.
B)It's hard to find a needle in a haystack.
C)The actual symbols used in the statement are the deep structure.
D)The syntax of the statement is the deep structure.

Question 22

Evolutionary theorists suggest that language evolved to help individuals

A)use tools more effectively
B)attract mates
C)care for offspring
D)deal with larger social groups

Question 23

You can readily use language to describe the features of a person that you know. This use of language demonstrates how language is symbolic and illustrates the linguistic feature of ____________.

A)syntax
B)displacement
C)semantics
D)pragmatics

Question 24

All of the following were mentioned by the text as examples of mental representations EXCEPT

A)an image
B)an idea
C)the sound "th"
D)a principle

Question 25

The surface structure of a language refers to the ways that symbols are combined within that language, while the underlying meaning of these combined symbols is considered ____________________.

A)syntax
B)semantics
C)deep structure
D)displacement

Question 26

Language can be used to create an infinite number of messages that can have novel or new meanings. This quality of language is referred to as

A)symbolic
B)propositional
C)structural
D)generative

Question 27

Individuals suffering from visual neglect also demonstrate disruptions in their mental imagery.

Question 28

While playing one afternoon, a group of children decided to develop a special language only they would know. They decided that they would use the word "yof" to mean adults. Whenever a child used the word "yof" the others knew that the child was referring to an adult. This represents which property of language?

A)Symbolic
B)Structure
C)Syntax
D)Generative

Question 29

Consider the statement, "Last night, I shot an elephant in my pajamas." Since this sentence has at least two different interpretations (the pajamas could be worn by the person shooting the elephant OR they could be worn by the elephant), this means that this sentence has

A)two different deep structures and one surface structure
B)two different surface structures and one deep structure
C)two different surface structures and two different deep structures
D)one surface structure and one deep structure

Question 30

As an English speaker, you recognize that if you want to put a verb into the past tense you can add an 'ed' to it, such as changing 'walk' to 'walked'. The rules governing this type of transformation are known as

A)syntax
B)semantics
C)phonemics
D)pragmatics

Question 31

Semantics is to syntax as

A)structure is to meaning
B)meaning is to structure
C)nouns are to verbs
D)verbs are to nouns

Question 32

The term syntax refers to the rules that govern the organization of the surface structure of a language, while the rules that determine how symbols are connected to what they represent are referred to as ______________.

A)heuristics
B)semantics
C)morphemes
D)phonemes

Question 33

Seth is interested in studying individuals' ability to recognize phonemes present in different languages. Seth's research interests lie in the area of

A)psycholinguistics
B)neurolinguistics
C)sociolinguistics
D)anthrolinguistics

Question 34

A friend is trying to solve a problem and you have an idea about how to solve it. You translate your idea into words and tell the person your idea for solving the problem. You have transferred your idea from your mind to your friend's mind. In this example, your idea is considered an example of

A)a proposition
B)a mental representation
C)a schema
D)a heuristic

Question 35

While researchers have long debated whether animals can acquire language, more recent research has clearly demonstrated that at least chimps are capable of acquiring it like humans.

Question 36

While playing one afternoon, a group of children decided to develop a special language only they would know. Jordan started working on the new symbols for their thoughts and behaviours. After writing quite an elaborate letter using his new symbols he gave it to the other children to try to decipher the message. To their dismay, the same symbols were used in very different ways and different symbols often represented the same idea. Jordan had violated one of the three critical properties of language because his language

A)was able to produce an infinite number of messages
B)was generative
C)was not symbolically linked
D)did not have a rule-governed structure

Question 37

The essential properties that define this ability are that it is symbolic, has structure, conveys meaning and is generative. This ability is

A)language
B)problem solving
C)intelligence
D)mental imagery

Question 38

Two types of metacognition are metacomprehension and metamemory.

Question 39

In terms of the properties of languages, displacement is to symbolic as infinite is to _____________.

A)structure
B)propositional
C)representational
D)generative

Question 40

Theide and Anderson found in their research on metacomprehension in undergraduates, that students who wrote a delayed summary were both better able to assess their comprehension of the material and recall it on a test.

Question 41

The number of phonemes in the English language is about

A)15
B)40
C)80
D)120

Question 42

The following two sentences: "The cat was chased by the dog" and "The dog chased the cat," have

A)different surface structures
B)different deep structures
C)different semantics
D)the same syntax but they use different semantics

Question 43

When an adult simplifies instructions because she is giving them to a young child, the adult is showing sensitivity to what area of language?

A)Semantics
B)Pragmatics
C)Syntax
D)Discourse

Question 44

An impairment in speech comprehension or production is known as

A)agnosia
B)dyslexia
C)aphasia
D)phonemia

Question 45

Noam Chomsky proposed that humans are born with a ____________, which is an innate biological mechanism that contains the general grammatical rules common in all languages.

A)language acquisition device
B)language acquisition support system
C)syntax acquisition device
D)syntax acquisition support system

Question 46

The fact that children in all cultures are able to master the rules of language relatively early in life without formal instruction was discussed as evidence indicating that

A)children use deductive reasoning to learn language
B)parents cross-culturally invest a lot of effort in teaching their infants language
C)language acquisition may have a biological basis
D)the learning of language is largely shaped by the environment

Question 47

When you read a section in your introductory psychology textbook, you are reading language units larger than a sentence. This level of language hierarchy is called

A)semantics
B)pragmatics
C)discourse
D)phonemics

Question 48

In every language, there are rules that determine how phonemes can be combined to create morphemes. These rules are called

A)mental representations
B)semantics
C)syntax
D)motherese

Question 49

The level at which sentences are combined into paragraphs or conversation is known as

A)language
B)pragmatics
C)discourse
D)phonemics

Question 50

The smallest unit of sound that can be distinctly recognized in a language is known as a

A)morpheme
B)semantic unit
C)proposition
D)phoneme

Question 51

Sarah remarks, "It is cold in here, isn't it?" hoping Martha will close the window. Instead Martha comments, "No I don't think so" This is a breakdown in what area of language?

A)Syntax
B)Semantics
C)Pragmatics
D)Phonemics

Question 52

Which of the following is NOT a cue used in speech segmentation?

A)Decrease in energy output between words
B)Knowing which sequences of phonemes are likely to occur together or not
C)Using the other words in the sentence
D)The context for interpreting the message

Question 53

Speech segmentation was given as an example in your textbook of how ___________ is involved in understanding language.

A)bottom-up processing
B)top-down processing
C)grammar
D)discourse

Question 54

One of the arguments for the biological basis of language is that despite their differences at the phonemic level, all languages seem to have a common underlying ___________.

A)deep structure
B)surface structure
C)linguistic heuristic
D)syntax

Question 55

The study of the practical aspects of language and how it occurs in a social context is known as

A)syntax
B)semantics
C)pragmatics
D)phonemics

Question 56

The prefix "un" in the word "unusual" is an example of a

A)surface structure
B)phoneme
C)linguistic heuristic
D)morpheme

Question 57

A morpheme is considered to be the smallest unit of _____________ in a language.

A)distinguishable sound
B)meaning
C)surface structure
D)syntax

Question 58

Using phonemes to build morphemes to create words reflects what type of approach to understanding language?

A)Bottom-up processing
B)Top-down processing
C)Phonemics
D)Discourse

Question 59

The level of analysis beyond the level of the sentences such as examining conversations or paragraphs is known as

A)language
B)pragmatics
C)phonemics
D)discourse

Question 60

When learning to speak another language, it can be difficult to hear the individual words in a native speakers' utterance. This is a problem with

A)bottom-up processing
B)semantics
C)speech segmentation
D)phonemics

Question 61

The proposal that humans have a language acquisition device is based on the evidence that the development of language

A)is supported by parents' activities such as child-directed speech
B)is influenced by adults' positive reinforcement
C)is a result of social learning processes
D)has a biological basis

Question 62

A Canadian family with two children (a boy and a girl) moves to Germany where both of the children must learn a new language. The girl is 6 years old while the boy is 13 years old. Based on the results on the acquisition of a second language, we would expect that

A)both children would be able to master the grammar of German about as well as the grammar of English
B)the girl, but not the boy, would eventually master the grammar of German about as well as the grammar of English
C)the boy, but not the girl, would eventually master the grammar of German about as well as the grammar of English
D)neither child would be able to master the grammar of German about as well as the grammar of English

Question 63

The fact that between 6 to 12 months of age, young children begin to differentiate the sounds of phonemes of their native language and lose the ability to differentiate the sounds of other phonemes that they were previously able to make, is best considered as an example of how

A)learning interacts with biology during language acquisition
B)childhood language development can be viewed as a special case of the representativeness heuristic
C)language skills develop in parallel with motor skills
D)the formation of mental representations influences language development

Question 64

Recent brain imaging studies examining sex differences during a language task indicate that

A)the left hemisphere is equally activated for men and women
B)the left hemisphere is more active for men and the right hemisphere is more active for women
C)the left hemisphere is more active for men but both left and right hemispheres are active for women
D)the left hemisphere is more active for women, but both left and right hemispheres are active for men

Question 65

The fact that language-deprived children are generally unable to acquire normal language skills when they are found past puberty was presented as evidence of

A)how brain damage can impact language acquisition
B)a sensitive period in the development of language
C)how fluid intelligence is more important than crystallized intelligence
D)how experiences have little impact on language development

Question 66

Greater thinking flexibility and higher performance on IQ tests were specifically mentioned as benefits of

A)convergent thinking
B)effectively using prototypes and heuristics
C)being bilingual
D)mental representations

Question 67

Adjectives for the major modes of thought are

A)structural and deep
B)crystallized and fluid
C)propositional, imaginal, and motoric
D)inductive and deductive

Question 68

In his research on bilingual speakers, Lambert found that

A)bilingual speakers scored at least as well as monolinguals on performance tests
B)having to learn two vocabularies and two sets of grammar put bilingual speakers at a disadvantage on performance tests relative to monolinguals
C)people who learned a second language as adults showed superior cognitive processing compared to monolinguals matched on other variables
D)people cannot master the grammar of a second language if they begin to learn it after about age seven

Question 69

The generally high-pitched tone of voice that people often use to speak to infants, babies, toddlers, and even to some small pets is technically called

A)baby talk
B)telegraphic speech
C)child-directed speech
D)child-speak

Question 70

The thought, "I need to study for my psychology exam" enters your head. This thought is best considered as an example of

A)a proposition
B)a heuristic
C)inductive reasoning
D)a prototype

Question 71

According to research, a person at what age would have the easiest time learning and effectively mastering a second language?

A)A 20-year-old
B)A 15-year-old
C)A 10-year-old
D)A 5-year-old

Question 72

Anna and her family moved to Germany when Anna was thirteen years old and her brother Andrew was four. Even after many years of speaking and reading the German language, Anna still struggled with the language compared to Andrew who easily switches between English and German when necessary. The fact that Andrew was able to master this second language faster and better than Anna is evidence for

A)a language acquisition device
B)gender differences in language acquisition
C)social learning processes in children
D)a sensitive period for language acquisition

Question 73

The position that language not only influences but determines what we are capable of thinking is known as the

A)linguistic relativity hypothesis
B)triarchic theory
C)comparative theory
D)theory of linguistic determinism

Question 74

Which of the following would be best considered an example of the motoric mode of thought?

A)Your declarative thoughts about the proper technique involved in throwing a baseball
B)Your mental image of a pitcher throwing a baseball
C)Your predictions about what will happen if you throw a baseball to someone
D)Your mental representation of the muscle movements needed to throw a baseball

Question 75

Rosch studied the Dani people from New Guinea who had only two words for colour: one for bright colours and one for dark colours. Her results revealed that the Dani were capable of distinguishing the difference between a wide assortment of colours, providing evidence that contradicted ____________.

A)comparative theory of language
B)triarchic theory of language
C)linguistic determinism
D)linguistic relativity hypothesis

Question 76

Prior to 6 months of age, infants around the world are able to differentiate the phonemes of all languages, but between 6 to 12 months of age they begin to differentiate ____________.

A)approximately only 5 to 10 phonemes associated with their native language
B)only the phonemes not associated with their native language
C)approximately only 2 to 4 phonemes associated with their native language
D)only the phonemes associated with their native language

Question 77

Suppose there was a language that had only two words for precipitation, and that one of those words was for rain and the other for snow. If it was found that people who spoke only that language had difficulty discriminating among mist, drizzle, rain, freezing rain, hail, ice pellets, snow, and other forms of precipitation, then that finding would support the

A)sensitive period hypothesis
B)divergent thinking hypothesis
C)functional fixedness hypothesis
D)linguistic relativity hypothesis

Question 78

Which of the following would be best considered an example of the imaginal mode of thought?

A)Your mental representation of yourself sitting on a beach with the waves slowly lapping in
B)Your mental representation of the muscle movements needed to swim at the beach
C)Your conclusions about what will happen if you stay on the beach too long in the sun
D)Your declarative thoughts about the proper technique for swimming

Question 79

While at the park, 19-month-old Suzy points to the swing set and says, "Push swing!" After she has had enough and wants to leave, she turns to her father and says, "Go car." Phrases such as these are called

A)baby talk
B)telegraphic speech
C)child-directed speech
D)child-speak

Question 80

Research by Perani and coworkers on how different languages are processed in the brains of bilinguals found, in PET scans, that

A)the same areas of the brain were activated for individuals who learned both languages at a young age but different areas were activated for those who learned one of the languages after age 10
B)two different areas of the brain were activated when processing different languages regardless of when individuals learned the languages
C)two different areas of the brain were activated when processing different languages for individuals who learned both languages at a young age but the same areas were activated for those who learned one of the languages after age 10
D)the same areas of the brains were activated when processing different languages for individuals who learned both languages regardless of when they learned the languages