Deck 6: A Transition to Modern Cognitivism: Hebb, Tolman, and the Gestaltists

Question 1

Which of the following does not describe a higher mental process?

A) a mediating process
B) thinking, or thought processes
C) an S-R connection
D) processes which link stimuli and responses

Answer 1

an S-R connection

Question 2

Which of the following describes the early behaviorist view of higher mental processes?

A) Only stimuli and responses were believed to exist.
B) Identifying such processes was the underlying motivation of behavioral research.
C) Such processes were actually studied as "stimuli".
D) The scientific value of such processes was rejected.

Answer 2

The scientific value of such processes was rejected.

Question 3

What is a cognitivistic metaphor?

A) short-term memory
B) long-term memory
C) neural networks
D) all of the above

Answer 3

all of the above

Question 4

To understand Hebb's system, one must have an understanding of

A) the muscular system.
B) the sense organs.
C) the nervous system.
D) the muscular system, the sense organs, and the nervous system.

Question 5

Receptors and effectors in Hebb's system are

A) sense organs and muscles.
B) axons and dendrites.
C) terminal boutons and synaptic clefts.
D) bundles of neurons.

Question 6

The direction of flow of electrical impulses in a neuron is

A) dendrite, soma, axon.
B) axon, soma, dendrite.
C) soma, axon, dendrite.
D) dendrite, axon, soma.

Question 7

According to Hebb, the human conceptual system can best be understood through an understanding of

A) the hypothetical constructs of Hull.
B) the human central nervous system.
C) the directedness and nature of responses.
D) the surrounding environment.

Question 8

The ongoing understanding of the human nervous system has

A) brought into question Hebb's assertions.
B) confirmed that learning causes neurological changes in the brain.
C) confirmed that transmission of neural impulses underlies sensation and behavior.
D) confirmed the entirety of Hebb's theory.

Question 9

A permanent facilitation of transmission of electrical impulses between two cells brought about by repeated transmission of impulses between these cells is Hebb's description of

A) learning.
B) reflexes.
C) synapses.
D) cell assemblies.

Question 10

Hebb identifies two structures, cell assemblies and phase sequences, which play important roles in his learning theory. Which of the following is true of these structures?

A) Cell assemblies are comprised of numerous phase sequences.
B) Cell assemblies are neurological while phase sequences are hypothetical.
C) Cell assemblies and phase sequences are both hypothetical constructs and may not exist.
D) Cell assemblies and phase sequences both exist in the muscular system.

Question 11

The property of an organism that allows for change as a function of repeated stimulation is

A) plastivity.
B) reactivity.
C) plasticity.
D) reacticity.

Question 12

Which of the following takes place during the refractory period?

A) transmission of electrical impulses
B) the neuron is discharged
C) muscles contract
D) glands secrete

Question 13

The movement of the electrical impulse across the gap between neurons is known as

A) electrical potential.
B) resting potential.
C) action potential.
D) synapse.

Question 14

Neural transmission involves

A) electrical and chemical activity.
B) electrical activity only.
C) chemical activity only.
D) psychic activity.

Question 15

Movement of an electrical impulse from one neuron to another is facilitated by

A) electrical charges.
B) chemical releases.
C) muscular activity.
D) contiguity.

Question 16

An electrical impulse moves through what area to get from one neuron to another?

A) the neuron bridge
B) the neuron cleft
C) the synaptic cleft
D) the synaptic bridge

Question 17

Plasticity is necessary for

A) cognitive understanding.
B) cognitive change.
C) behavioral consistency.
D) behavioral change.

Question 18

Hebb assumes cell assemblies are due to

A) reinforcement.
B) biological preparedness.
C) contiguity.
D) synapses.

Question 19

Selectivity among input is

A) set.
B) attention.
C) reactivity.
D) plasticity.

Question 20

Which corresponds best with a cell assembly?

A) a musical note
B) a musical line
C) a musical composition
D) a musical stage play

Question 21

Dopamine and serotonin are both

A) motivators.
B) neurotransmitters.
C) neural synapses.
D) neurons.

Question 22

A reductionist theory

A) takes into account both the parts of behavior as well as the whole.
B) attempts to understand behavior as a whole.
C) focuses on mediating variables.
D) tries to explain behavior in terms of its smallest components.

Question 23

Which of the following illustrates latent learning?

A) returning to school in one's adult years to complete one's education
B) having one's first opportunity to use CPR techniques six months after having completed the course
C) not reading assigned texts until six months after the course had ended
D) after failing a course, retaking and passing it

Question 24

Which of the following describes Tolman's system?

A) Behavior is guided by goal related cognitions
B) Connections are formed between reinforcements and responses.
C) Smaller units of behavior are guided by multiple goals.
D) Larger units of behavior are guided by multiple goals.

Question 25

Cognitivism

A) developed as a reaction to Watson and Skinner.
B) had its beginnings with Hebb and Tolman.
C) began about the same time as behaviorism.
D) is a result of the evolution of learning theory from behavior to higher mental processes.

Question 26

Cognitive maps relate

A) stimuli and responses.
B) responses and cognitions.
C) stimuli and goals.
D) goals and behaviors.

Question 27

Molar is to molecular as

A) arm movement is to muscle contraction.
B) muscle contraction is to walking.
C) small units are to large units.
D) response is to stimulus.

Question 28

According to Tolman, purposes guide

A) organism expectations.
B) organism goals.
C) organism behavior.
D) organism cognitions.

Question 29

According to Gestalt, insight involves

A) behavioral expectations.
B) relational thinking.
C) sequential thinking.
D) trial and error thinking.

Question 30

"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" refers to

A) summing up the parts.
B) adding to the parts.
C) perceiving the organization of the parts.
D) perceiving the variety of the parts.

Question 31

Gender stereotype may illustrate

A) the principle of contiguity.
B) the principle of similarity.
C) sequential thinking.
D) prägnanz.

Question 32

"What you see is what you get" illustrates

A) normalizing.
B) physical field.
C) behavioral field.
D) insight.

Question 33

Gestalt laws of perception describe

A) response to the physical field.
B) response to reality.
C) response to behavior.
D) response to appearance.

Question 34

Cell assemblies and long term memory are examples of

A) the vagueness of a cognitive approach.
B) meaningless abstractions.
C) observable aspects of the learning process.
D) psychological metaphors.

Question 35

To achieve the fullest understanding of something, a Gestalt approach advocates identification of individual components comprising the whole, in some way prioritizing them in order of importance, and then studying each one in turn building a cumulative knowledge of the whole. This approach is known as

A) insight.
B) prägnanz.
C) closure.
D) This is not a Gestalt approach.

Question 36

According to the principle of prägnanz, in evaluating a perception, one should

A) realize the natural tendency to form distorted perceptions.
B) recognize a tendency of perceptions to take the best form possible.
C) realize that best or worst forms are irrelevant since perceptions are simply different.
D) avoid imposing past perceptions on the present.

Question 37

Which of the following best illustrates the Gestalt principle of closure?

A) the tendency to finish others' sentences for them
B) never leaving a task unfinished
C) It is always best to return doors to their original position after opening them.
D) Whatever is perceived takes on the best form possible.

Question 38

When a group of people is remembered as average (not having unusual or eccentric behavior and personalities), which of the following Gestalt organizational tendencies is being utilized?

A) sharpening
B) distorting
C) leveling
D) normalizing

Question 39

To assume that those who live in the same neighborhood share a great deal in common may be explained by the principle of

A) leveling.
B) sharpening.
C) closure.
D) proximity.

Question 40

Which of the following is not a constructivist method of teaching?

A) discovery learning
B) cooperative learning
C) direct teaching
D) active participation