Question 1

Which of the following is NOT an advantage gained by visualizing a problem via a mental image?

Accepted Answer

A)  The image depicts the problem in a concrete way, and this often makes the problem easier to remember. 
B)  The image often makes it easy to discern how the elements of the problem are related to one another. 
C)  One can easily make new discoveries about the imaged form, including discoveries that involve an entirely new understanding of the form. 
D)  It is usually easy to rearrange the elements of an image to explore other configurations.

Question 2

A problem-solving heuristic is

Accepted Answer

A)  guaranteed to find a problem solution, if one exists. 
B)  a strategy that guides a search through the problem space. 
C)  likely to be less effective than a strategy such as hill climbing or means-end analysis. 
D)  needed for unfamiliar problems but not for familiar problems.

Question 3

It was starting to rain and Marcus did not have an umbrella or a hat. To keep dry, he held his psychology textbook over his head. In this case, Marcus

Accepted Answer

A)  is showing the influence of Einstellung. 
B)  has solved the problem by using functional fixedness. 
C)  has managed to overcome functional fixedness. 
D)  has failed the hobbits and orcs problem.

Question 4

Experts seem able to break a problem into meaningful chunks. This strategy provides all of the following advantages EXCEPT for

Accepted Answer

A)  making it easier to remember the various elements of the problem. 
B)  highlighting the organization of the problem's elements, making it easier to see the problem's structure. 
C)  helping in the identification of subproblems and therefore in the creation of subgoals. 
D)  drawing the expert's attention to the problem's microstructure.

Question 5

Describe two of the strategies for problem solving that were included in the chapter. Next, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe two of the strategies for problem...

Question 6

In solving a problem, participants seem to develop a certain attitude or perspective, and they then approach all subsequent problems with the same perspective. This rigidity in approach is often called

Accepted Answer

A)  transfer. 
B)  Einstellung. 
C)  mental inhibition. 
D)  Zeitgeist.

Question 7

Melissa is a 35-year-old woman. Over the next few decades, her ________ intelligence will likely increase, while her ________ intelligence will likely decrease.

Accepted Answer

A)  crystallized; memory 
B)  crystallized; fluid 
C)  fluid; crystallized 
D)  reasoning ability; vocabulary

Question 8

How are experts different from novices, when it comes to solving problems? How might expertise help with problem solving, and how might it hurt?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How are experts different from novices, when...

Question 9

Which of the following would NOT be a reason to use Ravens Progressive Matrices instead of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale to measure the intelligence of an individual?

Accepted Answer

A)  The participant is not a native English speaker. 
B)  The participant was not raised in the United States of America. 
C)  The participant has a verbal disability. 
D)  The participant has never taken an intelligence test before.

Question 10

Which of the following statements does NOT support the notion that the environment influences intelligence?

Accepted Answer

A)  IQs are more similar among brothers who are close in age than brothers who are very different in age. 
B)  IQs are more similar among monozygotic twins than among dizygotic twins. 
C)  IQs are lower overall among children who come from impoverished environments. 
D)  Changing the environment can lead to an improvement in IQ score.

Question 11

Researchers have tried to study the moment of illumination in the laboratory. The evidence indicates that

Accepted Answer

A)  this experience cannot be observed reliably in laboratory conditions. 
B)  there is no systematic relationship between reports of illumination and actual progress in problem solving. 
C)  when participants report an illumination, they are at least as likely to be moving toward a dead end as they are to be moving toward the problem's solution. 
D)  when participants report an illumination, they have, in fact, made a discovery that will allow them to solve the problem.

Question 12

Describe the genetic and environmental factors that influence intelligence. Is one factor more important than the other? Why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the genetic and environmental factors that...

Question 13

According to Wallas's theory of creativity, the initial period in which a problem solver gathers information is known as

Accepted Answer

A)  verification. 
B)  incubation. 
C)  preparation. 
D)  initialization.

Question 14

Expert problem solvers

Accepted Answer

A)  focus on the surface of a problem rather than on its deep structure. 
B)  use analogies less often than do novices. 
C)  tend to categorize problems in terms of their deep structure. 
D)  do not need to rely on mapping in their use of analogies.

Question 15

As Vanessa worked on the problem, she reported out loud, "No, that option doesn't seem to work. No, that doesn't work either." Then Vanessa abruptly shouted, "I think I've got it!" These reports seem to capture the phenomenon called

Accepted Answer

A)  illumination. 
B)  incubation. 
C)  preparation. 
D)  representation.

Question 16

Mark scored very well on a verbal intelligence test. How is he likely to score on a visuospatial test of intelligence?

Accepted Answer

A)  He will score below average on the visuospatial test. 
B)  He will score above average on the visuospatial test. 
C)  One cannot assume how he will score because there is no correlation between general and specialized intelligence. 
D)  He will score similarly if he takes the test today, but his score will be very different if he takes the test in a few months.

Question 17

If you are trying to help a friend use analogies in problem solving, which piece of advice should you NOT give?

Accepted Answer

A)  Attend to the deep structure of the problem. 
B)  Try to see the mapping between problems you already know and test problems. 
C)  Memorize as many problems as you can. 
D)  Search your memory for content related to the deep structure of the problem, not surface details.

Question 18

According to the text, current research indicates that creative problem solving

Accepted Answer

A)  draws on mental processes that are distinct from the processes relevant to more ordinary problem solving. 
B)  depends on divergent thinking. 
C)  draws on heuristics and analogies in the same way as does ordinary problem solving. 
D)  requires unconscious work that goes on after one has consciously put the problem to the side.

Question 19

Which of the following is FALSE regarding mental images or pictures in problem solving?

Accepted Answer

A)  Maintaining a mental image can be effortful and so may reduce the amount of resources available to solve a problem. 
B)  Mental images are more useful than pictures if a problem's solution involves movement within the image or picture. 
C)  Pictures are usually more helpful than mental images when searching for new discoveries or different interpretations. 
D)  Images are difficult to resize and so do not help if the problem's solution involves the rescaling of an image or picture.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a heuristic used in problem solving?

Accepted Answer

A)  framing 
B)  hill climbing 
C)  means-end analysis 
D)  working backward from the goal state

Exam 13: Problem Solving and Intelligence