Question 1

The 'problem space' discussed within Newell and Simon's research is

Accepted Answer

A)  the physical space in which participants are required to complete a problem 
B)  the initial state, goals, instructions, constraints and all relevant long-term memory required to complete of a problem 
C)  an abstract mental space in which an individual creates a model of a problem 
D)  the name of the computer program with which they tested participants problem-solving abilities B

Question 2

A potential hinderance to problem-solving is the rote application of learned rules, which is referred to as

Accepted Answer

A)  mental range 
B)  mental pack 
C)  mental grouping 
D)  mental set D

Question 3

Most of the reasoning in our daily lives would be classed as

Accepted Answer

A)  deductive 
B)  inductive 
C)  both a and b, in equal quantities 
D)  neither a nor b B

Question 4

The order of the stages in means-ends analysis are

Accepted Answer

A)  establishing difference between current and goal state, selecting a mental operator, then creating sub-goals 
B)  selecting a mental operator, creating sub-goals, then establishing the difference between current and goal state 
C)  establishing difference between current and goal state, creating sub-goals, then selecting a mental operator 
D)  creating sub-goals, establishing difference between current and goal state, then selecting a mental operator

Question 5

Öllinger et al. (2008) found that solving the non-insight problems

Accepted Answer

A)  did not get better with practice 
B)  hindered the solution of insight problems 
C)  did not hinder the solution of the insight problems 
D)  required participants to complete a representational change

Question 6

Evans and Ball (2010) used eye-movement tracking during Wason's 'four card selection task', and in turn proposed

Accepted Answer

A)  individuals complete the task primarily through the use of heuristic processes 
B)  individuals complete the task primarily through the use of analytic reasoning 
C)  individuals complete the task using both analytic reasoning processes and heuristic processes combined 
D)  individuals always selected the card they were looking at

Question 7

Chunk decomposition' and 'constraint relaxation' are both

Accepted Answer

A)  types of problem-solving task 
B)  processes by which individuals interpret the initial instructions of a problem 
C)  terms used to describe different initial moves by participants in problem-solving tasks 
D)  processes by which individuals change their mental representations of a problem

Question 8

Öllinger et al. (2008) reported that mental set effects were only found when

Accepted Answer

A)  participants reported having a lot of difficulty completing the tasks 
B)  the first sets of problems shared the same type of representational change as the later problems 
C)  participants reported that the tasks were easy to complete 
D)  the first set of problems required a different representational change to the later problems

Question 9

In examples of 'inductive reasoning' the individual's conclusions are

Accepted Answer

A)  completely certain 
B)  highly probable, but uncertain 
C)  highly improbable, but not completely uncertain 
D)  completely uncertain

Question 10

Insight', described by Gestalt psychologists as the rote application of past solutions to a problem, is also known as

Accepted Answer

A)  productive thinking 
B)  reproductive thinking 
C)  constructive thinking 
D)  rote learning

Question 11

In the 1960s, Newell and Simon initiated research that resulted in which psychological approach related to problem-solving?

Accepted Answer

A)  the Gestalt approach 
B)  the information processing approach 
C)  the contructivist approach 
D)  the ecological approach

Question 12

In a study of confirmation bias in suspect interviews, Hill et al. (2008) found

Accepted Answer

A)  assumptions of guilt did not significantly effect the nature of the questions asked 
B)  assumptions of guilt led to a greater overall number of questions 
C)  assumptions of innocence led to more guilt-presumptive questions 
D)  assumptions of innocence led to fewer guilt-presumptive questions

Question 13

The Hobbits and Orcs problem is useful for demonstrating that

Accepted Answer

A)  we need to adapt and change our use of strategies 
B)  the first strategy applied is usually the right one 
C)  it is often worthwhile sticking with a strategy until it works 
D)  individuals make more mistakes when rushed

Question 14

Research by Hayes and Simon (1974) suggests that when participants first construct a representation of a problem it is

Accepted Answer

A)  very similar to the wording of the problem's instructions 
B)  maintained, regardless of whether it proves to be appropriate 
C)  based almost entirely on their own ideas, and not influenced by any cues 
D)  both a and b

Question 15

The inability to adapt the use of an object due to prior experience of using it in a different way,was termed by Duncker (1945) as

Accepted Answer

A)  functional fixedness 
B)  functional rigidity 
C)  functional permanence 
D)  functional inadaptability

Question 16

Analogical mapping can be broken down into three stages, the third of which is

Accepted Answer

A)  noting some similarity and mapping elements of the source analogue onto the target problem 
B)  interpretation and representation of the problem to be solved 
C)  selection and retrieval of a possibly useful source analogue from long-term memory 
D)  extraction of a schema to assist problem-solving in the future

Question 17

Gilhooly et al. (1999) found that participants completing the Tower of London task while thinking aloud

Accepted Answer

A)  generally made use of the hill-climbing strategy 
B)  generally made use of the means-ends analysis strategy 
C)  made equal use of both the hill-climbing and means-ends analysis strategies 
D)  did not make use of either of these strategies at all

Question 18

According to Newell and Simon (1972) most problems are solved by the use of

Accepted Answer

A)  deductive reasoning 
B)  arbitrary strategies 
C)  heuristic strategies 
D)  deterministic strategies

Question 19

Using the Hobbits and Orcs problem, Simon and Reed (1976) found that individuals tend to initially employ a strategy of

Accepted Answer

A)  rushing into the problem without planning ahead 
B)  moving as many creatures to one side of the river as possible 
C)  balancing equal numbers of creatures on either side 
D)  only moving a few creatures to the other side of the river, while leaving the majority where they are

Question 20

In problem-solving research, the term 'impasse' is used to describe

Accepted Answer

A)  a particular section of a problem which is impossible to complete 
B)  a mental blank, accompanied by not knowing what to do 
C)  when an individual knows the correct move, but is apprehensive and unsure about whether to make it 
D)  a particularly complicated, impenetrable problem set

Exam 8: Thinking and Problem-Solving