Question 1

The fMRI evidence suggests that the brain areas that are activated for inanimate objects will

Accepted Answer

A)  be identical to the active areas for animate objects. 
B)  be different from the active areas for animate objects. 
C)  be localized to one hemisphere, while animate objects will be in the same region in the other hemisphere. 
D)  occasionally match the area for animate objects, depending on the nature of the inanimate object.

Question 2

Which of the following benefits does a hierarchical network provide?

Accepted Answer

A)  Information can be searched for equally quickly across all levels of the network. 
B)  It is efficient because information is stored only once. 
C)  Information is stored repeatedly to ensure accuracy. 
D)  Information is organized according to use, so that more common representations can be accessed more quickly.

Question 3

In order to differentiate between concepts like "Sam has a dog" and "Sam is a dog," information is stored

Accepted Answer

A)  with propositions. 
B)  with prepositions. 
C)  in different parts of the brain. 
D)  in a linear fashion.

Question 4

Which of these is NOT true about a heuristic strategy?

Accepted Answer

A)  It may categorize a bat as a type of bird. 
B)  We use it when we are particularly concerned about accuracy. 
C)  It emphasizes the resemblance of an object to the superficial features of a prototype. 
D)  It allows efficiency even if this implies a risk of occasional error.

Question 5

Exemplar and prototype theories are similar in the following ways EXCEPT that

Accepted Answer

A)  both theories require the triggering of a memory. 
B)  both theories require previous memories to be averaged, or combined. 
C)  both theories require a judgment of resemblance. 
D)  conclusions for both processes are based on resemblance.

Question 6

It seems unlikely that our conceptual knowledge is represented by mental definitions because

Accepted Answer

A)  each person has his or her own idea about how concepts should be defined. 
B)  many of our abstract concepts (e.g., justice, love, God) are difficult to define. 
C)  it is easy to find exceptions to any proposed definition. 
D)  most of our concepts are difficult to express in words.

Question 7

Categorization is plainly influenced by judgments about resemblance, but it is also influenced by factors other than resemblance. Which of the following is NOT part of the evidence indicating the importance of these other factors?

Accepted Answer

A)  People sometimes judge an object to be in a category despite the fact that it has virtually no resemblance to other objects in that category. 
B)  Resemblance plays a key role in the use of prototypes but plays no role in the well-documented use of exemplars. 
C)  Resemblance is typically determined by relatively superficial perceptual features, but sometimes categorization depends on deeper essential properties of the category. 
D)  In order to make judgments according to resemblance, we must be guided by other beliefs about which properties matter; otherwise, our judgments of resemblance may be guided by irrelevant attributes of the object.

Question 8

Categorization models based on family resemblance rely on

Accepted Answer

A)  the definition of each category. 
B)  feature overlap among the members of a category. 
C)  the necessary conditions for membership in a category. 
D)  the sufficient conditions for membership in a category.

Question 9

Basic-level categories have all of the following traits EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  if asked simply to describe an object, participants are likely to use the basic-level term. 
B)  basic-level categories are usually represented in the language by a single word. 
C)  basic-level descriptions are more difficult to remember than more general descriptions. 
D)  basic-level terms are acquired by children at a younger age than either more specific or more general terms.

Question 10

If asked to name as many birds as they can, participants are MOST likely to name

Accepted Answer

A)  larger birds (e.g., hawk, owl). 
B)  distinctive birds (e.g., vulture, penguin). 
C)  birds associated with other familiar concepts (e.g., turkey, bald eagle). 
D)  birds resembling the prototype (e.g., robin, sparrow).

Question 11

The term "connection weights" refers to the

Accepted Answer

A)  number of nodes. 
B)  size of connections between nodes. 
C)  strength of connections between nodes. 
D)  number of connections between nodes.

Question 12

According to prototype theory, the prototype selected for comparison will NOT be the

Accepted Answer

A)  ideal for a category. 
B)  average of various category members. 
C)  same for every person. 
D)  central tendency (middle) of all category members.

Question 13

Generally, typicality can be used to determine category membership; however, there are exceptions to this rule. Provide an example of an object that is very typical of a category but does not belong to the category. Using the concepts described in the book, explain why it is perceived as belonging to the group and then explain why it would not be categorized as a group member.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Generally, typicality can be used to determine...

Question 14

It is possible for a test case to be thought of as typical of a category, despite not being a member of that category. Which of the following examples is consistent with this idea?

Accepted Answer

A)  Whales are more typical of fish than sea lampreys. 
B)  A squashed lemon that has been painted purple is more typical of fruit than an apple. 
C)  A poodle is more typical of a dog than a golden retriever. 
D)  Abraham Lincoln is a typical American president.

Question 15

Participants are asked to make up sentences about the category "birds." Which of the following is LEAST likely to be true about this task?

Accepted Answer

A)  Among other tasks, this task provides evidence for the use of prototypes in categories. 
B)  Participants often have a wide range of birds in mind when generating these sentences. 
C)  Future participants will judge modified sentences where the name of a nonprototypical bird is substituted for the word "bird" as ridiculous. 
D)  The sensibility of a sentence is usually unchanged if the name of a prototypical bird is substituted for the word "bird."

Question 16

Assuming a PDP framework, describe the process by which the concept "Mike Tyson is a boxer" would be updated to "Mike Tyson is an actor."

Accepted Answer

The answer of Assuming a PDP framework, describe the process...

Question 17

Participants know that penguins are not typical birds, but they are certain that penguins are birds. This indicates that judgments about category membership

Accepted Answer

A)  depend on a judgment of typicality. 
B)  are not settled entirely by an assessment of typicality. 
C)  rely on comparing the example to a prototype. 
D)  do not conform to the requirements of a definition.

Question 18

An important difference between categorization via exemplars and categorization via prototypes is that according to exemplar theory,

Accepted Answer

A)  the standard used in a particular category can vary from one occasion to the next. 
B)  one categorizes objects by comparing them to a mentally represented standard. 
C)  categorization depends on a judgment of resemblance. 
D)  categories are represented in the mind by a single relatively concrete illustration of the category.

Question 19

Describe the physiological evidence surrounding categories from studies using fMRI and patients with brain damage. What does this evidence tell us about the nature of categorization in the mind and brain?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the physiological evidence surrounding categories from...

Question 20

According to exemplar-based theories of mental categories, participants identify an object by comparing it to a

Accepted Answer

A)  prototype. 
B)  single remembered instance of the category. 
C)  definition. 
D)  mental image.

Exam 8: Concepts and Generic Knowledge