Deck 7: Information Processing

Question 1

Developmental changes in _____________________ are likely influenced by increases in both capacity and speed of processing.

A) computer metaphors
B) information processing
C) computer metaphors and information processing
D) neither computer metaphors nor information processing

Answer 1

B

Question 2

According to Siegler,three mechanisms work together to create changes in children's cognitive skills.Which of the following is not one of the mechanisms?

A) encoding
B) automaticity
C) assimilation
D) strategy construction

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Dr.Clark is an information-processing theorist,whereas Dr.Cassidy is a Piagetian.In a debate concerning child development,the one thing that they might agree on would be the importance of

A) computer simulations as a way to model human thought.
B) attention and memory as the two basic drives of intelligence.
C) assuming that adults and infants think in virtually the same way.
D) realizing that current knowledge affects one's ability to acquire new knowledge.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which one of the following questions would not be asked by researchers to illustrate the information-processing approach?

A) What do children notice in the environment?
B) Why is it unimportant to remember what is noticed in the environment?
C) What do they think about the things they notice in the environment?
D) What do children remember?

Question 5

__________________ means "knowing about knowing."

A) Generalization
B) Automaticity
C) Metacognition
D) Self-modification

Question 6

Laura Bickford,a master teacher,believes that she needs to encourage her students to think.Which statement(s)support her approach?

A) Children write all the time: journals,formal essays,letters,etc.
B) Children use metacognitive strategies: Students comment on their learning,have advance discussions before beginning a new project,etc.
C) She is pleased when students just "scratch the surface of their learning." She purposefully does not encourage them to go deeper,elaborate,and clarify because she does not want to turn the students off to the thinking process.
D) Children write all the time,and use metacognitive strategies.

Question 7

When a person is encoding information into memory,it is important to pay attention.A critical skill of paying attention is

A) mental resource.
B) selectivity.
C) lack of focus.
D) shifting.

Question 8

While discussing information-processing development in children,your instructor displays a model of memory and says,"You'd better look at this,because it will be on the exam." If you follow the advice and look at the display,you are demonstrating

A) agency.
B) ordinality.
C) automaticity.
D) selective attention.

Question 9

What is central to the information-processing approach?

A) memory
B) problem solving
C) both memory and problem solving
D) neither memory nor problem solving

Question 10

How fast children can articulate a series of words is an example of

A) cognitive resources.
B) assimilation.
C) abundance.
D) processing speed.

Question 11

_______________________ is an infant's renewed interest in a stimulus.

A) Habituation
B) Dishabituation
C) Disequilibration
D) Automaticity

Question 12

___________________ involve(s)encoding,automaticity,and strategy construction.

A) Thinking
B) Mechanisms in change
C) Self-modification
D) All of these.

Question 13

There are three main ways for children to use the information-processing approach to overcome processing limitations,including all of the following,except

A) increasing operations.
B) increasing capacity.
C) developing self-motivation.
D) gaining new knowledge.

Question 14

Which statement concerning habituation is false?

A) Habituation becomes more acute over the first 3 months.
B) It is critical that parents avoid tasks that lead to infant habituation.
C) Infants who have suffered birth trauma may have diminished habituation abilities.
D) Infants appear to be sensitive to habituation in all their sensory systems.

Question 15

The two characteristics often referred to as _______________________ have an important influence on memory and problem solving.

A) cognitive drawbacks
B) capacities
C) cognitive resources
D) mechanisms

Question 16

____________________ refers to the ability to process information with little or no effort.

A) Generalization
B) Automaticity
C) Metacognition
D) Self-modification

Question 17

What approach to thinking analyzes how children manipulate information,monitor it,and create strategies for handling it?

A) social learning
B) cognitive monitoring
C) cognitive developmental
D) information-processing

Question 18

________________ is the focusing of mental resources and improves cognitive processing for many tasks.

A) Attention
B) Distraction
C) Division
D) Construction

Question 19

_________________________ results when repeated presentations of the same stimulus causes reduced attention to the stimulus.

A) Habituation
B) Dishabituation
C) Memory
D) Shifting

Question 20

Although they lack many of the expressive abilities of adults,the fact that very young infants _____________ serves as the foundation of habituation tasks,which have greatly increased our knowledge concerning infants' information-processing capacities.

A) get bored
B) have excellent visual skills
C) can generate simple mental images
D) can be taught to produce simple phonemes

Question 21

What type of memory is relatively permanent and unlimited?

A) iconic
B) sensory
C) short-term
D) long-term

Question 22

Controlling _______ is a key part of learning and thinking in adolescents and emerging adulthood when there are distractions in the environment.

A) learning
B) attention
C) avoidance
D) energy

Question 23

If you hold a telephone number in your short-term memory,for how long is the information retained without rehearsal?

A) a few seconds
B) 30 seconds
C) 2 hours
D) indefinitely

Question 24

___________________________ state(s)that when individuals reconstruct information,they fit it into information that already exists in their minds.

A) Network theories
B) Schema theories
C) Cognitive-memory theory
D) Metacognition

Question 25

Memory consists of three major processes.First,there is _________________,which involves how information gets into memory.Then there is ________________,which consists of the retention of information over time.Last,there is _______________,which takes place when information is taken out of storage.

A) retrieval; encoding; storage
B) storage; retrieval; encoding
C) encoding; storage; retrieval
D) retrieval; storage; encoding

Question 26

A recent study found that children using the computer exercise of learning how to ________ increased the attention of 4- to 6-year-old children.

A) resolve conflict
B) use a joystick
C) use working memory
D) All of these.

Question 27

During each day in kindergarten,6-year-old Sidney spent 1 hour in organized "naptime." The next year she entered her new first-grade classroom,looked around,and asked her teacher,"Where are the blankets we will use for naptime?" Sidney's question provides insight into her

A) automaticity.
B) school schema.
C) sensory memory.
D) ability to habituate.

Question 28

Your working memory is also called your ________ memory.

A) sensory
B) autobiographical
C) short-term
D) long-term

Question 29

Renewed interest in a stimulus defines

A) habituation.
B) dishabituation.
C) information processing.
D) automaticity.

Question 30

In an effort to assess her memory abilities,a researcher presents 5-month-old Chloe with the same visual stimulus over numerous trials.If she begins to pay less attention to the stimulus with each subsequent trial,she is demonstrating

A) memory and habituation.
B) memory and dishabituation.
C) a lack of memory and habituation.
D) a lack of memory and dishabituation.

Question 31

Mental frameworks that organize concepts and information are called

A) schemas.
B) habits.
C) operations.
D) scripts.

Question 32

Which of the following are benefits to adolescent multi-tasking?

A) cell phones
B) video games
C) homework
D) All of these.

Question 33

Memory involves three major processes.They are

A) encoding,storage,and retrieval.
B) encoding,dismissal,and storage.
C) storage,attention,and reversal.
D) storage,retrieval,and selection.

Question 34

_______________ theory states that when individuals encode information,it creates two types of memory representation: (1)_____________________,which consists of precise details,and (2)________________________,which is the central idea of the information.

A) Fuzzy trace; verbatim memory trace; grist
B) Verbatim-memory trace; grist; fuzzy trace
C) Grist; verbatim,fuzzy trace
D) None of these.

Question 35

Who would most likely be distracted by a book containing three-dimensional "pop-up" pictures?

A) a 4-year-old
B) a 6-year-old
C) an 8-year-old
D) a 10-year-old

Question 36

When a person is encoding information into memory,it is important to have the ability to shift attention.An example of shifting cognitive control is

A) riding a bike and then running in a race.
B) writing a letter,forming letters,composing grammar,and making paragraphs.
C) memorizing a poem,learning one line at a time,understanding the vocabulary,and reading the words.
D) both writing and memorizing.

Question 37

Older children have cognitive control of attention,whereas younger children

A) can't pay attention at all.
B) attend to what is most salient in the environment.
C) respond the same as older children.
D) None of these.

Question 38

One recent study found that the assessment of working memory in kindergarten was a key process in predicting _____ achievement at the end of the first grade.

A) reading
B) spelling
C) math
D) science

Question 39

Some children focus too much on the salient aspects of a situation rather than what is important.For example,if a clown is giving directions,they will focus on the funny aspects of the clown rather than listen to the directions.When do children outgrow this behavior?

A) Most outgrow it before they leave preschool.
B) Most outgrow it by the time they are 10 to 12 years of age.
C) Most outgrow it by the time they are 6 to 7 years of age.
D) Most outgrow it by the time they go to college.

Question 40

The term "novice" is used to describe young children.It refers to

A) a person who has little expertise in most areas.
B) an individual with great specific knowledge,but only in limited areas.
C) someone who is unaware of his or her cognitive limitations.
D) a person with innate knowledge.

Question 41

Infantile or childhood amnesia indicates that most adults can remember little if anything from the first ________ of their life.

A) year
B) 2 years
C) 3 years.
D) 4 years

Question 42

The use of elaboration has been shown to dramatically increase between

A) infancy and early childhood.
B) early and late childhood.
C) late childhood and late adolescence.
D) late adolescence and young adulthood.

Question 43

It appears that the reliability of young Mallory's reports as an eyewitness has as much to do with the _________________________________ as with ___________________________.

A) skills and motivation of the child; the child's memory
B) skills and motivation of the interviewer; the natural limitations of the child's memory
C) memory of the interviewer; and motivation of the child
D) skills and motivation of the child; the child's honesty

Question 44

James is trying to teach his 5-year-old son Kirk the number to dial in case of an emergency.As a memory aid,James says,"Just keep saying the numbers 9,1,and 1 over and over." James is attempting to improve Kirk's memory via

A) imagery.
B) rehearsal.
C) elaboration.
D) organization.

Question 45

A good example of showing children how hard it is to retrieve unorganized information is to ask them to recall

A) the 12 months of the year.
B) the 12 months of the year in alphabetical order.
C) the 7 days of the week in alphabetical order.
D) both the 12 months of the year,and the 7 days of the week in alphabetical order.

Question 46

Ryan and his daughter Tara are about to go to the grocery store.Before leaving,Ryan shows Tanya a list containing about 12 items and asks her to help him remember what to buy.Ryan hints that it might be easier to remember the items if Tanya thinks in terms of categories like dairy products,fruits,and candy.Ryan's memory hint involves the memory strategy of

A) elaboration.
B) imagery.
C) organization.
D) rehearsal.

Question 47

________________________ memory refers to the conscious memory of facts and experiences.

A) Explicit
B) Implicit
C) Application
D) Conceptual

Question 48

A memory strategy in which a child arranges items into categories is called

A) imagery.
B) rehearsal.
C) elaboration.
D) organization.

Question 49

Carolyn Rovee-Collier places an infant in a crib underneath an elaborate mobile and ties one end of a ribbon to the baby's ankle and the other end to the mobile.The baby kicks and makes the mobile move.Later the baby is returned to the crib but its foot is not tied to the mobile.The baby kicks,apparently trying to make the mobile move.This demonstrates that infants ___________________ information.

A) have no memory for perceptual-motor
B) can remember perceptual-motor
C) can understand perceptual-verbal.
D) None of these.

Question 50

The following conclusions about children as eyewitnesses indicate there are a number of factors that can influence the accuracy of a young child's memory.Which one of the following is not one of these factors?

A) There are age differences in children's susceptibility to suggestions.
B) There are individual differences in susceptibility.
C) Interviewing techniques can produce substantial distortions in children's reports about highly salient events.
D) All of these are factors that influence the accuracy of the young child's memory.

Question 51

On a vocabulary test,Veronica has to remember the definition of "scrumptious." Her teacher recommends that she picture herself eating the last delicious "crumb" of her favorite cake.Her teacher is attempting to improve recall by encouraging

A) elaboration.
B) imagery.
C) organization.
D) rehearsal.

Question 52

___________ is a type of elaboration that helps improve remembering information.

A) Differentiation
B) Automaticity
C) Thinking of images
D) None of these.

Question 53

In a memory-span task,Joey hears a short list of stimuli-usually digits¾presented at a rapid pace (one per second,for example).Then he is asked to repeat the digits.The test is an assessment of ________ memory.

A) short-term
B) long-term
C) assessment
D) None of these.

Question 54

The memory strategy of organization is used more by ___________ children than _____________ children.

A) older; younger
B) younger; older
C) male; female
D) female; male

Question 55

In _____________________,verbatim information is encoded and understanding the gist is more likely to produce a longer memory trace.

A) habituation
B) dishabituation
C) automaticity
D) rehearsal

Question 56

What memory strategy involves going beyond the information given in order to make information more memorable?

A) rehearsal
B) processing speed
C) elaboration
D) habituation

Question 57

A psychologist tests the memory span of children.Seven-year-old Perry is asked to recall the following list of numbers: 2,4,7,8,3,1,5.Given the typical short-term span of a 7-year-old,how many numbers will Perry remember?

A) 3
B) 4
C) 5
D) 9

Question 58

What is the cause of infantile amnesia?

A) immaturity of the optical lobe of the brain
B) immaturity of the prefrontal lobes of the brain
C) immaturity of the hypothalamus of the brain
D) immaturity of the Broca area of the brain

Question 59

_________________________________ is the term used to describe extensive information processing.

A) Attention-getting
B) Elaboration
C) Automaticity
D) Habituation

Question 60

Of the following,who would you expect to use elaboration more?

A) a 15-year-old
B) a 12-year-old
C) a 7-year-old
D) a 4-year-old

Question 61

What are two ways that children solve problems?

A) applying rules and using analogies
B) using analogies and waiting for adult direction
C) applying rules and following peers' ideas
D) None of these.

Question 62

Researchers lament that so few schools really teach students to think critically.Which one of the following does not support the researcher's beliefs?

A) Schools give tests asking students to give a single correct answer.
B) Schools ask children to imitate rather than choosing their own way.
C) Schools ask children to recite.
D) Schools ask children to analyze.

Question 63

Scientific _______________________ often is aimed at identifying causal relations.

A) connecting
B) reassessment
C) reasoning
D) disassembling

Question 64

Michael Pressley emphasizes that children benefit when the teacher

A) models the appropriate strategy.
B) verbalizes the steps in the strategy.
C) guides the children to practice the strategy and supports their practice with
D) All of these.

Question 65

Who would not be considered to be thinking critically?

A) Jack,who tends to rely heavily on his first impressions
B) Niki,who attempts to grasp the deeper meaning of concepts
C) Vickie,who is tolerant of different perspectives
D) John,who is a reflective thinker

Question 66

What is the difference between the reasoning of children and the reasoning of scientists?

A) Children are influenced by happenstance.
B) Children maintain their old theories regardless of evidence.
C) Children often try to reconcile seemingly contradictory new information with their existing beliefs.
D) All of these are differences.

Question 67

Forming concepts is an important aspect of constructing information.How is this done?

A) Thinking occurs but it is not related to cognition.
B) Cognition occurs but it is not related to thinking.
C) Categories are used to group objects,events,and characteristics on the basis of common properties.
D) Thinking occurs unrelated to cognition and categories are used to group objects,events,and characteristics on the basis of common properties.

Question 68

Managing one's thoughts to engage in goal-directed behaviors to exercise self-control is a description of executive ______.

A) following
B) formation
C) functioning
D) fraternity

Question 69

During early childhood,the relatively stimulus-driven toddler is transformed into a child capable of flexible,goal-directed problem solving.One element in this change is children's developing ability to form

A) representations of inverted thought.
B) representations of reality.
C) sensorimotor activities.
D) both representations of inverted thought and sensorimotor activities.

Question 70

_____________________ involves correspondence in some respects between things that are dissimilar.

A) Representation
B) Problem solving
C) Analogy
D) Dishabituation

Question 71

________________________ involves finding an appropriate way to attain a goal.

A) Metamemory
B) Metaresolve
C) Problem solving
D) Problem stress

Question 72

Dr.Willard is attempting to assess 5-year-old Scott's ability to solve a balance-scale problem.Dr.Willard has predicted that Scott would use Siegler's first rule.In doing so,Dr.Willard expects that Scott will ask himself,

A) "What does balance mean?"
B) "Are there the same number of weights on each side of the scale?"
C) "Are the weights the same distance apart?"
D) "Is the greatest number of weights on the same side as the weight the greatest distance from the center?"

Question 73

It is safe to say that children often use ____________________ to solve a problem.

A) only one strategy
B) more than one strategy at a time
C) only previously used strategies
D) only their parents' ideas

Question 74

Which of the following statements is correct?

A) Just having children learn a new strategy is usually enough for them to continue to use it and to transfer the strategy to a new situation.
B) Just having children learn a new strategy is enough for them to continue to use it but they are still unable to transfer it to new situations.
C) Just having children learn a new strategy is usually not enough for them to continue to use it and to transfer the strategy to new situations.
D) Just having children learn a new strategy does not guarantee that they will use it but it is likely that they will transfer the strategy to new situations.

Question 75

Which of the following is not an example of modeling critical thinking for children?

A) asking not only what happened,but "how" and "why"
B) arguing in a reasoned way rather than through emotions
C) focusing on one and only one answer
D) evaluating and possibly questioning what other people say rather than immediately accepting it as truth

Question 76

Do infants have concepts?

A) No,they do not.
B) Yes,they do but they do not form concepts until late in their second year.
C) Yes they do although we do not know how early in their development.
D) Yes,but only if they are perceptually advanced compared to other children their age.

Question 77

Executive functioning has been linked to development of the brain's ______ area.

A) cerebellum
B) prefrontal cortex
C) midbrain
D) hindbrain

Question 78

Robert Siegler is associated with ___________ used in problem-solving research that explored how children use rules to solve problems.

A) the Tower of Hanoi
B) habituation paradigms
C) balance scale problems
D) metamemory tasks

Question 79

Thinking involves

A) manipulating and transforming information in memory.
B) reasoning.
C) forming concepts.
D) All of these.

Question 80

Children should be encouraged to think ___________________ works well when deciding on which strategies to use.

A) carefully about what
B) about when it
C) about where it
D) All of these.