chapter 7 cognition

Question 1

3hat is cognition?

Answer 1

All mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.

Question 2

What is a concept in cognition?

Answer 2

A mental grouping of similar objects, events, or people.

Question 3

What is a prototype?

Answer 3

The best example or typical representation of a concept.

Question 4

What is problem-solving?

Answer 4

The process of finding solutions to difficult or complex issues.

Question 5

What is an algorithm?

Answer 5

A step-by-step procedure that guarantees a solution if followed correctly.

Question 6

What is a heuristic?

Answer 6

A simple thinking strategy or “rule of thumb” that allows for quick problem-solving, but may lead to errors.

Question 7

What is insight in problem-solving?

Answer 7

A sudden and often novel realization of a solution.

Question 8

What is confirmation bias?

Answer 8

The tendency to search for information that confirms preconceptions and ignore contradictory evidence.

Question 9

What is fixation in problem-solving?

Answer 9

The inability to see a problem from a new perspective.

Question 10

What is functional fixedness?

Answer 10

The tendency to think of things only in terms of their usual functions.

Question 11

What is decision-making?

Answer 11

The process of selecting among alternatives.

Question 12

What is the availability heuristic?

Answer 12

Estimating the likelihood of events based on how easily examples come to mind.

Question 13

What is the representativeness heuristic?

Answer 13

Judging the likelihood of things based on how well they match prototypes.

Question 14

What is overconfidence bias?

Answer 14

The tendency to overestimate the accuracy of one’s beliefs or judgments.

Question 15

What is belief perseverance?

Answer 15

Clinging to one’s initial beliefs even after they have been discredited.

Question 16

What is creativity?

Answer 16

The ability to produce novel and valuable ideas.

Question 17

What are the four components of creativity?

Answer 17

Expertise, imaginative thinking skills, a venturesome personality, and intrinsic motivation.

Question 18

What is divergent thinking?

Answer 18

Expanding the number of possible solutions; a key aspect of creativity.

Question 19

What is convergent thinking?

Answer 19

Narrowing down to the single best solution to a problem.

Question 20

What is intelligence in psychology?

Answer 20

The ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and adapt to new situations.

Question 21

What is general intelligence (g factor)?

Answer 21

Charles Spearman’s concept of a general cognitive ability single, underlying intellectual capacity or “general mental ability” that influences all cognitive tasks

Question 22

What is Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences?

Answer 22

Intelligence is made up of multiple distinct modalities, such as linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic.

Question 23

What is Robert Sternberg’s triarchic theory of intelligence?

Answer 23

Intelligence has three components: analytical, creative, and practical.

Question 24

What is an intelligence test?

Answer 24

A method for assessing an individual’s mental aptitudes and comparing them to others.

Question 25

What is the difference between aptitude and achievement tests?

Answer 25

Aptitude tests predict future ability; achievement tests measure what you have learned.

Question 26

What is the normal curve(bell curve) in intelligence testing?

Answer 26

Most scores fall near the average, with fewer scores at the extremes.

Question 27

What is standardization in testing?

Answer 27

Defining meaningful scores by comparison with a pretested standardization group.

Question 28

What is reliability in intelligence testing?

Answer 28

The consistency of a test over time or across items.

Question 29

What is validity in intelligence testing?

Answer 29

The extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure.

Question 30

What is the Flynn effect?

Answer 30

The observed rise in average IQ scores over successive generations.

Question 31

What is heritability in intelligence?

Answer 31

The proportion of variation among individuals that can be attributed to genes.

Question 32

What is the difference between fluid and crystallized intelligence?

Answer 32

Fluid: solving novel problems; Crystallized: accumulated knowledge and skills.

Question 33

What is emotional intelligence?

Answer 33

The ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions effectively.

Question 34

What is metacognition?

Answer 34

Awareness and understanding of one’s own thinking processes.

Question 35

What is cognitive dissonance?

Answer 35

The discomfort caused by holding conflicting beliefs or behaviors.

Question 36

What is the role of schemas in cognition?

Answer 36

Mental frameworks that help organize and interpret information.

Question 37

What is a mental set?

Answer 37

Approaching a problem in a way that has worked in the past, sometimes hindering problem-solving.

Question 38

What is the difference between heuristic and algorithm?

Answer 38

Algorithm guarantees solution; heuristic is faster but may be error-prone.

Question 39

What is the availability bias in decision-making?

Answer 39

Overestimating the probability of events that are easily recalled.

Question 40

What is the representativeness bias?

Answer 40

Judging likelihood based on similarity to a prototype rather than actual probability.

Question 41

What is anchoring in decision-making?

Answer 41

Relying too heavily on the first piece of information encountered.

Question 42

What is framing in decision-making?

Answer 42

Decisions influenced by how information or options are presented.

Question 43

What is creativity’s relationship to intelligence?

Answer 43

Creativity often requires a baseline of intelligence but involves divergent thinking and novel problem-solving.

Question 44

What is convergent vs divergent thinking in practical examples?

Answer 44

Convergent: solving a math problem with one correct answer; Divergent: brainstorming multiple uses for a paperclip.

Question 45

What is insight learning in cognition?

Answer 45

Sudden realization of a solution without trial-and-error.

Question 46

What is the effect of fixation on problem-solving?

Answer 46

Fixation can prevent seeing new solutions or approaches.

Question 47

What is the difference between general intelligence and multiple intelligences?

Answer 47

General intelligence posits one underlying ability; multiple intelligences suggest several independent abilities.

Question 48

What is a real-world example of the availability heuristic?

Answer 48

Overestimating plane crash danger because of recent news coverage.