Psychology 101: Intro to Psychology Ch 6. Cognition Theories & Processes

discrimination

studies of intelligence have historically been used to justify it

Ulric Neisser

said that intelligence is the ability to understand complex ideas, to adapt effectively to the environment, to learn from experience, to engage in various forms of reasoning and to overcome obstacles by taking thought

Charles Spearman

• studied students’ grades in various subjects

• the statistical method he used compares variability across multiple tasks

general global intelligence (g)

relatively constant level of mental performance across diverse mental tasks

specific intelligence (s)

describes being smart in a specific way

many psychologists

believe in the existence of a general intelligence or a person’s ability to think, reason, problem solve and complete a variety of tasks

The 'Bell Curve' was controversial for suggesting that _____.

1. African American and Latino people have a genetically lower intelligence than Caucasian and Asian American people.

2. there are no difference in genetic intelligence between racial groups

3. African American and Latino people perform poorly on standardized tests compared to Caucasian and Asian American people.

4. African American and Latinos people have a genetically higher intelligence than Caucasian and Asian American people.

African American and Latino people have a genetically lower intelligence than Caucasian and Asian American people.

Charles Spearman's factor analysis compares _____.

1. consistency in a single task over time

2. variability across multiple tasks

3. consistency across a pair of tasks

4. variability in a single task over time

variability across multiple tasks

Specific intelligence refers to _____.

1. an aspiring chemist performing well on a math quiz

2. an aspiring chemist performing poorly on a chemistry quiz

3. an aspiring chemist performing well on a chemistry quiz

4. an aspiring chemist performing poorly on a math quiz

an aspiring chemist performing well on a chemistry quiz

General global intelligence refers to _____.

1. the constant level of mental performance across diverse mental tasks

2. the varying level of mental performance among people from across the globe

3. the constant level of mental performance across similar mental tasks

4. the constant level of mental performance among people from across the globe

the constant level of mental performance across diverse mental tasks

Ulric Neisser and his colleagues said that intelligence includes all of the following abilities, EXCEPT _____.

1. understanding complex ideas

2. engaging in reasoning

3. learning from experience

4. being a strong test-taker

being a strong test-taker

Alfred Binet

French psychologist

mental age

determined by a test

chronological age

the test taker’s actual age in years

Eugenics

• ‘good genes’

• the goal of improving the genetic makeup of a population by reducing or eliminating allegedly inferior genes

Social Darwinism

artificial rather than natural selection for traits deemed most acceptable by high-status Americans

Henry Goddard

sought to limit the immigration of supposedly ‘inferior people’ in the U.S.

David Wechsler

did not wholly endorse the notion of general intelligence

How are Henry Goddard's test and more modern tests, such as the SAT, similar?

1. Low scores are interpreted as inferior intelligence rather than an indication of less opportunity.

2. High scores are disproportionally awarded to examinees from minority groups.

3. Both exams measure a variety of forms of intelligence.

4. Low scores are used as evidence for eugenics programs.

Low scores are interpreted as inferior intelligence rather than an indication of less opportunity.

The French government wanted a way to identify students with learning disabilities, so Alfred Binet created a test to determine the average performance levels for different school-age groups. Which of the following students taking Binet's test would the French Government have been most interested in?

1. A student that continually excelled in his schooling.

2. A student that spoke a foreign language.

3. A student that continually struggled in reading and mathematics.

4. An orphaned student that grew up in the care of a non-family member.

A student that continually struggled in reading and mathematics.

Why is the philosophy of eugenics controversial?

1. Eugenics seeks to improve IQ's through mandated government training programs.

2. Eugenics seeks to improve the genetic makeup of a population by eliminating certain genes.

3. Eugenics seeks to prohibit citizenship for certain groups of people.

4. Eugenics seeks to improve an education system by creating a tuition based program for public schools.

should measure more than a single quantity

David Wechsler believed that intelligence tests _____.

1. should measure more than a single quantity

2. are fundamentally flawed

3. should be limited to non-verbal tasks

4. should be limited to verbal-based questions

should measure more than a single quantity

A person's Intelligence Quotient, or IQ, is determined by _____.

1. dividing mental age by chronological age

2. adding mental age to chronological age

3. dividing chronological age by mental age

4. multiplying mental age by chronological age

dividing mental age by chronological age

fluid intelligence

the ability to learn new ways of doing things

crystallized intelligence

the stockpile of knowledge we’ve accumulated throughout our whole lives

Flynn Effect

named for psychologist James Flynn

The relationship between poverty and intelligence is an example of which of the following?

1. an environmental factor

2. a cultural factor

3. a biological factor

4. a genetic factor

an environmental factor

Which of the following is true of biology's effect on intelligence?

1. Education has made people more intelligent.

2. Genetics do not appear to play a role in intelligence.

3. Identical twins often have very similar IQs.

4. A person's brain size does not affect intelligence.

Identical twins often have very similar IQs.

Possible causes of the Flynn Effect include all of the following EXCEPT

1. human evolution

2. an improved education system

3. improved nutrition

4. better medical care

human evolution

Many studies suggest that intelligence is affected by

1. primarily genetic factors.

2. both genetic and environmental factors.

3. primarily environmental factors.

4. weight at birth.

both genetic and environmental factors.

Why is it likely that an 80 yr old (say, Henry) would have a higher crystallized intelligence than a 20 year old (say, Jeanette)?

1. Henry was born with a higher IQ than Jeanette.

2. Crystallized intelligence is typically higher in males.

3. Henry most likely went to a prestigious university.

4. Crystallized intelligence tends to increase with age.

Crystallized intelligence tends to increase with age.

A master chess player employs _____.

1. logical intelligence

2. visual intelligence

3. intrapersonal intelligence

4. interpersonal intelligence

logical intelligence

A person with a heightened self-awareness has a high level of _____.

1. interpersonal intelligence

2. bodily intelligence

3. intrapersonal intelligence

4. naturalistic intelligence

intrapersonal intelligence

A person who learns mathematics better when they physically work through a problem themselves instead of listening to a lecture utilizes _____.

1. kinesthetic intelligence

2. linguistic intelligence

3. naturalistic intelligence

4. interpersonal intelligence

kinesthetic intelligence

Howard Gardner theorized that people exhibit intelligence in _____.

1. several different areas at different levels

2. logic and math

3. eight different areas at high levels

4. one of eight different areas

several different areas at different levels

A politician who excels at remembering names, fostering cooperation and inspiring those around him exhibits _____.

1. intrapersonal intelligence

2. interpersonal intelligence

3. linguistic intelligence

4. logical intelligence

interpersonal intelligence

analytical intelligence

people who are good at answering questions with a single correct answer

divergent thinking

coming up with multiple solutions to a single problem

creativity

the ability to come up with new and valuable ideas

Charles Spearman’s

theory of general intelligence

expertise

also encourages creativity

intrinsic interest

they are experts in them because they want to be, not because they have to be

willingness to take risks

they don’t let the possibility of failing or being wrong prevent them from trying

A student scored 100% on a math computation test. What type of intelligence does this exhibit?

1. creative

2. intrinsic

3. analytical

4. divergent

analytical

People are more creative in an area if _____

1. they know little about the area.

2. they are intrinsically interested in that area.

3. they are analytical thinkers.

4. they are afraid of failing.

they are intrinsically interested in that area.

Why is creativity important?

1. It helps you solve real-world problems, which require creativity along with analytical intelligence.

2. People who are creative never come up with a wrong answer.

3. It is more valuable than analytical intelligence in solving problems.

4. It is important in solving problems with one correct answer, like multiple choice tests.

It helps you solve real-world problems, which require creativity along with analytical intelligence.

Charles Spearman theorized that intelligence levels _____

1. are consistent across a variety of mental tasks.

2. vary from task to task.

3. are higher in analytical thinkers.

4. correlate with intrinsic interests.

are consistent across a variety of mental tasks.

Which of the following activities is an example of divergent thinking?

1. Winning a spelling bee

2. Solving an algebraic expression

3. Writing a play

4. Memorizing the capitals of all 50 states

Writing a play

combinability

chair may be combined with other words to produce distinct meanings

phoneme

the smallest possible unit of sound that we learn to distinguish

distinct sounds

our vowels and consonants are phonemes

morphemes

are the smallest units of meaning

semantics

the study of how phonemes and morphemes produce meaning

grammar and syntax

more generally refer to how words combine to form new meanings in larger groups like sentences or phrases

Which of the following would be considered an example of language according to principle of combinability?

1. The content of a text message

2. A door bell ringing when pressed

3. Your alarm clock blaring in the morning

4. Your phone beeping when you have a new call

5. Your car's 'check engine' light flashing

The content of a text message

An example of a morpheme is

1. the 'y' in 'by'

2. an 'e' that makes the 'a' in 'lake' have a long sound

3. the sound made by 'ch'

4. an adjective like 'yellow'

5. the 'de-' in 'deconstruct'

the 'de-' in 'deconstruct'

Vowels and consonants are examples of

1. semantics

2. morphemes

3. prefixes

4. suffixes

5. phonemes

phonemes

How could you BEST describe the role that grammar plays in language?

1. Grammar is a system of rules you learn in English class

2. Grammar concentrates mainly on the use of morphemes added to words

3. Grammar allows us to combine calls.

4. Grammar is not essential to language and is only present in certain ones

5. Grammar enables complexity of meaning in language

Grammar enables complexity of meaning in language

Which of the following BEST explains why the alarm calls made by vervet monkeys should not be considered language?

1. They have only phonemes and not morphemes

2. They demonstrate a complex and interchangeable variety of calls

3. They include just one call for a variety of dangers

4. They are made up of only a few words and modifiers

5. They can't be combined to produce additional meanings

They can't be combined to produce additional meanings

language acquisition

learning to speak and understand without direct instruction

universal grammar

grammatical features hard-wired into their brains

Pirahã

spoken by people in the Amazon region

phonemes

vowels and consonant sounds, not all of which exist in English

Stage 1:

• 2 months

• speechlike sounds

Stage 2:

• 6-7 months

• babbling

Stage 3:

• 12 months

• the one word stage

holophrastic stage

the one word stage

Stage 4:

• 18 months

• simple sentences

Stage 5:

• 25 months or older

• complex sentences

A two month old baby repeatedly babbles 'oooohhs' and 'aahhs. This is an example of

1. a baby's use of phonemes from his native language.

2. a baby's first speech-like sounds.

3. universal grammar at work.

4. overextending the meaning of words.

5. the development of Wernicke's area.

a baby's first speech-like sounds.

Which of the following is an argument against Noam Chomsky's theory of universal language?

1. The Pirahã people speak a language that doesn't follow usual language rules.

2. Babies are able to tell the difference between Hindi sounds that are not found in English.

3. Scientists have found that children go through five stages in language acquisition.

4. Researchers have found many grammatical features shared across different languages.

5. Children may not begin to use complex sentences until 25 months or older.

The Pirahã people speak a language that doesn't follow usual language rules.

The holophrastic stage refers to the time when

1. babies develop a broad vocabulary.

2. babies recognize and point to named objects.

3. start babbling repetitive syllables.

4. babies can use a few words and understand many more.

5. babies begin uttering speech-like sounds.

babies can use a few words and understand many more.

Which statement correctly compares the function of Broca's area and Wernicke's area?

1. Broca's area is involved with acquisition and Wernicke's area with distinguishing phonemes.

2. Broca's area is involved with universal grammar and Wernicke's area with acquisition.

3. Broca's area is involved with understanding and Wernicke's area with production.

4. Broca's area is involved with production and Wernicke's area with understanding.

5. Broca's area is involved with distinguishing phonemes and Wernicke's area with universal grammar.

Broca's area is involved with production and Wernicke's area with understanding.

Overextending language is when a baby

1. begins to fall behind his or her expected language level.

2. uses many different words for a single thing.

3. uses a single word to mean many different things.

4. begins to use many words he or she doesn't yet understand.

5. begins to advance beyond his or her expected language level.

uses a single word to mean many different things.

three processes

• encoding

• storage

• retrieval

Joe recently had an accident that resulted in a brain injury. He remembers events before the accident and the name of every doctor and nurse he's met at the hospital but still cannot recall what happened on the day of the accident. Which part of the memory process has likely been affected?

1. Retrieval

2. Imagining

3. Associating

4. Storage

Retrieval

Which of the following is true about short-term memory?

1. It can hold vast amounts of information indefinitely.

2. It can hold small amounts of information briefly.

3. It can hold vast amounts of information for short periods.

4. It can hold a moderate amount of information indefinitely.

5. It can hold small amounts of information indefinitely.

It can hold small amounts of information briefly.

Which of the following is true about long-term memory?

1. It can hold vast amounts of information indefinitely.

2. It can hold small amounts of information briefly.

3. It can hold a moderate amount of information for brief periods.

4. It can hold vast amounts of information for short periods.

5. It can hold small amounts of information indefinitely.

It can hold vast amounts of information indefinitely.

How does the encoding process work?

1. Encoding works by converting information into dots and pixels.

2. Encoding works by converting information into a form that your brain can store.

3. Encoding works by recovering information your brain has stored.

4. Encoding works by separating necessary information from that which can be forgotten.

5. Encoding works by translating stored data into usable information.

Encoding works by converting information into a form that your brain can store.

What is the BEST way to retrieve information from your brain?

1. By being in the same mood as when you learned it.

2. By being in the same environment as when you learned it.

3. Through association.

4. By concentrating.

5. By limiting the amount of information you retain.

Through association.

A veteran chef may chop an onion by relying on her:

1. iconic memory

2. semantic memory

3. procedural memory

4. echoic memory

procedural memory

Sensory memories include:

1. iconic and echoic memories

2. episodic and iconic memories

3. semantic and episodic memories

4. visual and implicit memories

iconic and echoic memories

A memory that relies on hearing sounds is a(n):

1. episodic memory

2. echoic memory

3. iconic memory

4. declarative memory

echoic memory

When you still see an image after closing your eyes, you're utilizing your:

1. echoic memory

2. implicit memory

3. iconic memory

4. procedural memory

iconic memory

Long-term memories include all of the following EXCEPT:

1. episodic memory

2. visual memory

3. procedural memory

4. implicit memory

visual memory

attention

the ability to focus on specific information

selective attention

ability to focus on certain things while ignoring others

bottom-up processing

examining small details and piece them together into a bigger picture

top-down processing

driven by previous knowledge

Selective attention involves _____.

1. relying on previous knowledge to understand things

2. focusing on certain things while ignoring others

3. remembering things using small details

4. focusing sequentially on the items around you

5. multitasking while learning

focusing on certain things while ignoring others

Multitasking may _____.

1. bolster memory

2. strengthen cognitive resources

3. hinder top-down processing

4. hamper attention

5. improve work productivity

hamper attention

Attention is the ability to focus on specific information. Which of the following is mentioned as an important component of attention?

1. Choice

2. Chance

3. Skill

4. Preparation

Choice

Sam is a top-down processor. In selecting a restaurant for date night, he will likely consider all of the following, EXCEPT _____.

1. the eclectic menu offerings

2. his want for a second date

3. his previous success in taking dates to Restaurant Row on 3rd Street

4. his belief that Italian may be more romantic than Chinese

5. the ambiance of the restaurant

the eclectic menu offerings

Sarah is a bottom-up processor. In deciding which soccer league to enroll her son in, she will likely consider all of the following, EXCEPT _____.

1. how many of his friends are in each league

2. the cost of each program

3. the distance to and from the soccer field

4. her own experience playing soccer as a child

5. how many practices per week

her own experience playing soccer as a child

chunking

organizing a bigger string of new information into smaller chunks

We're better able to remember material if it is _____.

1. presented in a familiar way

2. entirely new to us

3. delivered visually

4. presented slowly

presented in a familiar way

George Miller's study concluded that our short-term memory can hold

1. no more than five items

2. between five and nine items

3. nine or more items

4. exactly seven items

between five and nine items

George Miller published a study called _____.

1. The Magical Number 8, Plus or Minus

2. The Magical Number 7, Plus or Minus Two

3. The Magical Number 7, Plus or Minus One

4. The Magical Number 7, Plus or Minus Three

The Magical Number 7, Plus or Minus Two

According to George Miller, chunking has the effect of _____.

1. helping people remember groups of three items

2. helping people forget important information

3. increasing the potential for short-term memory

4. moving items from short-term to long-term memory

increasing the potential for short-term memory

Organizing J F K O R D L A X into JFK, ORD, and LAX is an example of:

1. Linking

2. Chunking

3. Grouping

4. Sorting

Chunking