Question 1

Which of the following research questions would have the highest ecological validity?

Accepted Answer

A)  Does instruction in the use of a matrix decrease the amount of time needed to solve logic puzzles?
B)  How do people determine how many rolls of wallpaper to use when planning to wallpaper a bedroom?
C)  How does time pressure affect people's ability to solve algebra problems?
D)  Does culture affect people's likelihood of solving the Buddhist Monk Problem successfully?E) A) and B)
F) All of the above

Question 2

Suppose that you have an assignment to write a review of the literature on a topic in cognitive psychology.If you used means-ends analysis,you would begin by

Accepted Answer

A)  breaking the problem into parts (e.g.,select a topic,locate resources,etc.) and then solve each part.
B)  creating a matrix consisting of possible problems and possible solutions.
C)  searching systematically through all possible alternatives (e.g.,all possible topics on perception,all possible topics on memory,etc.) until you have found a solution.
D)  trying to think of occasions on which you faced a similar problem (e.g.,writing a paper in a child development course) and use that information to help you solve the present problem.E) C) and D)
F) All of the above

Question 3

Which of the following students provides the best definition for the term thinking?

Accepted Answer

A)  Denise: "Thinking means that you go further than the material you were given,in order to reach a goal."
B)  Wilfredo: "Thinking means that you use parallel processing in order to consider many unrelated things at the same time."
C)  Lyssu: "Thinking requires you to use divided attention in order to contemplate all the obstacles relevant to the task."
D)  Anne: "Thinking primarily emphasizes the acquisition and storage of knowledge."E) None of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 4

The introductory discussion about creativity in Chapter 11 pointed out that

Accepted Answer

A)  the definition of "creativity" specifies that the problem solution must be produced by the process of insight.
B)  researchers do not agree on a universal definition of the term "creativity."
C)  researchers have conducted numerous studies on creativity,but this research has not yet been described in many psychology journals or books.
D)  unlike other kinds of problem-solving tasks,creativity does not require us to reach a goal state.E) C) and D)
F) B) and D)

Question 5

Which of the following is the best example of the hill-climbing heuristic?

Accepted Answer

A)  You try to figure out what courses you'll take next semester by obtaining an overview of the initial state; this perspective is similar to the overview from the top of a hill.
B)  You want to become a social worker,so at each choice point,you choose the option that appears to lead most directly toward your goal.
C)  You divide the problem into an orderly series of "hills," each of which must be surmounted before you move forward.
D)  You realize that you must sometimes move backwards (returning to a previous "hill") ,in order to move forwards to a solution.E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 6

Which of the following students provides the best summary of the relationship between expertise and top-down/bottom-up processing?

Accepted Answer

A)  Carrie: "Expert problem solvers tend to emphasize top-down processing because this framework provides the best overview of the problem."
B)  María Elena: "Expert problem solvers use their knowledge (top-down processing) ,but they also attend to the unique features of the problem (bottom-up processing) ."
C)  Raoul: "The basic problem is that experts consistently overuse bottom-up processing,and they ignore top-down processing."
D)  Herbie: "Experts make too much use of bottom-up processing; novices make too much use of top-down processing."E) B) and D)
F) A) and B)

Question 7

Chapter 11 examines the effect of stereotype threat on problem solving.Which of the following students provides the most accurate information about stereotype threat?

Accepted Answer

A)  Kirsten: "When people are in a threatening situation,they try to act in a counter-stereotypical fashion."
B)  Liam: "Stereotype threat seems to reduce the capacity of working memory."
C)  Treena: "Stereotype threat seems to increase the use of the hill-climbing heuristic."
D)  Scott: "Stereotype threat seems to change problem-solving strategies,so that people are more likely to attend to the structural similarities of problems."E) C) and D)
F) None of the above

Question 8

People are especially likely to use analogies effectively in problem solving

Accepted Answer

A)  when they are well trained in means-ends analysis.
B)  when they have been trained to pay attention to structural similarities.
C)  when they are working on an ill-defined problem.
D)  when they are trying to solve a problem that is unrelated to other problems they have recently solved.E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 9

In problem solving,the term obstacles refers to

Accepted Answer

A)  the situation at the beginning of problem solving.
B)  the method by which people understand the problem.
C)  restrictions that are encountered in problem solving.
D)  the portion of a problem that you initially examine during problem solving.E) None of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 10

Imagine that you are currently trying to solve a problem.Which of the following statements about attention would be relevant to your situation?

Accepted Answer

A)  You may experience divided attention because of distracting ideas.
B)  If it is a real-world problem,divided attention is not likely to present a problem.
C)  If it is a real-world problem,the appropriate part of the problem-the part that requires attention-should be obvious.
D)  Although attention is important in problem solving,good problem solvers and poor problem solvers do not differ in their ability to pay attention to specific inconsistencies.E) A) and B)
F) A) and D)

Question 11

Your friend Jerome has lost his contact lens in his room.He begins searching in one corner and methodically moves from right to left and then back from left to right,examining every square inch.What strategy is he using?

Accepted Answer

A)  Exhaustive search
B)  Parallel processing
C)  Heuristic search
D)  Functional fixednessE) A) and D)
F) None of the above

Question 12

According to the discussion of problem-solving expertise in Chapter 11,

Accepted Answer

A)  expertise is typically defined in terms of problem-solving speed,rather than problem-solving accuracy.
B)  in some fields,expertise is not strongly correlated with the number of years of experience.
C)  true experts can acquire their expertise without extensive practice because they truly seem to be "born" with their skills.
D)  experts tend to have an especially well-developed working memory for general information,not just in their area of expertise.E) A) and D)
F) A) and B)

Question 13

Which of the following would be an example of functional fixedness?

Accepted Answer

A)  Wanting to use a rope to tie your car trunk closed and failing to realize that you could use a coat-hanger for the task
B)  Thinking that you must solve an algebra problem the same way you solved the previous problem in the book
C)  Beginning at the end of an analogy problem and working backwards toward the initial state
D)  Failing to concentrate on the surface structure of a problemE) A) and D)
F) B) and D)

Question 14

In problem solving,heuristics

Accepted Answer

A)  are relatively unsophisticated strategies.
B)  are bound to produce a solution,if you apply them rigorously.
C)  are strategies that examine only some of the alternatives.
D)  are seldom as useful as algorithms.E) All of the above
F) A) and C)

Question 15

Which of the following students provides the best explanation for stereotype threat during problem solving?

Accepted Answer

A)  Alper: "Stereotype threat can usually be traced to overactive bottom-up processing."
B)  Kristi: "Stereotype threat is basically caused by a growth mindset."
C)  Kevin: "Stereotype threat typically occurs because people use parallel processing,rather problem-solving heuristics."
D)  Nita: "Stereotype threat seems to cause a reduction in working memory,due to factors such as high arousal."E) B) and C)
F) A) and C)

Question 16

Suppose you have just read over an algebra problem,and you have now created an internal representation of the important information.According to the discussion of problem solving,you have mastered the stage called

Accepted Answer

A)  problem finding.
B)  understanding.
C)  heuristic choice.
D)  background knowledge.E) None of the above
F) A) and D)

Question 17

Chapter 11 discusses the effects of ethnic and gender stereotypes on a test that measures math problem-solving ability.This research shows that

Accepted Answer

A)  Asian women perform relatively well if their ethnicity is emphasized before they begin the math test.
B)  Asian women perform relatively well if their gender is emphasized before they begin the math test.
C)  European American women are not aware of stereotypes,and so they perform better than Asian women.
D)  There were no ethnic or gender differences in this study,showing that stereotypes in these two areas are no longer relevant in math problem solving.E) A) and B)
F) B) and C)

Question 18

Heather and Tom want to bake some blueberry muffins,but they do not have a muffin tin.So Heather takes some soda cans out of the recycling bin,Tom cuts the top 2 inches off of each can,and they use the bottoms of the cans to bake their muffins.Tom and Heather have demonstrated

Accepted Answer

A)  a fixed mindset.
B)  use of an algorithm.
C)  overcoming functional fixedness.
D)  the means-end analysis heuristic.E) A) and B)
F) B) and D)

Question 19

Which of the following students' summaries about metacognition and problem solving is the most accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)  Delmer: "Our metacognitions are typically more accurate for insight problems than for noninsight problems."
B)  Midori: "Students are not able to predict how well they are doing on a wide variety of problem-solving tasks."
C)  Saundra: "On insight problems,our confidence increases suddenly; on noninsight problems,our confidence builds up gradually."
D)  Steve: "Students typically have a feeling that they know the solution when they are several steps away from solving a problem-whether the problem is an insight problem or a noninsight problem."E) A) and D)
F) None of the above

Question 20

According to the discussion of problem-solving approaches,the hill-climbing heuristic

Accepted Answer

A)  can only be used when you represent the problem in terms of visual imagery.
B)  is one of the most sophisticated problem-solving heuristics.
C)  is often used if you do not have information on how to reach your goal,so you select the best option at each choice point.
D)  is especially helpful when a problem requires you to move backwards in order to eventually move forwards.E) C) and D)
F) A) and C)

Exam 11: Problem Solving and Creativity

Which of the following research questions would have the highest ecological validity?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following students provides the best definition for the term thinking?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Heather and Tom want to bake some blueberry muffins,but they do not have a muffin tin.So Heather takes some soda cans out of the recycling bin,Tom cuts the top 2 inches off of each can,and they use the bottoms of the cans to bake their muffins.Tom and Heather have demonstrated

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following is the best example of the hill-climbing heuristic?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Chapter 11 examines the effect of stereotype threat on problem solving.Which of the following students provides the most accurate information about stereotype threat?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In problem solving,heuristics

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Chapter 11 discusses the effects of ethnic and gender stereotypes on a test that measures math problem-solving ability.This research shows that

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Suppose that you have an assignment to write a review of the literature on a topic in cognitive psychology.If you used means-ends analysis,you would begin by

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Your friend Jerome has lost his contact lens in his room.He begins searching in one corner and methodically moves from right to left and then back from left to right,examining every square inch.What strategy is he using?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Imagine that you are currently trying to solve a problem.Which of the following statements about attention would be relevant to your situation?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

According to the discussion of problem-solving expertise in Chapter 11,

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

According to the discussion of problem-solving approaches,the hill-climbing heuristic

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following students' summaries about metacognition and problem solving is the most accurate?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following would be an example of functional fixedness?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In problem solving,the term obstacles refers to

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following students provides the best explanation for stereotype threat during problem solving?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The introductory discussion about creativity in Chapter 11 pointed out that

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Suppose you have just read over an algebra problem,and you have now created an internal representation of the important information.According to the discussion of problem solving,you have mastered the stage called

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following students provides the best summary of the relationship between expertise and top-down/bottom-up processing?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

People are especially likely to use analogies effectively in problem solving

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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