CHP 9

Question 1

Cognition

Answer 1

All mental activities linked to thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.

Question 2

Metacognition

Answer 2

Thinking about one’s own thinking; monitoring and evaluating learning.

Question 3

Concepts

Answer 3

Mental groupings of similar objects, events, ideas, or people.

Question 4

Prototypes

Answer 4

Best examples of a category, making recognition of new items easier.

Question 5

Problem Solving

Answer 5

Strategies to find solutions (trial and error, algorithms, heuristics, insight).

Question 6

Trial and Error

Answer 6

Random attempts until a solution is found.

Question 7

Algorithm

Answer 7

A step-by-step procedure that guarantees a correct solution, but may be slow.

Question 8

Heuristic

Answer 8

Simple, efficient thinking shortcut that’s quicker but more error-prone than an algorithm.

Question 9

Insight

Answer 9

A sudden, often novel realization of a solution (“Aha!” moment).

Question 10

Confirmation Bias

Answer 10

Seeking info that supports our preconceptions, ignoring contrary evidence.

Question 11

Fixation

Answer 11

Inability to see a problem from a fresh perspective (e.g., mental set).

Question 12

Mental Set

Answer 12

Tendency to approach problems using a previously successful strategy.

Question 13

Intuition

Answer 13

Fast, automatic “gut feeling” thought; can be adaptive but also prone to errors.

Question 14

Representativeness Heuristic

Answer 14

Judging likelihood by how well something matches a prototype; may ignore base rates.

Question 15

Availability Heuristic

Answer 15

Estimating likelihood by how easily examples come to mind (vivid events = more fear).

Question 16

Overconfidence

Answer 16

Overestimating the accuracy of our knowledge and judgments.

Question 17

Belief Perseverance

Answer 17

Clinging to initial beliefs even after contradictory evidence emerges.

Question 18

Framing

Answer 18

The way an issue is posed; can affect decisions and judgments.

Question 19

Creativity

Answer 19

Ability to produce novel, valuable ideas; requires imaginative thinking and expertise.

Question 20

Convergent vs. Divergent

Answer 20

Convergent = single correct answer; Divergent = multiple creative solutions.

Question 21

Five Components of Creativity

Answer 21

Expertise,
imaginative thinking, venturesome personality, intrinsic motivation, supportive environment.

Question 22

Animal Cognition

Answer 22

Some species show insight, tool use, cultural transmission, concepts, and number skills.

Question 23

Language

Answer 23

Our spoken, written, or signed words and the ways we combine them to communicate meaning.

Question 24

Phonemes

Answer 24

Smallest distinctive sound units in a language (e.g., “b,” “th”).

Question 25

Morphemes

Answer 25

Smallest units that carry meaning (e.g., “read,” “-er,” “-s”).

Question 26

Grammar

Answer 26

Language’s rules for deriving meaning (semantics) and ordering words (syntax).

Question 27

Universal Grammar

Answer 27

Chomsky’s idea of innate language rules underlying all human languages.

Question 28

Babbling Stage

Answer 28

Beginning around 4 months; infants spontaneously utter random sounds.

Question 29

One-Word Stage

Answer 29

Starting around age 1; children speak mostly in single words.

Question 30

Two-Word Stage

Answer 30

Beginning around age 2; speech in two-word statements (telegraphic speech).

Question 31

Critical Period

Answer 31

Optimal time early in life to master language; declines after about age 7.

Question 32

Deafness & Language

Answer 32

Signing follows similar milestones; late exposure can hinder fluent mastery.

Question 33

Broca’s Area

Answer 33

Left frontal lobe area; damage impairs speaking but not comprehension.

Question 34

Wernicke’s Area

Answer 34

Left temporal lobe area; damage impairs understanding and produces meaningless speech.

Question 35

Aphasia

Answer 35

Language impairment from damage to cortical areas (e.g., Broca’s or Wernicke’s).

Question 36

Linguistic Relativism

Answer 36

Words influence thought; different languages can lead to different thinking patterns.

Question 37

Mental Imagery

Answer 37

Thinking in pictures rather than words; aids rehearsal, skill improvement, and memory.