Psychology 111 - Exam 2 (U of M: Hoeffner)
Questions With Complete Answers
Concept - ANSWER a mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people
Prototype - ANSWER a mental image or best example of a category. Matching new items to
this provides a quick and easy method for sorting items into categories. Used when classifying
objects.
Algorithm - ANSWER a methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving
particular problem. Contrasts with the usually speedier use of heuristics. (1 of 2 problem
solving methods)
Heuristic - ANSWER a simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgements and
solve problems efficiently; usually speedier and more error-prone that algorithms. (1 of 2
problem solving methods)
Mental set - ANSWER a tendency to approach a problem in one particular way, often a way
that has been successful in the past. when he problem changes, we can't get out of the rut
because of familiarity with the one approach.
Convergent thinking/creativity - ANSWER narrowing the available problem solutions to
determine the single best solution. tested by getting three words and explains how they are
connected.
,Divergent thinking/creativity - ANSWER expanding the number of possible problem solutions;
creative thinking that separates in different directions. thinking of weird, new and unusual
uses for things.
Propositional representation - ANSWER psychological theory, developed by Dr. Zenon
Pylyshyn, that mental relationships between objects are represented by symbols and not by
mental images of the scene
Pictorial (Analog) representation - ANSWER visual representation as by photography or
painting
Kossyln's "Island" study - ANSWER Study with a little island and people have to remember
details of the island. Asks them to imagine the how far something was from another and
instead of giving a direct answer, they explained different details of the island in respect to
each other.
Functional fixedness - ANSWER a cognitive bias that limits a person to using an object only in
the way it is traditionally used. sometimes we have a hard time solving problems because our
existed perception is fixed and hard to manipulate as needed. (box of tacks, candle, and
matches. how to attach candle to wall)
Insight - ANSWER a sudden realization a problem's solution; contrasts with strategy-based
solutions
,Confirmation bias - ANSWER a tendency to search for information that supports our
preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence. to pay attention to what one
already knows.
Types of Reasoning Heuristics/Biases - ANSWER availability, framing, and overconfidence
Availability heuristic - ANSWER estimating the likelihood of events base don their availability
in memory; if instances comes readily to mind, we presume such events are common (Type of
Reasoning Heuristics/Bias)
Framing - ANSWER the way an issue is posed; the same information when presented in
different forms can lead to different decisions.(Type of Reasoning Heuristics/Bias)
Overconfidence - ANSWER the tendency to be more confident than correct - to overestimate
the accuracy of our beliefs and judgements (Type of Reasoning Heuristics/Bias)
Types of properties of language - ANSWER arbitrarily symbolic, generative, language
structure
Arbitrarily symbolic - ANSWER a linguistic sign, for example, a verbally spoken word, that
bears no obvious resemblance to the thing or concept signified. (Type of property of
language)
Generative - ANSWER an approach to linguistics whose goal is to account for the infinite set
, of possible grammatical sentences in a language using a finite set of generative rules. (Type of
property of language)
Language structure - ANSWER (highest) sentence, phrase, word, morpheme, phoneme
(lowest) (Type of property of language)
Morphemes - ANSWER in a language, the smallest unit that carries meaning; may be a word
or a part of a word
Morphology - ANSWER branch of linguistics that studies words and their structure
Phoneme - ANSWER in a language, the smallest distinct sound unit.
Articulation - ANSWER the process of producing and using the speech sounds required for
intelligible and meaningful speech. Different phonemes are produced by our vocal apparatus
depending on the position of our tongues, lips, jaw, vocal cords, etc.
Vowels - ANSWER a voiced speech noise which is generated whenever the breath flow
vibrating the vocal cords has uninhibited passage via the vocal tract
Consonants - ANSWER a spoken or unspoken speech noise which is created whenever the
vocal tract is partially or entirely contracted
Questions With Complete Answers
Concept - ANSWER a mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people
Prototype - ANSWER a mental image or best example of a category. Matching new items to
this provides a quick and easy method for sorting items into categories. Used when classifying
objects.
Algorithm - ANSWER a methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving
particular problem. Contrasts with the usually speedier use of heuristics. (1 of 2 problem
solving methods)
Heuristic - ANSWER a simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgements and
solve problems efficiently; usually speedier and more error-prone that algorithms. (1 of 2
problem solving methods)
Mental set - ANSWER a tendency to approach a problem in one particular way, often a way
that has been successful in the past. when he problem changes, we can't get out of the rut
because of familiarity with the one approach.
Convergent thinking/creativity - ANSWER narrowing the available problem solutions to
determine the single best solution. tested by getting three words and explains how they are
connected.
,Divergent thinking/creativity - ANSWER expanding the number of possible problem solutions;
creative thinking that separates in different directions. thinking of weird, new and unusual
uses for things.
Propositional representation - ANSWER psychological theory, developed by Dr. Zenon
Pylyshyn, that mental relationships between objects are represented by symbols and not by
mental images of the scene
Pictorial (Analog) representation - ANSWER visual representation as by photography or
painting
Kossyln's "Island" study - ANSWER Study with a little island and people have to remember
details of the island. Asks them to imagine the how far something was from another and
instead of giving a direct answer, they explained different details of the island in respect to
each other.
Functional fixedness - ANSWER a cognitive bias that limits a person to using an object only in
the way it is traditionally used. sometimes we have a hard time solving problems because our
existed perception is fixed and hard to manipulate as needed. (box of tacks, candle, and
matches. how to attach candle to wall)
Insight - ANSWER a sudden realization a problem's solution; contrasts with strategy-based
solutions
,Confirmation bias - ANSWER a tendency to search for information that supports our
preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence. to pay attention to what one
already knows.
Types of Reasoning Heuristics/Biases - ANSWER availability, framing, and overconfidence
Availability heuristic - ANSWER estimating the likelihood of events base don their availability
in memory; if instances comes readily to mind, we presume such events are common (Type of
Reasoning Heuristics/Bias)
Framing - ANSWER the way an issue is posed; the same information when presented in
different forms can lead to different decisions.(Type of Reasoning Heuristics/Bias)
Overconfidence - ANSWER the tendency to be more confident than correct - to overestimate
the accuracy of our beliefs and judgements (Type of Reasoning Heuristics/Bias)
Types of properties of language - ANSWER arbitrarily symbolic, generative, language
structure
Arbitrarily symbolic - ANSWER a linguistic sign, for example, a verbally spoken word, that
bears no obvious resemblance to the thing or concept signified. (Type of property of
language)
Generative - ANSWER an approach to linguistics whose goal is to account for the infinite set
, of possible grammatical sentences in a language using a finite set of generative rules. (Type of
property of language)
Language structure - ANSWER (highest) sentence, phrase, word, morpheme, phoneme
(lowest) (Type of property of language)
Morphemes - ANSWER in a language, the smallest unit that carries meaning; may be a word
or a part of a word
Morphology - ANSWER branch of linguistics that studies words and their structure
Phoneme - ANSWER in a language, the smallest distinct sound unit.
Articulation - ANSWER the process of producing and using the speech sounds required for
intelligible and meaningful speech. Different phonemes are produced by our vocal apparatus
depending on the position of our tongues, lips, jaw, vocal cords, etc.
Vowels - ANSWER a voiced speech noise which is generated whenever the breath flow
vibrating the vocal cords has uninhibited passage via the vocal tract
Consonants - ANSWER a spoken or unspoken speech noise which is created whenever the
vocal tract is partially or entirely contracted
