PHILOSOPHY 171 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS A GRADED
Availability Heuristic - (correct answer) -judging the frequency or probability of an event
or attribute by asking ourselves how easily we can bring examples to mind from
memory.
Belief Perseverance - (correct answer) -the tendency to continue holding a belief even if
its original support has been discredited, and in the face of contrary evidence.
Cognitive Illusions - (correct answer) -an involuntary error in our thinking or memory due
to System 1, which continues to seem correct even if we consciously realize it's not.
Cognitive Pitfalls - (correct answer) -common, predictable errors in human reasoning.
Cognitive pitfalls include mental glitches uncovered by cognitive psychologists, as well
as logical fallacies.
Cognitive Reflection - (correct answer) -the habit of checking initial impressions supplied
by system 1, and overriding them when appropriate.
Confirmation Bias - (correct answer) -the tendency to notice or focus on potential
evidence for our pre-existing views, and to neglect or discount contrary evidence.
Confirmation Bias can be present with or without an underlying motive to have the belief
in the first place.
Evidence Primacy Effect - (correct answer) -in a process where information is acquired
over time, the tendency to give early information more evidential weight than late
information. This tendency arises when we develop opinions early on, leading to
confirmation bias when interpreting later information, or simply a failure to pay as much
attention to it.
Heuristic - (correct answer) -a cognitive shortcut used to bypass the more effortful type
of reasoning that would be required to arrive at an accurate answer. Heuristics are
susceptible to systematic and predictable errors.
Motivated Reasoning - (correct answer) -forming or maintaining a belief at least partly
because, at some level, we want it to be true. This manifests itself in selective standards
for belief, seeking and accepting evidence that confirms desired beliefs, and ignoring or
discounting evidence that disconfirms them.
, Skilled Intuition - (correct answer) -the ability to make fast and accurate judgements
about a situation by recognizing learned patterns in it. This requires training under
specific kinds of conditions.
System 1 - (correct answer) -the collection of cognitive processes that feel automatic
and effortless but not transparent. These include specialized processes that interpret
sensory data and are the source of our impressions, feelings, intuitions, and impulses.
(The distinction between the two systems is one of degree, and the two systems often
overlap, but it is still useful to distinguish them.)
System 2 - (correct answer) -the collection of cognitive processes that are directly
controlled, effortful, and transparent. (The distinction between the two systems is one of
degree, and the two systems often overlap, but it is still useful to distinguish them.)
Transparency - (correct answer) -the degree to which information processing itself
(rather than just its output) is done consciously, in such a way that one is aware of the
steps being taken.
Learning all about how to reason well...
a. is not good enough to become a good reasoner; the right skills and mindset are also
necessary
b. is enough to become a good reasoner as long as your knowledge is paired with the
right skills
c. is not important because, just like in sports, the only thing that matters is skill
d. is unnecessary: all you need is the right mindset of curiosity, openness, and
perseverance - (correct answer) -a. is not good enough to become a good reasoner; the
right skills and mindset are also necessary
Focusing on general reasoning skills and not specific reasoning skills...
a. is important because acquiring specific reasoning skills does not improve general
reasoning skills
b. is the only way to become better at reasoning
c. is a more effective way to improve general reasoning skills.
d. is unhelpful because acquiring specific reasoning skills is just as effective a way to
become a good reasoner in general - (correct answer) -c. is a more effective way to
improve general reasoning skills.
In this section, the example of prosopagnosia was primarily used to illustrate ...
a. the difference between the process that recognizes faces and the process that
interprets emotions
b. the difference between transparency and effort in facial recognition
c. the fact that facial recognition occurs in a specialized region of the brain
AND ANSWERS A GRADED
Availability Heuristic - (correct answer) -judging the frequency or probability of an event
or attribute by asking ourselves how easily we can bring examples to mind from
memory.
Belief Perseverance - (correct answer) -the tendency to continue holding a belief even if
its original support has been discredited, and in the face of contrary evidence.
Cognitive Illusions - (correct answer) -an involuntary error in our thinking or memory due
to System 1, which continues to seem correct even if we consciously realize it's not.
Cognitive Pitfalls - (correct answer) -common, predictable errors in human reasoning.
Cognitive pitfalls include mental glitches uncovered by cognitive psychologists, as well
as logical fallacies.
Cognitive Reflection - (correct answer) -the habit of checking initial impressions supplied
by system 1, and overriding them when appropriate.
Confirmation Bias - (correct answer) -the tendency to notice or focus on potential
evidence for our pre-existing views, and to neglect or discount contrary evidence.
Confirmation Bias can be present with or without an underlying motive to have the belief
in the first place.
Evidence Primacy Effect - (correct answer) -in a process where information is acquired
over time, the tendency to give early information more evidential weight than late
information. This tendency arises when we develop opinions early on, leading to
confirmation bias when interpreting later information, or simply a failure to pay as much
attention to it.
Heuristic - (correct answer) -a cognitive shortcut used to bypass the more effortful type
of reasoning that would be required to arrive at an accurate answer. Heuristics are
susceptible to systematic and predictable errors.
Motivated Reasoning - (correct answer) -forming or maintaining a belief at least partly
because, at some level, we want it to be true. This manifests itself in selective standards
for belief, seeking and accepting evidence that confirms desired beliefs, and ignoring or
discounting evidence that disconfirms them.
, Skilled Intuition - (correct answer) -the ability to make fast and accurate judgements
about a situation by recognizing learned patterns in it. This requires training under
specific kinds of conditions.
System 1 - (correct answer) -the collection of cognitive processes that feel automatic
and effortless but not transparent. These include specialized processes that interpret
sensory data and are the source of our impressions, feelings, intuitions, and impulses.
(The distinction between the two systems is one of degree, and the two systems often
overlap, but it is still useful to distinguish them.)
System 2 - (correct answer) -the collection of cognitive processes that are directly
controlled, effortful, and transparent. (The distinction between the two systems is one of
degree, and the two systems often overlap, but it is still useful to distinguish them.)
Transparency - (correct answer) -the degree to which information processing itself
(rather than just its output) is done consciously, in such a way that one is aware of the
steps being taken.
Learning all about how to reason well...
a. is not good enough to become a good reasoner; the right skills and mindset are also
necessary
b. is enough to become a good reasoner as long as your knowledge is paired with the
right skills
c. is not important because, just like in sports, the only thing that matters is skill
d. is unnecessary: all you need is the right mindset of curiosity, openness, and
perseverance - (correct answer) -a. is not good enough to become a good reasoner; the
right skills and mindset are also necessary
Focusing on general reasoning skills and not specific reasoning skills...
a. is important because acquiring specific reasoning skills does not improve general
reasoning skills
b. is the only way to become better at reasoning
c. is a more effective way to improve general reasoning skills.
d. is unhelpful because acquiring specific reasoning skills is just as effective a way to
become a good reasoner in general - (correct answer) -c. is a more effective way to
improve general reasoning skills.
In this section, the example of prosopagnosia was primarily used to illustrate ...
a. the difference between the process that recognizes faces and the process that
interprets emotions
b. the difference between transparency and effort in facial recognition
c. the fact that facial recognition occurs in a specialized region of the brain
