Chapter: Chapter01: An Introduction to Cognitive Psychology



Chapter: Chapter 11: Problem Solving and Creativity

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following is a component of every problem you need to solve?

a) the initial state

b) the goal state

c) obstacles

d) All are part of every problem.

Ans: d

Feedback: See page 370

2. Cognitive psychologists distinguish problem solving from other kinds of thinking because the study of problem solving focuses on how people:

a) combine two or more propositions in an attempt to reach a valid conclusion.

b) decide between two or more alternative courses of action, choices, or behaviors.

c) encounter and remove obstacles between an initial state and a goal state.

d) analyze and solve difficulties in mathematical, logical, and analytical domains.

Ans: c

Feedback: See page 371

3. The first step in problem solving is to

a) understand the problem.

b) consider your past experiences.

c) collect all the relevant information.

d) think about possible solutions.

Ans: a

Feedback: See page 372

4. The first step in problem solving involves:

a) activating trial-and-error solutions to the problem.

b) constructing a mental representation of the problem.

c) conducting a means-end analysis of the problem.

d) engaging in analogical thinking about the problem.

Ans: b

Feedback: See page 372

5. Ways to represent the problem include

a) symbols.

b) matrices.

c) diagrams.

d) All of the above are ways to represent a problem.

Ans: d

Feedback: See pages 374 - 376

6. Using symbols, matrices, diagrams, and visual images are among the most effective methods of:

a) representing a problem.

b) applying a problem-solving algorithm.

c) using the means-end heuristic.

d) deciding among alternative solutions to a problem.

Ans: a

Feedback: See pages 374 - 378

7. Supporters of a situated-cognition approach argue that a person's ability to solve a problem is closely linked to the:

a) inborn ability that all people have in transferring problem-solving skills from one domain to another.

b) natural tendency of most people to use various heuristics in a variety of problem domains.

c) failure to find effects of ecological validity on his or her solutions to a problem.

d) specific context in which he or she learned to solve that kind of problem.

Ans: d

Feedback: See page 378

8. A method that is guaranteed to produce a solution to a problem (although the process may be inefficient) is called:

a) a means-end analysis.

b) an algorithm.

c) a heuristic.

d) a serendipity.

Ans: b

Feedback: See page 380

9. A problem-solving strategy in which a person ignores some alternatives and only explores those that are most likely to produce a solution is called:

a) a means-end analysis.

b) an algorithm.

c) a heuristic.

d) a serendipity.

Ans: c

Feedback: See page 381

10. A barrier to the use of an analogy approach to problem solving is that people tend to:

a) tend to see analogies in many problems, even when the analogies are inappropriate.

b) quickly realize that they often have to move away from the goal state in order to arrive at it.

c) use trial-and-error even after being trained to sort problems into categories based on structural similarities.

d) focus more on the superficial content of a problem than on its abstract, underlying meanings.

Ans: d

Feedback: See page 383

11. A problem-solver divided a problem into several subproblems, and then he tried to reduce the difference between the initial state and the goal state for each of the subproblems. Which strategy he use?

a) trial-and-error

b) means-end analysis

c) hill-climbing

d) analogy

Ans: b

Feedback: See pages 383 - 384

12. Research on problems such as the Elves-and-Goblins problem reveals that people:

a) are reluctant to move away from the goal state—that is, move backwards temporarily.

b) usually to try to solve a problem by means of analogy—that is, apply an algorithm.

c) often employ a computer simulation approach—that is, use trial-and-error.

d) tend to use an efficient expert strategy in many domains—that is, use serial, top-down processing.

Ans: a

Feedback: See page 384

13. A recent (2007) study of university students in the United States, Brazil, and India revealed that the students:

a) reported slightly different frequencies of use of analogy, means-end, and free-production strategies.

b) rated various problem-solving strategies differently in terms of their effectiveness.

c) agreed that the analogy problem-solving method is the easiest to apply.

d) typically chose the analogy strategy for solving problems.

Ans: d

Feedback: See page 381

14. Compared with novices, experts generally have

a) at least ten years experience.

b) better overall memory.

c) greater probability of using parallel processing.

d) All of the above are correct.

Ans: c

Feedback: See pages 387 – 389

15. Research suggests that a person's performance on a test requiring problem solving, such as the mathematics portion of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) might:

a) not be improved by cognitive coaching programs, contrary to the claims of the corporation that administers the test.

b) improve as a result of heightened arousal that results from a stereotype threat.

c) reveal important information about a person's personality, adjustment, and general problem-solving abilities.

d) suffer if the person is a member of a group that is hampered by a negative stereotype, such as women.

Ans: d

Feedback: See page 392

16. Concerning problem-solving performance, recent research reveals that the stereotype threat:

a) mainly affects the performance of adults, because the evidence shows that children do not perform significantly worse as a result of it.

b) mainly affects the performance of children, because the evidence shows that adults do not perform significantly worse as a result of it.

c) can be minimized (and performance improved) if a person is made aware of a link between group membership and poor performance.

d) may be heightened (and performance made worse) if a person is made aware of a link between group membership and poor performance.

Ans: d

Feedback: See page 392

17. A distinction can be made between problems that are usually solved gradually and problems that are usually solved suddenly. This distinction is between:

a) noninsight problems and insight problems, respectively.

b) creative problems and poorly-defined problems, respectively.

c) expert problems and novice problems, respectively.

d) convergent problems and divergent problems, respectively.

Ans: a

Feedback: See page 395

18. In the process of arriving at a solution to a problem that initially seems difficult, but results in a rather sudden discovery of the correct solution:

a) people usually realize that they are working on a noninsight problem and use appropriate strategies.

b) people usually know that they are correct, but they are underconfidence in the correctness of their solution.

c) metacognitive judgments of confidence increase dramatically when the correct solution is discovered.

d) people remain surprisingly unaware that they have found the correct solution to the problem.

Ans: c

Feedback: See page 396

19. The requirements, or essential criteria, for calling a problem solution creative are that it:

a) resulted from the use of analogies and was obtained slowly.

b) is novel, high quality, and useful.

c) involves convergent production and is useful.

d) involves an invention and can be patented.

Ans: b

Feedback: See page 399

20. One early researcher (Guilford, 1967) proposed that creativity should be measured in terms of divergent production, and he proposed several tests in which a person had to:

a) engage in a means-end strategy while solving a well-defined test item.

b) take an intelligence test while performing a working-memory task.

c) make a number of varied responses to a test item.

d) identify common semantic relationships among different kinds of test items.

Ans: c

Feedback: See page 400

21. On one test of divergent production, people are asked to:

a) list as many words as possible that begin with the letter L and end with the letter N.

b) find a common word that links several other words, such as ship, crawl, and outer.

c) listen to a series of 20 words, then recall as many of the words as possible.

d) perform a dichotic listening test and divide attention between the two messages.

Ans: a

Feedback: See page 399

22. Creativity is thought to

a) use both convergent and divergent thinking.

b) use areas in both the right and left hemispheres.

c) happen when we are using both focused and defocused attention.

d) All of the above are correct.

Ans: d

Feedback: See pages 400 – 401

23. Which personality trait is associated with greater creativity?

a) extrinsic motivation

b) intrinsic motivation

c) perseverance

d) maturity

Ans: b

Feedback: See pages 402 – 403

24. Which of the following is a true statement concerning creativity?

a) Students displaying relatively high levels of intrinsic motivation are more likely to produce a creative product.

b) Students displaying relatively low levels of intrinsic motivation are more likely to produce a creative product.

c) Students displaying relatively high levels of extrinsic motivation are more likely to produce a creative product.

d) Researchers have failed to find any differences in creativity that are related to the level of either intrinsic or extrinsic motivation.

Ans: a

Feedback: See pages 401 - 402

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