cog 12

In the information-processing approach to problem solving, an operator is most closely associated with ________. a. insight b. transfer c. analysis d. progress

D

Janet is alone in a room that contains a chair and a shelf with a book resting on top. She attempts to retrieve the book, but the shelf is a foot above her reach. How will Janet retrieve the book? Psychologists would NOT classify this scenario as a problem because a. the goal state is not clearly defined. b. the initial state is not clearly defined. c. there is an obstacle between the present state and the goal state. d. the solution is immediately obvious.

D

Research conducted by Chi and Snyder demonstrated that the Gestalt-style perceptual grouping of items occurs in which region of the brain? a. Parietal lobe b. Prefrontal cortex c. Cingulate gyrus d. Temporal lobe

D

The ability to shift experience from one problem-solving situation to a similar problem is known as a. insight. b. in vivo problem solving. c. analogical encoding. d. analogical transfer.

D

The process of analogical encoding is focused on ________. a. fostering insight b. creating value c. generating ideas d. finding similarity

D

The radiation problem was used in your text to illustrate the role of _________________ in problem solving. a. means-end analysis b. mental set c. functional fixedness d. analogy

D

Which of the following is not part of a complete definition of a problem? a. Involves obstacles between one's current state and a desired goal b. The solution is not obvious c. Is difficult d. Has one correct answer

D

________ occurs when a person gives up trying to solve a tough problem and then suddenly comes up with the answer while doing something else. a. Insight b. Daydreaming c. Mindfulness d. Incubation

D

Which problem provides an example of how functional fixedness can hinder solution of a problem? a. The radiation problem b. Two-string problem c. Mutilated checkerboard problem d. Tower of Hanoi problem

B

The text's discussion of the research on in vivo problem solving highlighted that _________________ play(s) an important role in solving scientific problems. a. flexibility b. subgoals c. analogies d. insight

=AD

Insight refers to a. prior learning facilitating problem solving. b. the tendency to respond in a certain manner, based on past experience. c. the sudden realization of a problem's solution. d. prior learning hindering problem solving.

=B

The radiation problem can be solved using a. representation and restructuring. b. warmth judgments. c. means-end analysis. d. mental set.

A

Considering the fortress and the radiation problems together, the fortress problem represents the _________________ problem. a. target b. prototype c. source d. exemplar

C

Functional fixedness would be LOWEST for a(n) a. frequently used object. b. object with a specific function. c. novel object. d. familiar object.

C

Gestalt psychologists consider problem solving as a process involving a. sensory operators. b. continuity and form. c. reorganization or restructuring. d. multiple goal states.

C

The typical purpose of subgoals is to a. move the solver directly from the initial state to the goal state. b. solve insight problems. c. bring the problem solver closer and closer to the goal state. d. avoid the need to perform means-end analysis.

C

Which term best describes the process of brainstorming? a. Compound b. Preinventive c. Divergent d. Mindful

C

Kaplan and Simon's experiment presented different versions of the mutilated checkerboard problem. The main purpose of their experiment was to demonstrate that a. a person's mental set can hinder finding a solution to a problem. b. people arrive at the solution to an insight problem suddenly, but proceed more methodically toward the solution of a non-insight problem. c. people often have to backtrack within the problem space to arrive at an answer to a problem. d. the way the problem is represented can influence the ease of problem solving.

=B

When the process of analogical problem solving was applied to the fortress and radiation problems, which of the following represented the mapping step of this process? a. Connecting the fortress with the tumor b. Developing schemas for each individual problem c. Likening the dangerous mines to the dangerous tumor d. Generalizing from groups of soldiers to using many rays to solve the problem

=BD

Finke's creating an object studies show that people were more likely to come up with creative uses for preinventive objects if they a. had been preselected as "creative" individuals. b. were told they were expected to be creative. c. had received training in creative thinking. d. made the objects themselves.

=C

Which of the following statements does NOT apply to the results of research on differences between how experts and novices solve problems? a. Being an expert in one field can transfer to better problem solving in another field. b. Experts possess more knowledge about their fields than novices. c. Experts often spend more time analyzing problems than novices. d. Experts often organize problems differently than novices, based on principles.

=C

Newell and Simon were early pioneers in designing computer programs that could solve problems. Their research program was based on the idea that problem solving is a process that involves a. insight. b. parity. c. algorithms. d. search.

=CB

In the movie Apollo 13, astronauts aboard a damaged spacecraft have to build a carbon dioxide filter out of random items that are aboard the ship with them. If they do not, they will all die rapidly of carbon dioxide poisoning. The fact that they are able to do so with the help of experts on Earth is similar to the _________________ approach developed by Ronald Finke. a. the means-end analysis b. divergent thinking c. creative cognition d. convergent thinking

=D

Intermediate states can be created by a. restructuring goal states. b. creating subgoals. c. creating operators. d. restructuring initial states.

=DAC

Amber lives in a housing development between two parallel streets that both connect to a freeway. She usually takes the street to the south when heading southbound on the freeway to work, but that street is closed for repairs for three months. Amber takes the street to the north during that time. After the street to the south is re-opened, she continues to take the street to the north, even though it is a slightly longer route. Continuing to take the street to the north represents a. a mental set. b. convergent thinking. c. a single dissociation. d. a source problem.

A

Dr. Chan is doing a follow-up study to the mutilated checkerboard problem experiment. In this new study, participants solve the following shoe problem before tackling the checkerboard problem. By doing this, Dr. Chan is studying the effect of _________________ on problem solving. The shoe problem: A first-grade class is using a trampoline in gym class, so all the children have removed their shoes, which are all jumbled in a large pile. One of the students, Miguel, is leaving early, so the teacher tells him to grab his shoes and report to the lobby. In his hurry, Miguel grabs two identical left-footed, size 6 red sneakers and runs to his mother still sock-footed. Will the remaining students be able to shoe-up with the remaining shoes without getting a foot-ache? a. analogies b. perceptual segregation c. anaphoric interference d. divergent thinking

A

Finke's "creating an object" experiment had participants create a novel object by combining parts. Once they created an object, they were given the name of an object category and instructed to interpret their creation as a practical object or device within that category. Finke used the term preinventive forms to describe the a. novel objects before a function was described. b. practical objects within the category. c. inventions rated high in both practicality and originality. d. object parts.

A

Gick and Holyoak consider which of the following to be the most difficult step to achieve in the process of analogical problem solving? a. Noticing that there is an analogous relationship between problems because most participants need prompting before they notice a connection b. Applying the mapping to generate a parallel solution because of the difficulty in generalizing from one problem to another c. Solving the problem through reorganization because past experience can make it more difficult to reorganize a problem d. Mapping corresponding parts between the problems because the elements are difficult to identify

A

Gick and Holyoak proposed that analogical problem solving involves the following three steps: a. noticing, mapping, and applying. b. well-defining, insighting, and means-end analysis. c. restructuring, searching, and simulating. d. surfacing, structuring, and generalizing.

A

In the two-string problem, tying the pliers to one of the strings best represents a(n) _________________ state. a. intermediate b. functional fixedness c. goal d. initial

A

Metcalfe and Wiebe gave participants problems to solve and asked them to make "warmth" judgments every 15 seconds to indicate how close they felt they were to a solution. The purpose of this experiment was to a. demonstrate a difference between how people solve insight and non-insight problems. b. measure the time-course of solving well-defined versus ill-defined problems. c. show how people progress through the problem space as they solve a problem. d. show that some problems are easier to solve than others.

A

Phoenix Decorating Company is responsible for designing and building many of the floral floats seen in the Tournament of Roses Parade every New Year's Day. Phoenix's designers start preparing the floats for the next year's parade soon after the first of the year. For each corporate sponsor, Phoenix gets their best advertising team members, and they sit in a room for several hours throwing out every idea they can come up with, no matter how good or bad it is. After a substantial list has been created, they then go through every idea and rate its merits or deficits, until they come up with the best idea to pitch to the corporate sponsor. This process demonstrates a. group brainstorming. b. creative cognition. c. structural analyses. d. convergent thinking.

A

The analogy that makes the solution to the mutilated checkerboard problem obvious is the _________________ problem. a. Russian marriage b. light bulb c. radiation d. Tower of Hanoi

A

The best description of the purpose of think-aloud protocols is that they are used to determine a. what information a person is attending to while solving a problem. b. which people can be considered more creative in ability to solve problems. c. how to develop computer programs that best mimic human problem solving. d. how a person's expertise increases his or her likelihood of solving a problem, relative to a beginner.

A

The elements of the problem space include all of the following EXCEPT a. operators. b. goal state. c. intermediate states. d. initial state.

A

Which of the following is NOT commonly associated with people who are considered highly creative? a. Analysis b. Mindfulness c. Daydreaming d. Solitude

A

A researcher records a brainstorming session in an industrial research and development department rather than in an artificial laboratory setting. Later, she analyzes the recorded discussions, identifying certain problem-solving techniques. This research is an example of_________________ research. a. Think-aloud protocol b. In vivo problem solving c. Situationally produced mental set d. Environmental functional fixedness

B

Actions that take the problem from one state to another are known as a. mental sets. b. operators. c. subgoals. d. intermediate states.

B

Ali works for Citrus Squeeze, a company that makes orange juice. Sales of their calcium-enhanced OJ have been poor, and the product was cancelled. His factory still had three cases of cartons, and Ali was told he could take them if he wanted them. With the cartons, Ali made several birdfeeders for his backyard and also planted tree seedlings in some of them; he used the remaining ones to build a "fort" for his four-year-old son. Ali's use of the cartons represents a. hierarchical organization. b. divergent thinking. c. convergent thinking. d. insight.

B

Holly was in her mother-in-law's kitchen preparing lunch for the family. When she was ready to dish up the soup, she searched all the cupboards and drawers for a ladle but couldn't find one. She decided to wait until her mother-in-law returned to ask her where the ladle was, leaving the soup in the stove pot. Her mother-in-law later explained that the ladle had been broken, so she told Holly to use a coffee mug to "spoon" the soup into bowls. Holly's ability to solve the "dish up the soup" problem was hindered by which of the following obstacles? a. Divergent thinking b. Functional fixedness c. Perseveration d. Discriminability

B

In Kaplan and Simon's experiment, they presented different versions of the mutilated checkerboard problem. Participants in the _________________ group had the fastest response time. a. color b. bread and butter c. black and pink d. blank

B

In the Tower of Hanoi problem, the _________________ state involves having three discs stacked on the left peg, with the middle and right pegs empty. a. intermediate b. initial c. goal d. transitory

B

Subgoals serve a key role in which of the following? a. Creative cognition b. Means-end analysis c. Volitional daydreaming d. Functional fixedness

B

The analogical paradox refers to problem-solving differences between a. experimental groups and control groups. b. laboratory and real-world settings. c. experts and novices. d. well- and ill-defined problems.

B

The circle problem, in which the task is to determine the length of a line inside a circle, was proposed to illustrate a. means-end analysis. b. representation and restructuring. c. how analogies can be used to solve problems. d. the problem space.

B

The water-jug problem demonstrates that one consequence of having a procedure that does provide a solution to a problem is that, if well-learned, it may prevent us from a. understanding why the procedure works successfully. b. seeing more efficient solutions to the problem. c. discriminating between well- and ill-defined problems. d. being able to solve other problems at all.

B

Warmth judgments on nearness to a solution _________________ prior to the solution of an insight problem and _________________prior to the solution of a non-insight problem. a. vary unpredictably; vary unpredictably b. rise suddenly just; gradually rise c. gradually rise; gradually rise d. gradually rise; rise suddenly just

B

Which of the following correctly pairs a problem-solving stage with a process under Basadur's model? a. Problem Formulation: Fact Finding b. Problem Solving: Planning c. Problem Generation: Evaluation and Selection d. Solution Implementation: Idea Finding

B

Which of the following is not true about divergent thinking? a. It is the cornerstone of creativity. b. It has a single correct answer. c. It is open-ended. d. It has a large number of potential solutions.

B

Which of the following provides the best example of functional fixedness? a. Using a tire as a football practice target b. Using a juice glass as a container for orange juice c. Using a pair of pliers as a paperweight d. Using a wine bottle as a vase

B

Which term best describes the task of factoring the equation 9x 2 + 5x - 7 = 4x 2 - 2x + 8? a. Functional b. Analytical c. Divergent d. Analogical

B

Experts _________________ than novices. a. are better at reasoning in general b. spend less time analyzing problems c. are more likely to be open to new ways of looking at problems d. take a more effective approach to organizing the solution to a problem

D

In analogical problem solving, the _________________ problem is the problem that an individual is trying to solve, and the _________________ problem, which has been solved in the past, is used as a guide for reaching that solution. a. prototype; target b. source; target c. exemplar; source d. target; source

D