7.1-7.3

Pablo vainly searches for a screwdriver while failing to recognize that a readily available coin in his pocket would turn the screw. His oversight best illustrates: 

• functional fixedness.
• the availability heuristic.
• belief perseverance.
• the representativeness heuristic.

A defense attorney emphasizes to a jury that her client works full-time, supports his family, and enjoys leisure-time hobbies. Although none of this information is relevant to the trial, it is designed to make the defendant appear to be a typical member of the local community. The lawyer is most clearly attempting to take advantage 

• confirmation bias.
• functional fixedness.
• belief perseverance.
• the representativeness heuristic.

Which of the following is TRUE?

• People underestimate the accuracy of their judgments.
• People pay closest attention to information that disconfirms what they believe.
• It is difficult for most people to explain away their failures.
• People are overconfident about how they will perform on various tasks.

Advertisers know that a thirty-three percent discount sounds like a better deal than a discount of one third.  This best illustrates:

• framing.
• belief bias.
• representativeness heuristics.
• confirmation bias.

Maintaining one's conceptions even after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited is known as: 

• the representativeness heuristic.
• belief perseverance.
• confirmation bias.
• functional fixedness.

Problem solving is one type of cognitive activity in which we all engage.  Which of the following cognitive tendencies is seen to be an obstacle to problem solving?

• availability heuristic
• insight
• prototype confusion
• confirmation bias

Mary believes that she is an excellent math student. In fact, her favorite unit is statistics. However, when she is asked to critically evaluate the data of a experiment in psychology class, she does not know how to do it. How does the Dual Process model explain this?

• She has developed the System 2 thinking necessary for math class, but not for psychology class.

• Her knowledge from mathematics is interfering with her knowledge in psychology.

• She is not able to transfer her understanding in mathematics to a new context (situation). So, her approach to solving the problem shows System 1 thinking.

• Mary's self-esteem in psychology class is interfering with her ability to solve the problem. It has nothing to do with System 1 and System 2 thinking.

Which of the following statements is true about thinking, decision making and problem solving?

• Decision making is a part of problem solving - and both decision making and problem solving are examples of thinking.

• Decision making is an aspect of thinking - but not part of problem solving.

• Problem solving is a part of decision making - but only decision making is a true example of thinking.

• Thinking, decision making and problem solving are three distinct cognitive processes with no overlap in what they do.

If I meet two students from your school and they are brilliant psychology students, I may then conclude that your school must have an amazing psychology program. This conclusion follows a simple “rule of thumb” or a mental short-cut called a

• stereotype

• participant bias

• matching bias

• heuristic