Psych Unit 6 Review: Cognitive Psychology

The representative heuristic is demonstrated when:

• You assume a Little League player is male because of gender stereotypes

• You refuse to change your mind despite contradictory evidence

• You only seek information that supports your beliefs

• You make decisions based on the most easily available information

Belief perseverance is shown when:

• Students continue to believe a class is easy despite failing grades

• A person overestimates their ability to predict the future

• A person only remembers information that supports their beliefs

• A person refuses to consider new ways to solve a problem

A prototype helps explain why:

• People are more likely to picture a Golden Retriever when thinking of a dog

• People continue to hold false beliefs despite evidence

• People have difficulty solving new types of problems

• People make decisions based on how easily examples come to mind

The availability heuristic is used when:

• Someone avoids traveling to Belize after reading a crime report

• Someone follows step-by-step directions to find an item

• Someone assumes a person wearing glasses is intelligent

• Someone continues believing a myth despite evidence

An algorithm is used when...

• Google develops a search engine based on multiple factors rather than popularity

• A person avoids a product because they saw a bad review

• A person makes a quick decision based on a stereotype

• A person learns through sudden insight rather than trial and error

People believe shark attacks are deadlier than falling airplane parts because:

• The vivid imagery of shark attacks sticks in our minds

• Sharks are more aggressive than airplanes

• News reports focus more on airplane accidents

• Information is more reliable when it comes from experts

B.F. Skinner’s theory of language acquisition is supported by:

• The fact that young children speak with accents similar to their parents

• The idea that all humans have an innate ability to learn language

• The idea that different languages shape how we think

• The belief that language is unrelated to behavior

The critical period hypothesis supports:

• The nature side of the nature vs. nurture debate

• The nurture side of the nature vs. nurture debate

• Both nature and nurture equally

• Neither nature nor nurture

Struggles with syntax are evident when:

• A European visitor says, “Can you please ride to the airport me give?”

• A child incorrectly applies past learning to a new situation

• A person refuses to see alternative uses for an object

• Someone makes a decision based on past experiences

The framing effect is demonstrated when:

• A political ad describes tax increases as “investing in the future”

• A person dismisses scientific evidence that contradicts their beliefs

• A person sticks to their beliefs despite contradictory evidence

• A child applies an old solution to a new problem