Cognitive Processes and Decision Making Quiz

Which term fits best with the following definition- a set of cognitive processes that help manage and coordinate our thoughts and actions and achieve goal-directed behavior.

• Cognitive set

• Functional fixedness

• Executive Functions

• Framing

Which of the following is an example of accommodation?

• Changing a schema to fit new information

• Ignoring new facts that are not understood

• Memorizing a new phone number

• Recalling a previous experience

Which of the following is an example of a prototype?

• A specific cat you once saw

• The mental image of a perfect chair

• The first word in a dictionary

• A random number

Which of the following best describes gambler's fallacy?

• The belief that everyone else is unlucky but not you

• The persistence of belief that the individual knows something that others don’t

• A belief that a person’s luck is contagious

• The belief that random events are influenced by previous events

Describe a mental set.

• The tendency to approach problems using a mindset that worked before

• A new way of thinking about problems

• A flexible approach to different situations

• An emotional response to challenges

Which best describes the sunk-cost fallacy?

• Continuing a task because of past investments rather than future benefits

• Rejecting a project due to initial failure

• Making decisions based on emotions rather than logic

• Ignoring past mistakes and focusing on future outcomes

Which best describes the process of making cookies by following a recipe?

• Algorithmic thinking

• Representativeness Heuristic

• Availability Heuristic

• Divergent thinking

Maria needed to open the back of a toy to replace its batteries, however, the toy required a screwdriver to open it and Maria could not find one. After spending 20 minutes looking for a screwdriver, she yelled at her sister and asked her if she knew where the screwdriver was. After taking a quick look at the toy, Maria’s sister grabbed a butter knife and used it to open the back of the toy. Which is most true of Maria’s sister?

• She is more intelligent than Maria

• She has a higher degree of functional fixedness than Maria

• She has a lower degree of functional fixedness than Maria

• Maria just needed a new perspective to open the toy

Define priming and give an example.

• Activation of certain associations; seeing the word "yellow" and thinking of a banana

• Forgetting previous memories; not recalling a past event

• Emotional response to stimuli; feeling happy when hearing music

• Memorizing information quickly; learning a new language

Which of the following is an example of functional fixedness?

• Using a paperclip as a makeshift zipper pull

• Only seeing a hammer as a tool for nails

• Solving a math problem in a new way

• Using a smartphone for multiple functions