Cognition & Intelligence Unit Test
Version A
Advanced Placement Psychology
March 16, 2006
1. A mental grouping of similar objects, events, or people is a(n)
A. algorithm
B. prototype
C. heuristic
D. concept
2. When someone mentions Ivy League colleges, Trisha immediately thinks of Harvard University. In this instance,
Harvard is a
A. fixation
B. belief bias
C. heuristic
D. prototype
3. Jamilla systematically tried each key on her dad’s key ring until she found the one that worked. This illustrates
problem-solving by means of
A. belief perseverance
B. an algorithm
C. the availability heuristic
D. functional fixedness
4. A sudden realization of the solution to a problem is called
A. framing
B. insight
C. a heuristic
D. an algorithm
5. Myra has such a low level of self-esteem that she is always on the lookout for critical comments about her appearance,
personality, and behavior. Her behavior best illustrates the dangers of
A. confirmation bias
B. the framing effect
C. algorithms
D. functional fixedness
6. Ray and Sophie were having a picnic when it started to rain. They did not think of using their plastic tablecloth as a
rain cover and were drenched in minutes. This best illustrates the problem of
A. the availability heuristic
B. confirmation bias
C. functional fixedness
D. overconfidence
7. Many people overestimate how long they actually remain awake during restless nights because their moments of
wakefulness are easier to recall than their moments of sleep. This best illustrates the impact of
A. the representativeness heuristic
B. the availability heuristic
C. functional fixedness
D. overconfidence
8. Although Steve was certain that he answered between 70 and 80 items correctly on his psychology test, he actually
was only right on 60 items. His misjudgment of his test performance illustrates
A. overconfidence
B. confirmation bias
C. belief perseverance
D. the framing effect
9. We often consider illogical conclusions that happen to agree with our personal opinions to be logically valid. This is
known as
A. belief bias
B. using an algorithm
C. framing
D. functional fixedness
10. The most amazing and exciting feature of computer neural networks is their capacity to mimic the human ability to
A. make decisions based on rules
B. learn from experience
C. retrieve information from memory
D. use algorithms to solve problems
11. In the words “lightly,” “neatly,” and “shortly,” the “ly” ending is a(n)
A. prototype
B. phoneme
C. morpheme
D. algorithm
12. A European visitor to the United States asked a taxi driver, “Can you please a ride to the airport me give?” This
visitor has not yet mastered the ___ of the English language.
A. phonemes
B. morphemes
C. syntax
D. semantics
13. According to Chomsky, the fact that young children overgeneralize certain rules of grammatical structure suggests
that
A. language skills are not developed simply through the process of imitation and reinforcement
B. language acquisition does not proceed in an orderly sequence - the sequence varies widely by individual
C. language acquisition develps normally even in the absence of social interaction
D. parents overemphasize correct grammar
14. Lyle’s language does not distinguish between “family love” and “romantic love,” so he has difficulty realizing that he
deeply loves his sister. Which of the following is most relevant to Lyle’s difficulty?
A. the representativeness heuristic
B. the belief perseverance phenomenon
C. functional fixedness
D. Whorf’s linguistic theory
15. To promote efficiency in our thinking, we typically organize concepts into
a. mental sets
b. algorithms
c. neural networks
d. hierarchies
16. Christmas is to holiday as ____ is to _____.
a. category; prototype
b. prototype; category
d. algorithm; heuristic
c. heuristic; algorithm
17. The tendency to search for information consistent with our preconceived ideas is called
a. functional fixedness
b. the availability heuristic
c. confirmation bias
d. overconfidence
18. When given a candle, tacks, and a fox of matches and asked to mount the candle on a wall, people often fail to think
of using the matchbox as a candleholder. This best illustrates
a. functional fixedness
b. overconfidence
c. confirmation bias
d. the availability heuristic
19. The tendency to estimate that the letter “k” appears more often as the first letter of words than as the third letter
best illustrates our use of
a. the availability heuristic
b. the representativeness heuristic
c. prototypes
d. algorithms
20. A woman decides to abort her baby because she is told that there is a 50% chance that the child will be abnormal.
However, if she had been told that she had a 50% chance of having a healthy baby, her decision may have been different.
This best illustrates
a. functional fixedness
b. the framing effect
c. belief perseverance
d. confirmation bias
21. A computer program that employs heuristics to correctly solve a crossword puzzle illustrates an application of
a. the framing effect
b. functional fixedness c. parallel processing
d. artificial intelligence
22. Morphemes are
a. the orderly arrangement of words into grammatically sensible sentences
b. the smallest distinctive sound units of a language
c. rules for combining words into grammatically correct sentences
d. the smallest units of speech that carry meaning
23. Word meaning is to word order as ______ is to ______.
a. semantics; syntax
b. syntax; semantics
c. phoneme; morpheme
d. morpheme; phoneme
24. Two-year-old Johnny’s sentences – “Dad come,” “Mom laugh,” and “Doggie gone” – are examples of
a. babbling
b. artificial intelligence
c. telegraphic speech
d. universal grammar
25. Intelligence tests were initially designed by Binet and Simon to assess
A. academic aptitude
B. intellectual creativity
C. heritability
D. savant syndrome
26. The original IQ formula would be least appropriate for representing the intelligence test performance of
A. kindergartners
B. elementary school students
C. high school students
D. college students
27. Psychologists make use of factor analysis to determine whether
A. intelligence is determined primarily by heredity or by experience
B. intelligence is a single trait or a collection of distinct abilities
C. intelligence scores remain stable over the life span.
D. differences in intellectual ability exist between groups of individuals.
28. Psychological tests show that 18-year-old John has an intelligence score of 65. Nevertheless, John can accurately tell
the day of the week on which Christmas falls for any year in the next 200 years. I assume that
A. the intelligence test that John took has no reliability
B. intelligence tests usually measure verbal skills well but do not measure mathematical intelligence
C. John is a person with savant syndrome
D. John is suffering from Down syndrome.
29. Theresa, a high school English teacher, wants to encourage creativity in her writing-class students. Which of the
following is most likely to foster creativity?
A. “A well-known author will read this essay.”
B. “Many of the best jobs demand good writing skills.”
C. “You will achieve new insights through writing.”
D. “Admission to the best colleges demand creative ability.”
30. Tests designed to assess what a person has learned are called _____ tests.
A. ability
B. aptitude
C. standardized
D. achievement
31. The bell-shaped curve that characterizes a large sample of intelligence scores is a graphic representation of
A. factor analysis
B. a normal distribution of scores
C. g factor
D. heritability
32. The Flynn effect best illustrates that the process of intelligence testing requires up-to-date
A. factor analysis
B. standardization samples
C. reliability analysis
D. heritability estimates
33. Researchers assess the correlation between alternate forms of the same test in order to measure the ____ of the test.
A. content validity
B. predictive validity
C. standardization
D. reliability
34. After learning of his low score on the WAIS, Gregg complained, “I don’t believe that test measures intelligence at
all.” Gregg’s statement is equivalent to saying that the WAIS lacks
A. standardization
B. reliability
C. validity
D. a normal distribution of scores
35. A condition involving mental retardation caused by an extra chromosome in one’s genetic makeup is known as
A. the Flynn effect
B. emotional intelligence
C. Down syndrome
D. savant syndrome
36. If the heritability of intelligence within both group A and group B is 100% and their environments are the same,
differences in average intelligence between these groups result from
A. totally from environmental variables
B. totally from genetic differences
C. partially from environmental differences, partially from genetic differences
D. none of these are true
37. Recent studies have found a NEGATIVE correlation between intelligence and the brain's:
a. neural processing speed.
b. rate of glucose consumption.
c. overall weight.
d. production of certain neurotransmitters.
38. In defining intelligence as goal-directed adaptive behavior, most psychologists are referring to the capacity to:
a. apply genetically determined skills.
B. learn from experience
c. score well on an IQ test, even if it is not culture-free.
D. avoid the availability heuristic.
39. Sam boasts to his friends that he has an IQ of 150 rather than that he obtained a score of 150 on an IQ test. Sam is
committing the error known as:
a. reification.
B. eugenics.
C. the Flynn effect.
D. the nominal fallacy.
40. Achievement tests are to aptitude tests as _____ is to _____.
a. past competence; current interests
b. past competence; current interests
c. current competence; future performance
d. future performance; current competence
41. Binet’s term “mental age” refers to
a. the average age of children who completed a certain grade in school.
b. the years of education completed by a child.
c. the number of items answered correctly on an IQ test divided by the test-taker’s age
d. the chronological age that corresponds to a given level of intelligence-test performance
42. A 6-year-old who responded to the original Stanford-Binet with a score typical of an average 8-year-old was said to
have an IQ of
a. 85
b. 115
c. 125
d. 133
e. 150
43. A statistical procedure that identifies clusters of test items that seem to tap a common ability is called
a. correlational measurement
b. standardization
c. reliability assessment d. factor analysis
44. Phrenologist Franz Gall suspected that intelligence differences among humans might result from differences in
a. language systems
b. brain structures
c. education
d. neural processing speed
45. The AP Psychology exam would be an example of a(n) ___________test.
a. aptitude
b. achievement
c. intelligence
d. factor analysis
46. When we use Hispanic to refer to a category of people, we are using this word as a(n)
A. concept
B. heuristic
C. algorithm
D. prototype
47. Christmas is to holiday as _______ is to _________.
A. category; prototype
B. prototype; category
C. heuristic; algorithm
D. algorithm; heuristic
48. In trying to solve a complicated problem quickly, we are most likely to rely on
A. fixations
B. heuristics
C. phonemes
D. algorithms
49. Brainstorming sessions that encourage people to spontaneously suggest new and unusual solutions to a problem are
designed to avoid
A. fixations
B. morphemes
C. semantics
D. phonemes
50. Jerry believes that his 4-year-old grandson is hyperactive because the boy’s constant movement resembles Jerome’s
conception of hyperactivity. Jerome’s thinking best illustrates
A. belief perseverance
B. the availability heuristic
C. the representativeness heuristic
D. framing
51. Many people believe that carjackings are more serious threats to their lives than failing to wear seatbelts because
carjackings are so much more memorable. This best illustrates the importance of
A. belief perseverance
B. the availability heuristic
C. the representativeness heuristic
D. framing
52. People who are told that a chemical is projected to kill 10 out of every 10 million people feel more frightened than if
told the fatality risk is .000001. This best illustrates the importance of
A. belief perseverance
B. the availability heuristic
C. the representativeness heuristic
D. framing
53. Despite overwhelming evidence that Bill Campbell is guilty of corruption, people who have supported him in the past
continue to be convinced of his political integrity. Their reaction best illustrates
A. functional fixedness
B. concept formation
C. belief perseverance
D. framing
54. When Fred pronounced the words “this” and “that,” he noticed that they share a common
A. prototype
B. phoneme
C. morpheme
D. algorithm
55. When her teacher mentioned the arms race, Krista understood that the word “arms” referred to weapons and not to
body parts. Her correct interpretation best illustrates the importance of
A. semantics
B. phonemes
C. syntax
D. morphemes
56. During the earliest stage of speech development, infants
A. speak in single words that may be barely recognizable
B. begin to imitate adult syntax
C. make speech sounds only if their hearing is normal
D. make some speech sounds that do not occur in their native language
57. Research suggests that humans can most easily master the grammar of a second language during
A. childhood
B. adolescence
C. early adulthood
D. late adulthood
58. A mental grouping of similar objects, events, or people is a(n)
a. algorithm
b. prototype
c. heuristic
d. concept
59. A best example (one of a category of objects, events, or people is called a(n)
a. algorithm
b. concept
c. prototype
d. heuristic
60. A sudden realization of the solution to a problem is called
a. framing
b. insight
c. a heuristic
d. belief perseverance
e. an algorithm
61. A mental set is a
a. methodical step-by-step procedure for solving problems
b. mental grouping of similar objects, events, or people
c. tendency to approach a problem in a way that has been successful in the past
d. group of conclusions derived from certain assumptions or general principles
62. Judging the likelihood that things fall into a certain category on the basis of how well they seem to match our image
of that category refers to the use of the
a. framing effect
b. availability heuristic
c. belief perseverance phenomenon
d. representativeness heuristic
63. The human tendency toward intellectual arrogance is best demonstrated by
a. overconfidence
b. belief perseverance
c. the framing effect
d. functional fixedness
64. Despite evidence that O. J. Simpson committed murder, many people steadfastly proclaimed his innocence. Their
reaction best illustrates
a. belief perseverance
b. functional fixedness
c. the availability heuristic
d. the framing effect
65. Phonemes are
a. the orderly arrangement of words into grammatically sensible sentences
b. the smallest distinctive sound units of a language
c. rules for combining words into grammatically correct sentences
d. the smallest units of speech that carry meaning
66. Syntax refers to
a. the orderly arrangement of words into grammatically sensible sentences
b. the smallest distinctive sound units of a language
c. the overall structure of the English language
d. the smallest units of speech that carry meaning
67. The spontaneous utterance of a variety of sounds by infants is called
a. universal grammar
b. babbling
c. telegraphic speech
d. semantics
68. Research on language capabilities of apes indicates that they CANNOT
a. translate spoken words into signs
b. grammatically order language symbols as well as a 3-year-old
c. use signs to communicate with other apes
d. acquire a vocabulary of more than 24 signs
69. Intelligence tests have traditionally been designed to measure
A. social aptitude
B. moral achievement
C. cognitive aptitude
D. all of these
70. Those who score above average on tests of mathematical aptitude are also likely to score above average on tests of
verbal ability. According to Spearman, this best illustrates the importance of
A. predictive validity
B. reliability
C. heritability
D. the g factor
71. Marcie has just taken a test of her capacity to learn to be a computer programmer. This is an _____ test.
A. applied intelligence
B. achievement
C. interest
D. aptitude
72. When a person’s test performance can be compared with that of a representative pretested group, the test is
A. reliable
B. standardized
C. valid
D. criterion-referenced
73. About ____ percent of WAIS scores fall between 70 and 130.
A. 30
B. 50
C. 70
D. 95
E. 99
74. The Flynn effect most likely results from
A. increased level of education and improved health of North Americans
B. standardization of intelligence tests on international rather than national population samples.
C. increase in racial diversity of the North American population
D. introduction of easier test questions in newer versions of intelligence tests.
75. Dr. Gladstone has administered her 100-item test of reasoning to a large sample of college students. She is presently
comparing their scores on the odd-numbered questions with those on the even-numbered questions in an effort to
A. determine the test’s validity
B. determine the test’s reliability
C. standardize the test
D. do a factor analysis on the test questions
76. College grades or college success would be the major criterion for the
A. WISC
B. SAT
C. Stanford-Binet
D. MMPI
77. Terman observed (through his longitudinal study) that children with IQ scores over 135 are likely to be
A. athletically uncoordinated
B. academically successful
C. socially isolated
D. all of these
78. On which of the following tasks are males most likely to outperform females?
A. speed-reading
B. interpreting literature
C. learning a foreign language
D. solving a Rubik’s cube
79. The Flynn effect refers to:
a. the increasing academic diversity of students who take college aptitude tests.
b. the widespread increase in intelligence test performance during this century.
c. the decreasing reliance on a single test score as an index of mental aptitude.
d. historical shifts in the shape of the normal distribution of intelligence.
80. Six-year-old Elyse performs on the original Stanford-Binet intelligence test at a level characteristic of an average 9year-old. Elyse's IQ is:
a. 96.
b. 100.
c. 125.
d. 133
e. 150
81. Jackson has difficulty controlling his impulses and delaying immediate pleasures in the pursuit of long-term goals.
Jackson would probably not score very high on a test of:
a. general intelligence..
b. practical intelligence.
C. factor analysis
d. emotional intelligence
82. The English scientist who was one of the first to attempt to assess intelligence by measuring reaction time, body
proportions, and muscular strength was:
a. Lewis Terman.
B. Francis Galton.
C. David Wechsler.
D. Alfred Binet.
83. Before giving the SAT to all high school seniors planning to attend college, the test developers gave the test to a
representative sample of students. Their concern was most directly related to the issue of the test's:
A. standardization.
B. predictive validity.
C. content validity.
D. criterion.
84. The French government had Binet develop an intelligence test that would
a. demonstrate the intellectual superiority of the French
b. distinguish between practical and creative intelligence
c. provide a measure of teaching effectiveness in public schools
d. reduce the need to rely on teachers’ subjective evaluation of students’ learning potential
85. Terman’s widely used American revision of Binet’s original intelligence test was the
a. WISC
b. WAIS
c. Stanford-Binet
d. SAT
86. To say that the heritability of a trait is approximately 50% means that
A. genes are responsible for 50% of the trait in that individual, and environment is responsible for the rest
B. the trait’s appearance in a person will reflect approximately equal genetic contributions from both parents
C. of the variation in the trait within a group of people, 50% can be attributed to heredity
D. none of these are true
87. Jack takes the same test of mechanical reasoning in January, June, and November and gets virtually identical
scores. This suggests that the test has
A. content validity
B. reliability
C. predictive validity
D. been standardized
88. Boris the chess master selects his next move by considering moves that would threaten his opponent’s queen. Bobo
the chess-playing computer considers all possible moves before deciding on his. Boris is using ___ while Bobo uses ___.
a. algorithms; heuristics
B. heuristic; algorithm
C. mental set; prototype
D. prototype; mental set
89. Your stand on the issue of stem-cell research is based solely on a story you saw on 20/20. In this case, one memorable
show made more of an impact than anything else, thus illustrating the importance of
A. the availability heuristic
B. the representativeness heuristic
C. belief bias
D. confirmation bias
90. WAIS is to WISC as _________ is to __________.
a. intelligence; creativity
b. aptitude; achievement
c. verbal; math
d. adult; child