Thinking and Problem-Solving Strategies: Cognitive Psychology MCQ

Questions (30)

1. What is the first step in the problem-solving process?

   • a) Evaluating solutions
   • b) Identifying the problem
   • c) Implementing the solution
   • d) Defining the goal
   View Answer

   Correct Identifying the problem

2. Which of the following is an example of a heuristic in problem-solving?

   • a) A step-by-step algorithm
   • b) A mental shortcut for quick decisions
   • c) Conducting a comprehensive analysis
   • d) Calculating exact probabilities
   View Answer

   Correct A mental shortcut for quick decisions

3. What does the term "functional fixedness" refer to in cognitive psychology?

   • a) The inability to consider new uses for familiar objects
   • b) The tendency to rely on past experiences
   • c) The process of breaking down a problem into smaller parts
   • d) The use of intuition over logic
   View Answer

   Correct The inability to consider new uses for familiar objects

4. What is the primary goal of brainstorming in problem-solving?

   • a) To eliminate all incorrect options
   • b) To generate a variety of potential solutions
   • c) To apply logical reasoning
   • d) To focus only on practical solutions
   View Answer

   Correct To generate a variety of potential solutions

5. Which type of reasoning involves drawing specific conclusions from general principles?

   • a) Inductive reasoning
   • b) Deductive reasoning
   • c) Analogical reasoning
   • d) Divergent reasoning
   View Answer

   Correct Deductive reasoning

6. What is the "availability heuristic"?

   • a) Judging the likelihood of events based on how easily they come to mind
   • b) Using past experiences to solve current problems
   • c) Assessing probabilities through logical analysis
   • d) Comparing current problems to similar past scenarios
   View Answer

   Correct Judging the likelihood of events based on how easily they come to mind

7. What does "cognitive restructuring" involve in problem-solving?

   • a) Breaking down a complex problem into manageable parts
   • b) Reframing the problem to view it from a new perspective
   • c) Applying learned strategies to new problems
   • d) Eliminating unnecessary information
   View Answer

   Correct Reframing the problem to view it from a new perspective

8. What is the purpose of analogical reasoning?

   • a) To identify similarities between two situations and apply knowledge from one to the other
   • b) To create entirely new solutions
   • c) To evaluate all possible solutions systematically
   • d) To calculate probabilities based on data
   View Answer

   Correct To identify similarities between two situations and apply knowledge from one to the other

9. The "mental set" in problem-solving refers to:

   • a) A predisposition to approach problems in a particular way
   • b) The ability to think creatively
   • c) The process of eliminating incorrect solutions
   • d) The focus on emotional responses during problem-solving
   View Answer

   Correct A predisposition to approach problems in a particular way

10. What is the role of "working memory" in problem-solving?

    • a) Storing solutions permanently
    • b) Holding and manipulating information while solving problems
    • c) Retrieving past knowledge for application
    • d) Filtering irrelevant information
    View Answer

    Correct Holding and manipulating information while solving problems

11. Which term refers to breaking down a problem into smaller= more manageable parts?

    • a) Chunking
    • b) Subgoal analysis
    • c) Cognitive mapping
    • d) Heuristics
    View Answer

    Correct Subgoal analysis

12. What is the primary limitation of the "representativeness heuristic"?

    • a) It often ignores statistical probabilities
    • b) It focuses too heavily on past experiences
    • c) It requires detailed analysis
    • d) It eliminates creative solutions
    View Answer

    Correct It often ignores statistical probabilities

13. Which problem-solving strategy involves starting with the desired outcome and working backward?

    • a) Means-end analysis
    • b) Reverse engineering
    • c) Analogical reasoning
    • d) Deductive reasoning
    View Answer

    Correct Reverse engineering

14. What is the primary advantage of using heuristics?

    • a) They guarantee accurate solutions
    • b) They speed up decision-making processes
    • c) They prevent cognitive biases
    • d) They rely on mathematical probabilities
    View Answer

    Correct They speed up decision-making processes

15. What does "confirmation bias" involve in thinking?

    • a) Seeking information that supports pre-existing beliefs
    • b) Ignoring information that contradicts prior knowledge
    • c) Both A and B
    • d) Evaluating all evidence equally
    View Answer

    Correct Both A and B

16. The "Tower of Hanoi" puzzle is commonly used to study:

    • a) Deductive reasoning
    • b) Planning and problem-solving strategies
    • c) Memory recall
    • d) Emotional intelligence
    View Answer

    Correct Planning and problem-solving strategies

17. Which of the following is a characteristic of "creative problem-solving"?

    • a) Using a fixed set of rules
    • b) Applying conventional methods only
    • c) Generating novel and original solutions
    • d) Relying on past experiences
    View Answer

    Correct Generating novel and original solutions

18. What is the "anchoring effect" in decision-making?

    • a) Making decisions based solely on available information
    • b) Overestimating the importance of the first piece of information received
    • c) Relying on intuition rather than logic
    • d) Making decisions based on emotions
    View Answer

    Correct Overestimating the importance of the first piece of information received

19. What does "metacognition" refer to in problem-solving?

    • a) The process of memorizing information
    • b) Thinking about one's own thinking and problem-solving strategies
    • c) Relying on external help to solve problems
    • d) Using trial-and-error to find solutions
    View Answer

    Correct Thinking about one's own thinking and problem-solving strategies

20. The "law of small numbers" refers to:

    • a) Believing that small samples represent the entire population
    • b) Overgeneralizing from large amounts of data
    • c) Drawing conclusions based on limited data
    • d) Using large samples to ensure accurate results
    View Answer

    Correct Drawing conclusions based on limited data

21. What does "overconfidence bias" result in?

    • a) Underestimating the difficulty of a problem
    • b) Accurate and well-supported decisions
    • c) A higher level of problem-solving ability
    • d) A tendency to take excessive risks based on perceived knowledge
    View Answer

    Correct A tendency to take excessive risks based on perceived knowledge

22. Which cognitive strategy is most likely to be used when faced with a well-defined problem?

    • a) Trial and error
    • b) Algorithmic thinking
    • c) Heuristics
    • d) Insight
    View Answer

    Correct Algorithmic thinking

23. What is "hindsight bias"?

    • a) The tendency to think an event was predictable after it has occurred
    • b) The tendency to ignore past experiences
    • c) The ability to predict future outcomes accurately
    • d) The inclination to rely solely on statistical evidence
    View Answer

    Correct The tendency to think an event was predictable after it has occurred

24. What does "the framing effect" refer to?

    • a) Making decisions based on how information is presented
    • b) The impact of previous decisions on future choices
    • c) The ability to find solutions despite limited information
    • d) Relying on intuition to make choices
    View Answer

    Correct Making decisions based on how information is presented

25. What does "confirmation bias" lead to?

    • a) Seeking evidence that supports existing beliefs
    • b) Avoiding external influences when making decisions
    • c) Open-mindedness in evaluating contradictory evidence
    • d) Making well-reasoned decisions based on facts
    View Answer

    Correct Seeking evidence that supports existing beliefs

26. Which cognitive process is used to find patterns in complex data?

    • a) Insight
    • b) Problem-solving by analogy
    • c) Inductive reasoning
    • d) Deductive reasoning
    View Answer

    Correct Inductive reasoning

27. "Cognitive load" refers to:

    • a) The amount of information that can be processed at one time
    • b) The difficulty of a problem
    • c) The time taken to solve a problem
    • d) The emotional state of the decision-maker
    View Answer

    Correct The amount of information that can be processed at one time

28. The "gambler's fallacy" is based on the incorrect assumption that:

    • a) Past outcomes influence future ones in random events
    • b) Probability can be calculated using logic
    • c) Each event in a sequence is independent
    • d) The odds of an event remain constant
    View Answer

    Correct Past outcomes influence future ones in random events

29. What is "cognitive dissonance"?

    • a) The discomfort caused by holding conflicting beliefs or attitudes
    • b) The ability to think logically without biases
    • c) The process of making decisions based on reasoned analysis
    • d) The tendency to change one's beliefs in response to external pressure
    View Answer

    Correct The discomfort caused by holding conflicting beliefs or attitudes

30. The "availability heuristic" is best described as:

    • a) Making judgments based on the ease with which examples come to mind
    • b) Relying on statistical evidence to make decisions
    • c) Using logic to weigh all possible outcomes
    • d) A decision-making process based on prior knowledge
    View Answer

    Correct Making judgments based on the ease with which examples come to mind