Chapter 9 Study Questions

What is cognition?

What is problem solving?

What is an algorithm? Why don’t people always use algorithms? What is a heuristic? What is insight? Be able to give and recognize examples of each.

What is a “mental set”? What is “functional fixedness”? Be able to give and recognize examples of each.

When it comes to making judgments and decisions, we often use heuristics. What is availability? What is representativeness? Be able to recognize and provide an example of how each works to affect our decisions.

There are other processes that affect our judgments/decisions. Describe overconfidence, framing, and belief perseverance.

What are syntax and semantics?

What is the “nurture” argument for how language is acquired? Who was a main proponent of this argument? What are the weaknesses with this argument? What is the support for this argument?

What is the “nature” argument for how language is acquired? Who is a main proponent of this argument? What are the support and weaknesses with this argument?

Do animals use language? Be prepared to support your answer (yes or no).

What is Whorf’s idea of “linguistic determinism”? What are some examples of how culture/thought influence language? What about the opposite–how does language affect thought/culture?