Question 1

According to Noam Chomsky, what is the primary reason children can produce novel sentences they have never heard before?

Accepted Answer

Children possess an innate language acquisition device that allows them to analyze and generate sentences using abstract rules.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes 'functional fixedness' as demonstrated in problem-solving tasks?

Accepted Answer

The tendency to use objects only in the way they are typically used, limiting creative solutions.

Question 3

In the 'Tumor Problem,' what solution is most effective for destroying the tumor without harming healthy tissue, based on the analogy with the 'General and Fortress' problem?

Accepted Answer

Send multiple low-intensity rays from different directions so they converge on the tumor, destroying it while sparing healthy tissue.

Question 4

What is the main difference between phonemes and morphemes in language?

Accepted Answer

Phonemes are the smallest distinctive sound units, while morphemes are the smallest language units carrying meaning.

Question 5

Which concept explains why children may call all four-legged animals 'doggie' after learning the word 'doggie'?

Accepted Answer

Overextension

Question 6

What does the Stroop effect demonstrate about language processing?

Accepted Answer

Automaticity in language can interfere with selective attention and inhibition.

Question 7

Why do infants lose their ability to distinguish speech sounds from all languages by about 10 months of age?

Accepted Answer

They begin to focus on the sounds relevant to their native language.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

Using a mental shortcut to quickly estimate the answer to a complex problem.

Question 9

What is 'fast mapping' in the context of language acquisition?

Accepted Answer

The ability of children to rapidly link new words to concepts after minimal exposure.

Question 10

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of 'mutual exclusivity' in children's word learning?

Accepted Answer

A child refuses to accept that a new word refers to an object they already know by another name.

Question 11

Why is teaching human language to animals, such as chimpanzees and bonobos, generally unsuccessful beyond a certain level?

Accepted Answer

Animals can learn symbols and basic communication, but cannot master complex syntactic rules or generativity.

Question 12

What does the 'critical period' hypothesis suggest about language acquisition?

Accepted Answer

There is an optimal window in early life during which language acquisition occurs most easily.

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of 'overregularization' in children's language development?

Accepted Answer

A child says 'goed' instead of 'went' after learning the rule for past tense.

Question 14

In the context of problem solving, what is a 'mental set'?

Accepted Answer

A tendency to approach problems using a strategy that has worked in the past.

Question 15

Which experimental finding supports the idea that analogies can improve problem-solving performance?

Accepted Answer

Participants solved the tumor problem more often when given a related analogy (the fortress problem) as a hint.

Question 16

What is the main implication of the Sam Stone Study regarding children's eyewitness testimony?

Accepted Answer

Children's memories can be influenced by suggestive or leading questions, resulting in inaccurate testimony.

Question 17

Which of the following best describes the difference between surface structure and deep structure in language, according to Chomsky?

Accepted Answer

Surface structure is the actual word order of a sentence, while deep structure is the underlying meaning.

Question 18

Which of the following statements about babbling in infants is supported by research?

Accepted Answer

Babbling occurs in both hearing and deaf infants, but deaf infants babble with their hands using sign language.

Question 19

Which constraint on word meanings helps children avoid assigning a new word to an object they already know by another name?

Accepted Answer

Mutual exclusivity

Thinking, Reasoning, and Language: Chapter 8 Study Notes

Study Guide - Practice Questions

Study Guide - Flashcards