Question 1

Concerning ambiguous sentences, which of the following statements is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

A)  Ambiguity in sentences is common. 
B)  Even short sentences may be ambiguous. 
C)  Ambiguity may occur at either a structural or a semantic level. 
D)  Only lengthy sentences are ambiguous. 
A)  Ambiguity in sentences is common. 
B)  Even short sentences may be ambiguous. 
C)  Ambiguity may occur at either a structural or a semantic level. 
D)  Only lengthy sentences are ambiguous.

Question 2

Hal is participating in psychological research. He sees sentences such as "A tomato is a bird" on the computer screen and must decide if each is true or false. The research is most likely investigating __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  the comprehension of propositions 
B)  garden path sentences 
C)  the prototype theory of word meaning 
D)  the definitional theory of word meaning 
A)  the comprehension of propositions 
B)  garden path sentences 
C)  the prototype theory of word meaning 
D)  the definitional theory of word meaning

Question 3

Which of the following is probably the prototype for the concept "fruit"?

Accepted Answer

A)  orange 
B)  lemon 
C)  blueberry 
D)  olive 
A)  orange 
B)  lemon 
C)  blueberry 
D)  olive

Question 4

Which structure reflects a passive sentence?

Accepted Answer

A)  a sentence in which the function morphemes are absent 
B)  a sentence in which two or more propositions are present 
C)  a sentence in which the done-to is mentioned before the doer 
D)  a sentence in which the doer is mentioned before the done-to 
A)  a sentence in which the function morphemes are absent 
B)  a sentence in which two or more propositions are present 
C)  a sentence in which the done-to is mentioned before the doer 
D)  a sentence in which the doer is mentioned before the done-to

Question 5

Your text describes a study in which Korean, Japanese, and English speakers viewed two pictures. The first picture showed various objects. In the second picture, spatial relationships among the objects were either preserved or changed. The researcher recorded whether or not participants noticed the change. Whether the spatial relationships among the objects were preserved or changed is the __________ variable in this study.

Accepted Answer

A)  control 
B)  dependent 
C)  independent. 
D)  experimental 
A)  control 
B)  dependent 
C)  independent. 
D)  experimental

Question 6

Which of the following methods would be the best way of determining whether an infant understands the syntactical inference of the sentence "Maria pats Grover"?

Accepted Answer

A)  Ask the infant, "Who pats whom?" 
B)  Reinforce looking at Maria when the above sentence is presented and reinforce looking at Grover when the sentence "Grover pats Maria" is presented. 
C)  Use a selective looking experiment to determine whether the infant prefers to look at a video screen that shows events matching the verbal statement. 
D)  Compare the infant's response to 'Maria pats Grover" to her response to "Grover is patted by Maria." 
A)  Ask the infant, "Who pats whom?" 
B)  Reinforce looking at Maria when the above sentence is presented and reinforce looking at Grover when the sentence "Grover pats Maria" is presented. 
C)  Use a selective looking experiment to determine whether the infant prefers to look at a video screen that shows events matching the verbal statement. 
D)  Compare the infant's response to 'Maria pats Grover" to her response to "Grover is patted by Maria."

Question 7

Japanese adults can have difficulty distinguishing between "la" and "ra." In tests of Japanese infants, research has shown that __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  they can't distinguish between "la" and "ra" either 
B)  they do detect the transition between "la" and "ra," and just as easily as do American babies 
C)  they do detect the transition between "la" and "ra," but not as easily as do American babies 
D)  they can't distinguish between two sets of "k" sounds, but they do distinguish between "la" and "ra" 
A)  they can't distinguish between "la" and "ra" either 
B)  they do detect the transition between "la" and "ra," and just as easily as do American babies 
C)  they do detect the transition between "la" and "ra," but not as easily as do American babies 
D)  they can't distinguish between two sets of "k" sounds, but they do distinguish between "la" and "ra"

Question 8

What does research on language acquisition in deaf individuals indicate?

Accepted Answer

A)  No system of functional communication can be developed in the absence of auditory stimuli. 
B)  Sign language is unlike spoken language because it has few morphemes and it lacks syntactical structure. 
C)  Similar developmental stages exist for the acquisition of sign language in deaf children and spoken language in hearing children. 
D)  Sign language only permits very primitive and basic communication between individuals. 
A)  No system of functional communication can be developed in the absence of auditory stimuli. 
B)  Sign language is unlike spoken language because it has few morphemes and it lacks syntactical structure. 
C)  Similar developmental stages exist for the acquisition of sign language in deaf children and spoken language in hearing children. 
D)  Sign language only permits very primitive and basic communication between individuals.

Question 9

Which of the following statements is most reasonable regarding the relationship between language and thought?

Accepted Answer

A)  Language determines the types of thoughts it is possible to have. 
B)  Language has strong, long-lasting effects on thinking. 
C)  Language has brief, momentary effects on our thinking. 
D)  Language has no effects on our thinking. 
A)  Language determines the types of thoughts it is possible to have. 
B)  Language has strong, long-lasting effects on thinking. 
C)  Language has brief, momentary effects on our thinking. 
D)  Language has no effects on our thinking.

Question 10

What is demonstrated by studies of deaf children who have hearing parents but who are not taught ASL?

Accepted Answer

A)  Auditory contact with others must occur for language skills to develop properly. 
B)  The need to communicate and to organize one's thoughts is a basic property of human minds. 
C)  Without models, children will not exhibit even the basics of language. 
D)  Without learning ASL, deaf children will not use their hands to gesture, but they will learn to read lips. 
A)  Auditory contact with others must occur for language skills to develop properly. 
B)  The need to communicate and to organize one's thoughts is a basic property of human minds. 
C)  Without models, children will not exhibit even the basics of language. 
D)  Without learning ASL, deaf children will not use their hands to gesture, but they will learn to read lips.

Question 11

Spoken utterances of garden path sentences such as "The cabin struck by the tree fell" are less likely to result in confusion than a written statement of the same sentence. Why would this be?

Accepted Answer

A)  Spoken utterances are usually accompanied by extralinguistic factors and conversational inference. 
B)  Spoken utterances are processed more rapidly than written statements. 
C)  Written statements are accompanied by extralinguistic factors like visual interpretation that require more processing. 
D)  It is easier to verbally express prototypes than it is to visually express them. 
A)  Spoken utterances are usually accompanied by extralinguistic factors and conversational inference. 
B)  Spoken utterances are processed more rapidly than written statements. 
C)  Written statements are accompanied by extralinguistic factors like visual interpretation that require more processing. 
D)  It is easier to verbally express prototypes than it is to visually express them.

Question 12

The new car model manufactured by Honda gets 45 miles per gallon. Is this a simple or a complex sentence? Why?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is a complex sentence because it contains more than one proposition. 
B)  It is a complex sentence because it expresses an attitude. 
C)  It is a simple sentence because it contains one proposition. 
D)  It is a simple sentence because it is easy to understand. 
A)  It is a complex sentence because it contains more than one proposition. 
B)  It is a complex sentence because it expresses an attitude. 
C)  It is a simple sentence because it contains one proposition. 
D)  It is a simple sentence because it is easy to understand.

Question 13

According to the prototype theory of meaning, what defines a prototype of a bird?

Accepted Answer

A)  a list of all the physical features that define birds 
B)  the one particular feature that makes a bird most birdlike 
C)  a dictionary-type list of all the attributes that best define birds 
D)  the most bird-like type of bird 
A)  a list of all the physical features that define birds 
B)  the one particular feature that makes a bird most birdlike 
C)  a dictionary-type list of all the attributes that best define birds 
D)  the most bird-like type of bird

Question 14

Your text describes research on the Mayans, whose native tongue, Tzeltal, has no language labels for "left of" or "right of." Did the results of the initial study seem to support the Whorfian hypothesis? Did the follow-up studies support the Whorfian hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A)  The results of the initial study seemed to support the Whorfian hypothesis, but the follow-up studies did not support the Whorfian hypothesis. 
B)  The results of the initial study seemed to support the Whorfian hypothesis. The follow-up studies also supported the Whorfian hypothesis. 
C)  The results of the initial study did not seem to support the Whorfian hypothesis, nor did the follow-up studies. 
D)  The results of the initial study did not seem to support the Whorfian hypothesis, but the follow-up studies supported the Whorfian hypothesis. 
A)  The results of the initial study seemed to support the Whorfian hypothesis, but the follow-up studies did not support the Whorfian hypothesis. 
B)  The results of the initial study seemed to support the Whorfian hypothesis. The follow-up studies also supported the Whorfian hypothesis. 
C)  The results of the initial study did not seem to support the Whorfian hypothesis, nor did the follow-up studies. 
D)  The results of the initial study did not seem to support the Whorfian hypothesis, but the follow-up studies supported the Whorfian hypothesis.

Question 15

What were the findings from studies of deaf children who had hearing parents but were not taught ASL?

Accepted Answer

A)  Without auditory contact, complex language skills will not develop. 
B)  The children invented their own gestural language. 
C)  The children would not use their hands to gesture, but they did learn to read lips. 
D)  The children never exhibited basic language skills. 
A)  Without auditory contact, complex language skills will not develop. 
B)  The children invented their own gestural language. 
C)  The children would not use their hands to gesture, but they did learn to read lips. 
D)  The children never exhibited basic language skills.

Question 16

Cultures often use metaphors to describe relationships between events in time; for example, "Christmas comes before New Year's Day." What might research demonstrate about these types of metaphorical relationships?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is very difficult or impossible for metaphors to have any influence on our thinking. 
B)  The effects of a lifetime's use of metaphors of this sort can be erased or reversed in a few minutes. 
C)  Once metaphors become part of our common language, they are very difficult to unlearn. 
D)  These sorts of metaphors make it impossible to think in any other way. 
A)  It is very difficult or impossible for metaphors to have any influence on our thinking. 
B)  The effects of a lifetime's use of metaphors of this sort can be erased or reversed in a few minutes. 
C)  Once metaphors become part of our common language, they are very difficult to unlearn. 
D)  These sorts of metaphors make it impossible to think in any other way.

Question 17

In one study described in your text, U.S.-born infants and Chinese adoptees aged 2-6 were compared with respect to their acquisition of English. What did the researchers find?

Accepted Answer

A)  The order in which the adoptees acquired the various elements of English was similar to that seen among the U.S.-born infants, but the pace of the adoptees' acquisition was more rapid. 
B)  The order in which the adoptees acquired the various elements of English was similar to that seen among the U.S.-born infants, but the pace of the adoptees' acquisition was slower. 
C)  The order in which the adoptees acquired the various elements of English was different from that seen among the U.S.-born infants, but the pace of the adoptees' acquisition was about the same. 
D)  The order in which the adoptees acquired the various elements of English was different from that seen among the U.S.-born infants, and the pace of the adoptees' acquisition was slower. 
A)  The order in which the adoptees acquired the various elements of English was similar to that seen among the U.S.-born infants, but the pace of the adoptees' acquisition was more rapid. 
B)  The order in which the adoptees acquired the various elements of English was similar to that seen among the U.S.-born infants, but the pace of the adoptees' acquisition was slower. 
C)  The order in which the adoptees acquired the various elements of English was different from that seen among the U.S.-born infants, but the pace of the adoptees' acquisition was about the same. 
D)  The order in which the adoptees acquired the various elements of English was different from that seen among the U.S.-born infants, and the pace of the adoptees' acquisition was slower.

Question 18

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

A)  Initially, Japanese babies can distinguish between the sounds "la" and "ra." 
B)  Most Japanese adults cannot perceive the difference between the sound "la" and "ra." 
C)  By 2 months of age, infants will listen to their native language and to a foreign language for similar periods of time without habituating. 
D)  Children learn the phonemes of their languages by ignoring the sound distinctions that are not used in their language. 
A)  Initially, Japanese babies can distinguish between the sounds "la" and "ra." 
B)  Most Japanese adults cannot perceive the difference between the sound "la" and "ra." 
C)  By 2 months of age, infants will listen to their native language and to a foreign language for similar periods of time without habituating. 
D)  Children learn the phonemes of their languages by ignoring the sound distinctions that are not used in their language.

Question 19

Which theory maintains that words are like "meaning-atoms"?

Accepted Answer

A)  the folk theory of word meaning 
B)  the prototype theory of meaning 
C)  the definitional theory of word meaning 
D)  the case theory of word meaning c 
A)  the folk theory of word meaning 
B)  the prototype theory of meaning 
C)  the definitional theory of word meaning 
D)  the case theory of word meaning c

Question 20

Ida is asked to name as many pieces of furniture as she can. "Chair, table, bed . . . ,:" she begins. Running out of ideas, she struggles, finally offering, ". . .um . . .tie-rack?" How might we interpret Ida's pattern of responses with respect to theories of word meaning?

Accepted Answer

A)  Ida's pattern of responses contradicts the prototype theory. 
B)  Ida's pattern of responses supports the prototype theory. 
C)  Ida's pattern of responses contradicts the folk theory. 
D)  Ida's pattern of responses supports the definitional theory. 
A)  Ida's pattern of responses contradicts the prototype theory. 
B)  Ida's pattern of responses supports the prototype theory. 
C)  Ida's pattern of responses contradicts the folk theory. 
D)  Ida's pattern of responses supports the definitional theory.

Concerning ambiguous sentences, which of the following statements is FALSE?

Hal is participating in psychological research. He sees sentences such as "A tomato is a bird" on the computer screen and must decide if each is true or false. The research is most likely investigating __________.

Which of the following is probably the prototype for the concept "fruit"?

Which structure reflects a passive sentence?

Which of the following methods would be the best way of determining whether an infant understands the syntactical inference of the sentence "Maria pats Grover"?

Japanese adults can have difficulty distinguishing between "la" and "ra." In tests of Japanese infants, research has shown that __________.

What does research on language acquisition in deaf individuals indicate?

Which of the following statements is most reasonable regarding the relationship between language and thought?

What is demonstrated by studies of deaf children who have hearing parents but who are not taught ASL?

Spoken utterances of garden path sentences such as "The cabin struck by the tree fell" are less likely to result in confusion than a written statement of the same sentence. Why would this be?

The new car model manufactured by Honda gets 45 miles per gallon. Is this a simple or a complex sentence? Why?

According to the prototype theory of meaning, what defines a prototype of a bird?

Your text describes research on the Mayans, whose native tongue, Tzeltal, has no language labels for "left of" or "right of." Did the results of the initial study seem to support the Whorfian hypothesis? Did the follow-up studies support the Whorfian hypothesis?

What were the findings from studies of deaf children who had hearing parents but were not taught ASL?

Cultures often use metaphors to describe relationships between events in time; for example, "Christmas comes before New Year's Day." What might research demonstrate about these types of metaphorical relationships?

In one study described in your text, U.S.-born infants and Chinese adoptees aged 2-6 were compared with respect to their acquisition of English. What did the researchers find?

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

Which theory maintains that words are like "meaning-atoms"?

Ida is asked to name as many pieces of furniture as she can. "Chair, table, bed . . . ,:" she begins. Running out of ideas, she struggles, finally offering, ". . .um . . .tie-rack?" How might we interpret Ida's pattern of responses with respect to theories of word meaning?

Research Methods

Evolutionary and Genetic Influences on Behavior

The Brain and the Nervous System

Sensation

Perception

Consciousness

Learning

Memory

Thinking

Intelligence

Motivation and Emotion

Social Psychology

Development

Personality

Psychopathology

Treatment of Mental Disorders

Filters

Exam 10: Language

Concerning ambiguous sentences, which of the following statements is FALSE?

Hal is participating in psychological research. He sees sentences such as "A tomato is a bird" on the computer screen and must decide if each is true or false. The research is most likely investigating __________.

Which of the following is probably the prototype for the concept "fruit"?

Which structure reflects a passive sentence?

Which of the following methods would be the best way of determining whether an infant understands the syntactical inference of the sentence "Maria pats Grover"?

Japanese adults can have difficulty distinguishing between "la" and "ra." In tests of Japanese infants, research has shown that __________.

What does research on language acquisition in deaf individuals indicate?

Which of the following statements is most reasonable regarding the relationship between language and thought?

What is demonstrated by studies of deaf children who have hearing parents but who are not taught ASL?

Spoken utterances of garden path sentences such as "The cabin struck by the tree fell" are less likely to result in confusion than a written statement of the same sentence. Why would this be?

The new car model manufactured by Honda gets 45 miles per gallon. Is this a simple or a complex sentence? Why?

According to the prototype theory of meaning, what defines a prototype of a bird?

Your text describes research on the Mayans, whose native tongue, Tzeltal, has no language labels for "left of" or "right of." Did the results of the initial study seem to support the Whorfian hypothesis? Did the follow-up studies support the Whorfian hypothesis?

What were the findings from studies of deaf children who had hearing parents but were not taught ASL?

Cultures often use metaphors to describe relationships between events in time; for example, "Christmas comes before New Year's Day." What might research demonstrate about these types of metaphorical relationships?

In one study described in your text, U.S.-born infants and Chinese adoptees aged 2-6 were compared with respect to their acquisition of English. What did the researchers find?

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

Which theory maintains that words are like "meaning-atoms"?

Ida is asked to name as many pieces of furniture as she can. "Chair, table, bed . . . ,:" she begins. Running out of ideas, she struggles, finally offering, ". . .um . . .tie-rack?" How might we interpret Ida's pattern of responses with respect to theories of word meaning?

Research Methods

Evolutionary and Genetic Influences on Behavior

The Brain and the Nervous System

Sensation

Perception

Consciousness

Learning

Memory

Thinking

Intelligence

Motivation and Emotion

Social Psychology

Development

Personality

Psychopathology

Treatment of Mental Disorders

Filters