1) Which one of the following illustrates how classroom assessment practices might
affect students epistemic beliefs?
a.Susan thinks that art appreciation means memorizing paintings and their artists
because every test in her art appreciation class asks her to label a series of paintings and
identify the painter of each one.
b.Because Geraldine consistently receives low marks on assignments in her history
class, she is convinced that her teacher is out to get her.
c.Duncan mistakenly believes that how well he does on his weekly spelling tests will be
the determining factor in whether he gets promoted to fourth grade.
d.Martin has heard that Mr. Stewarts tests are really picky, so he is very anxious when
he prepares for his first test in Mr. Stewarts class.
2) If we consider research on flashbulb memories, then we realize that:
a.Parallel distributed processing is a more accurate model of long-term memory than is
a propositional network model.
b.Working memory capacity often increases in stressful situations.
c.Auditory imagery is a more powerful form of encoding than visual imagery.
d.Even especially vivid memories are not always accurate.
3) A teacher claps his hands together loudly three times as a way of reminding his
students that they need to talk more quietly during their free time at the end of the day.
In behaviorist terminology, his strategy can best be described as:
a.cueing
b.an intermittent schedule
c.negative reinforcement
d.a setting event
4) Thorndikes observations of a cat trying to escape from a puzzle box led him to
conclude that learning is:
a.a rapid process that occurs almost instantaneously
b.a process that is influenced by the organisms motivation
c.a gradual process that occurs through trial and error
d.a process that occurs regardless of the consequences of behavior
5) Critical thinking can best be described as involving:
a.Knowing the best course of action to take in complex situations
b.Using heuristics to solve problems
c.Keeping an open mind about controversial issues
d.Judging the credibility of information or arguments
6) Mr. James gives weekly quizzes in his social studies classes. Which one of the
following boys is most likely to develop learned helplessness about his performance on
those quizzes?
a.Alan usually gets As on the quizzes, but he once wrote down the wrong reading
assignment and so failed a quiz over material he hadnt read.
b.Benjamin studies very hard, but due to a reading disability he has trouble
understanding what he reads and usually fails the quizzes in spite of his efforts.
c.Corin never studies for the quizzes because he thinks social studies is a boring
subject.
d.Darren usually gets at least a C on the quizzes, but he rarely does as well as his friend
Eddie.
7) From Vygotskys perspective, why do cultural differences exist in peoples cognitive
abilities?
a.Cultures differ in the extent to which they use inner speech.
b.The varying eating habits of different cultural groups influence childrens nutrition and
thus also influence brain maturation.
c.Different cultures pass along somewhat different cognitive tools.
d.Some cultures mediate childrens experiences, whereas others do not.
8) Which one of the following best describes mirror neurons?
a.They are pairs of neurons that have identical functions on opposite sides of the cortex.
b.They are the primary reason why infants can recognize their own reflections as early
as 3 months of age.
c.They fire when a person either makes a particular response or observes someone else
make that response.
d.They are the only kinds of neurons that are consistently found in all primate species.
9) Francis learns that the Spanish word malo means bad. He later learns that the French
word mal also means bad. Analyzing this situation in terms of the similarity of stimuli
and responses, we can predict that Francis will:
a.Probably have positive transfer from one language to the other
b.Probably have negative transfer from one language to the other
c.Have positive transfer from Spanish to French, but negative transfer from French to
Spanish
d.Have positive transfer from French to Spanish, but negative transfer from Spanish to
French
10) Albert grew up in Germany but now lives in England. He recalls more about his
childhood in Germany when hes speaking in German than when hes speaking in
English. Which one of the following concepts best explains this fact?
a.flashbulb memory
b.encoding specificity
c.source monitoring
d.fan effect
11) Which one of the following problems is the best example of an ill-defined problem?
a.Staying dry in a rainstorm
b.Clearing a driveway after a snowstorm
c.Determining the average of a set of test scores
d.Helping a friend whose feelings have been hurt
12) Which one of the following is the best example of a student attributing success to an
internal factor?
a.Nita has just gotten an A on her final exam in world history and is feeling very
grateful to the teacher for her good grade.
b.Pollys teacher has just told her that she will be the group leader for her reading group
next quarter. Polly is glad her teacher is in a good mood today.
c.Renata has just gotten a good grade on her math test and is glad that her mother got
her a math tutor.
d.Sue Ellen has just gotten a good grade on her geography test; shes proud that she did
so well and glad that she studied hard.
13) As Jane reads about General Custers last stand, she pictures him as he must have
looked, with long blonde hair and a full mustache, riding tall and proud on the open
plain just before he was attacked. Considering research findings regarding the
effectiveness of visual imagery, we can predict that Jane will:
a.Get confused by the vividness of her visual image
b.Remember the information better than she might otherwise
c.Store the information in working memory rather than in long-term memory
d.Remember her image perfectly for at least a year
14) A school system is concerned that most of its high school students avoid taking
mathematics courses because they are afraid of failing. Based on the discussion in the
textbook regarding how to deal with avoidance behaviors, three of the following
approaches to the problem might be helpful. Which of the following definitely would
not help?
a.Allowing students to avoid taking mathematics until they develop more
self-confidence about the subject matter
b.Teaching students to relax while they visualize doing a math assignment
c.Revising the math curriculum at all grade levels so that student success is more likely
d.Requiring all high school students to take at least one math class
15) Which one of the following scenarios best reflects the basic idea of social
construction of meaning?
a.Two students discuss possible interpretations of the proverb A stitch in time saves
nine.
b.A teacher assigns a laboratory activity using cumbersome equipment that students can
only use successfully by working in pairs.
c.When a student borrows a classmates marker without asking and then forgets to put
the cap back on, leaving it dried out and useless by the following morning, her teacher
reminds her of one of the class rules: Respect other students property.
d.Four students in a study group divide the days reading assignment into four sections.
Each student reads a section and then teaches the material to the other group members.
16) Which one of the following is the best example of an advance organizer?
a.Ms. Hillman tells her students, As we look at causes of the American Revolution, well
find that most fall into three general categories: philosophical differences, British
taxation policies, and several decrees known as the Intolerable Acts.
b.After describing the characteristics of each of the planets in the solar system, Mr.
Geremia gives his students a handout that shows the orbits of the planets, their distances
from the sun, and their relative sizes.
c.Ms. Lawford tells her students, On Monday we will begin a unit on how clouds are
formed. Please read the next chapter in your book before then.
d.Ms. Nicholas writes on the board, Tell your parents to begin thinking about a costume
that they can help you make to wear for our Thanksgiving pageant in three weeks.