124 PSYCHOLOGY
town. He always leaves a twenty-five-cent tip even though 15 percent of his
breakfast check comes to about one dollar. Ogden is also a regular customer for
breakfast. He always leaves a three-dollar tip. Both Nolan and Ogden are success-
ful businessmen. The servers in the restaurant refer to Nolan as a “cheapskate” and
to Ogden as a “big spender.” The two concepts are relational because they arise
from the fact that Ogden’s tip is more than Nolan’s.(a) A disjunctive concept treats perceived attributes in terms.(b) What kind of a concept treats perceived attributes in terms of some connection between
object or ideas such as “more than,” or “less than”?
Answers: (a) either-or; (b) Relational.Solving Problems: What Is the Square Root of 12?
It is a fair question to ask: Why do we think at all? A good answer to the question
is: One of the reasons we think is in order to solve problems.
Human beings lead complex lives. We have all kinds of problems to solve.
Every day is filled with challenges. And it is necessary to think clearly and effec-
tively if one is to be successful in meeting the problems and challenges of life.
Two basic ways to solve problems are to employ either (1) algorithms or
(2) heuristic approaches. An algorithmis a formula. If followed carefully, it
will always solve the problem. Formulas in math books are algorithms. So are
recipes in cookbooks and step-by-step instructions for operating a microwave
oven.
Let’s say that you are given this problem: What is the square root of 12? You
will probably turn to a calculator. You enter 12, push the square-root button, and
the answer appears on the screen. In a sense, you haven’t solved the problem. The
calculator has solved the problem for you. It has the formula built into it. And
even if you have forgotten the formula, it is possible for you to obtain the right
answer. If you don’t have a calculator, you can look up the square root in a table
in the appendix of a mathematics book. Again, you are relying on an algorithm
that you may or may not know.(a) One of the reasons we think is in order to.(b) A recipe in a cookbook is an example of an.
Answers: (a) solve problems; (b) algorithm.Let’s say that you decide to figure out the square root of 12 without a calcu-
lator or a book. What would you do? Some might remember the formula they