William Is Trying to Calculate the Price of His Groceries

question 21

Multiple Choice

William is trying to calculate the price of his groceries in his head. He has four apples for 35¢ each,five potatoes for 15¢ each,and three cake mixes for $2.25 each. He begins by thinking to himself,"Let's see,four times 35¢ is what? Two times 35¢ is 70¢,and then two times 70¢ is $1.40. And then what do I do next? Oh,yes,I need to know what five times fifteen equals. I can't remember,but let's see if I can figure it out...." From the perspective of psychology,William may have trouble solving the problem because:

• A)His working memory capacity may be insufficient to hold and process all the information.
• B)He is representing the problem incorrectly.
• C)He is demonstrating a mental set with regard to his knowledge of multiplication facts.
• D)He is using an inappropriate heuristic.

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Definitions:

Discriminant Validity

The extent to which a measurement instrument is not related to variables from which it is theoretically supposed to differ.

Repressive Coper

A coping strategy characterized by the avoidance of directly addressing or acknowledging stressors and emotions.

Under Stress

Experiencing physical or emotional tension resulting from challenging or adverse situations.

Percentile Score

A statistical value indicating the relative standing of a score within a group, showing what percentage of the group's distribution falls below it.