Professor Jones and Professor Smith Are Having a Discussion on Whether

question 279

Multiple Choice

Professor Jones and Professor Smith are having a discussion on whether or not apes are capable of language. Professor Jones argues that they do not, while Smith says that they do. To make the strongest argument, Smith would probably refer to the research on

• A)generativity
• B)displacement
• C)relativity
• D)bilingualism
• E)semantics (conveys meaning)

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Definitions:

Unstable

Characterizes a state or condition that lacks consistency, predictability, or emotional steadiness.

Belief Perseverance

A tendency to continue to view an initial assumption as correct despite evidence to the contradictory.

Self-serving Bias

In attribution, the tendency for people to take personal credit for acts that yield positive outcomes and to deflect blame for bad outcomes by attributing them to external causes.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to overemphasize personality-based explanations for behaviors observed in others while underestimating the influence of situational factors.