In: Psychology
Jenson grew up with beagles, which he first learned to associate with the word "doggie." Even as an adult, Jenson still thinks of a beagle upon hearing the word "dog." To him, a beagle is an example of a ______________ for the word "dog."
A. Mental set
B. Algorithm
C. Prototype
D. Heuristic
Mental sets inhibit effective problem-solving because people with a mental set show a lack of creativity in dealing with problems. They try out only those solutions that have worked in the past. In Jenson's case, however, no problem-solving is involved.
Option A) Mental set is incorrect.
An algorithm is a step-by-step approach to solving problems. Since Jenson's situation does not involve any problem solving, option B) is irrelevant.
Option B) Algorithm is incorrect.
A heuristic is a rule of thumb that allows a person to take a shortcut while solving problems. Since heuristic is related to problem-solving, it is not relevant in Jenson's case.
Option D) heuristic is incorrect.
A prototype is a specific instance of an exemplar that serves as a mental representation of a particular category. In the given example, the image of a beagle serves as an exemplar that represents the category "dog" in Jenson's mind.
Option C) Prototype is the correct answer.