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WGU D570 COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY OA
ACTUAL EXAM 2026/2027: Questions with
Correct Answers | Latest Updated | Graded A+ |
Guaranteed Pass – Pass Guaranteed - A+ Graded
SECTION 1: CORE CONCEPTS & FOUNDATIONS (15 Questions)
Q1: Which psychological approach, founded by John Watson, emphasizes the study of
observable behavior and rejects the investigation of unobservable mental processes?
• A. Cognitive psychology
• B. Gestalt psychology
• C. Behaviorism. [CORRECT]
• D. Psychoanalysis
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Behaviorism, founded by John Watson in 1913, focuses exclusively on observable
behavior and stimulus-response relationships, rejecting introspection and unobservable mental
processes. This approach dominated American psychology until the cognitive revolution of the
1950s. Cognitive psychology (A) studies mental processes directly, while Gestalt psychology (B)
emphasizes perception and insight.
Q2: What was the primary purpose of Donders' pioneering experiment (1868) in cognitive
psychology?
• A. Measuring the capacity of short-term memory
• B. Determining how long it takes to make simple and choice decisions. [CORRECT]
• C. Studying language acquisition in children
• D. Investigating the effects of interference on memory recall
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Donders used reaction time measures to determine the time required for mental
processes, specifically comparing simple reaction time (one stimulus, one response) with choice
,2
reaction time (multiple stimuli, multiple responses). This subtraction method allowed him to
estimate the duration of decision-making processes, establishing the first cognitive psychology
experiment.
Q3: According to Broadbent's filter model of attention, at what stage does the filter operate?
• A. After semantic analysis and meaning extraction
• B. Before pattern recognition, based on physical characteristics. [CORRECT]
• C. After information has been processed in working memory
• D. Following long-term memory retrieval
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Broadbent's early selection model proposes that attention acts as a filter selecting
information based on physical characteristics (pitch, location, loudness) before pattern
recognition occurs. This "bottleneck" theory explains the cocktail party effect, where we can
filter out unattended conversations based on physical properties.
Q4: Which of the following is NOT a standard type of attention studied in cognitive psychology?
• A. Sustained attention (vigilance)
• B. Selective attention
• C. Divided attention
• D. Reflective attention. [CORRECT]
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: While sustained (maintaining focus over time), selective (focusing on specific
stimuli), and divided (attending to multiple tasks simultaneously) attention are well-established
categories, "reflective attention" is not a recognized type in cognitive psychology literature. The
distractor represents a plausible but fabricated concept.
Q5: Iconic memory refers to:
• A. Auditory sensory memory lasting 2-4 seconds
• B. Visual sensory memory lasting approximately 250-500 milliseconds. [CORRECT]
• C. Long-term memory for visual concepts
, 3
• D. The ability to form mental images voluntarily
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Iconic memory is the visual sensory memory store that holds a literal "snapshot" of
the visual field for about 250-500 milliseconds. It explains phenomena like the "sparkler trail"
effect. Auditory sensory memory (A) is called echoic memory, lasting 2-4 seconds.
Q6: Which type of long-term memory involves knowledge about facts and events that can be
consciously recalled?
• A. Procedural memory
• B. Implicit memory
• C. Declarative (explicit) memory. [CORRECT]
• D. Priming
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Declarative memory includes episodic memory (personal experiences) and semantic
memory (facts/concepts) and can be consciously accessed. Procedural memory (A) and priming
(D) are types of implicit memory (B), which operate unconsciously and cannot be verbally
described.
Q7: In Baddeley's model of working memory, what is the primary function of the central
executive?
• A. Storing visual information temporarily
• B. Rehearsing verbal information subvocally
• C. Directing attention and coordinating the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad.
[CORRECT]
• D. Holding integrated episodes of information
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The central executive is the attentional control system that coordinates the two slave
systems (phonological loop for verbal info, visuospatial sketchpad for visual/spatial info) and
interfaces with long-term memory. It does not store information itself but manages cognitive
resources.
WGU D570 COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY OA
ACTUAL EXAM 2026/2027: Questions with
Correct Answers | Latest Updated | Graded A+ |
Guaranteed Pass – Pass Guaranteed - A+ Graded
SECTION 1: CORE CONCEPTS & FOUNDATIONS (15 Questions)
Q1: Which psychological approach, founded by John Watson, emphasizes the study of
observable behavior and rejects the investigation of unobservable mental processes?
• A. Cognitive psychology
• B. Gestalt psychology
• C. Behaviorism. [CORRECT]
• D. Psychoanalysis
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Behaviorism, founded by John Watson in 1913, focuses exclusively on observable
behavior and stimulus-response relationships, rejecting introspection and unobservable mental
processes. This approach dominated American psychology until the cognitive revolution of the
1950s. Cognitive psychology (A) studies mental processes directly, while Gestalt psychology (B)
emphasizes perception and insight.
Q2: What was the primary purpose of Donders' pioneering experiment (1868) in cognitive
psychology?
• A. Measuring the capacity of short-term memory
• B. Determining how long it takes to make simple and choice decisions. [CORRECT]
• C. Studying language acquisition in children
• D. Investigating the effects of interference on memory recall
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Donders used reaction time measures to determine the time required for mental
processes, specifically comparing simple reaction time (one stimulus, one response) with choice
,2
reaction time (multiple stimuli, multiple responses). This subtraction method allowed him to
estimate the duration of decision-making processes, establishing the first cognitive psychology
experiment.
Q3: According to Broadbent's filter model of attention, at what stage does the filter operate?
• A. After semantic analysis and meaning extraction
• B. Before pattern recognition, based on physical characteristics. [CORRECT]
• C. After information has been processed in working memory
• D. Following long-term memory retrieval
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Broadbent's early selection model proposes that attention acts as a filter selecting
information based on physical characteristics (pitch, location, loudness) before pattern
recognition occurs. This "bottleneck" theory explains the cocktail party effect, where we can
filter out unattended conversations based on physical properties.
Q4: Which of the following is NOT a standard type of attention studied in cognitive psychology?
• A. Sustained attention (vigilance)
• B. Selective attention
• C. Divided attention
• D. Reflective attention. [CORRECT]
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: While sustained (maintaining focus over time), selective (focusing on specific
stimuli), and divided (attending to multiple tasks simultaneously) attention are well-established
categories, "reflective attention" is not a recognized type in cognitive psychology literature. The
distractor represents a plausible but fabricated concept.
Q5: Iconic memory refers to:
• A. Auditory sensory memory lasting 2-4 seconds
• B. Visual sensory memory lasting approximately 250-500 milliseconds. [CORRECT]
• C. Long-term memory for visual concepts
, 3
• D. The ability to form mental images voluntarily
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Iconic memory is the visual sensory memory store that holds a literal "snapshot" of
the visual field for about 250-500 milliseconds. It explains phenomena like the "sparkler trail"
effect. Auditory sensory memory (A) is called echoic memory, lasting 2-4 seconds.
Q6: Which type of long-term memory involves knowledge about facts and events that can be
consciously recalled?
• A. Procedural memory
• B. Implicit memory
• C. Declarative (explicit) memory. [CORRECT]
• D. Priming
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Declarative memory includes episodic memory (personal experiences) and semantic
memory (facts/concepts) and can be consciously accessed. Procedural memory (A) and priming
(D) are types of implicit memory (B), which operate unconsciously and cannot be verbally
described.
Q7: In Baddeley's model of working memory, what is the primary function of the central
executive?
• A. Storing visual information temporarily
• B. Rehearsing verbal information subvocally
• C. Directing attention and coordinating the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad.
[CORRECT]
• D. Holding integrated episodes of information
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The central executive is the attentional control system that coordinates the two slave
systems (phonological loop for verbal info, visuospatial sketchpad for visual/spatial info) and
interfaces with long-term memory. It does not store information itself but manages cognitive
resources.
