COG170 Cogito Fundamentals Exam LATEST
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[SECTION 1: Foundations of Cognitive Psychology — Questions 1-10]
Q1: Which historical figure is most closely associated with the school of Structuralism, which
utilized the method of introspection to analyze the basic elements of consciousness?
A. William James
B. John B. Watson
C. Wilhelm Wundt
D. Ulric Neisser
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Wilhelm Wundt is considered the father of structuralism and established the first
psychology lab in Leipzig, using introspection to break down mental processes into basic
components (sensations, feelings). William James (A) was a functionalist who focused on the
purpose of consciousness. John B. Watson (B) founded behaviorism, rejecting introspection.
Ulric Neisser (D) coined the term "cognitive psychology" and wrote the first textbook on the
subject during the cognitive revolution.
Q2: The "Cognitive Revolution" of the 1950s and 1960s was largely a reaction against the
limitations of:
A. Structuralism and Functionalism.
B. Psychoanalysis.
C. Behaviorism, which ignored internal mental processes.
D. Humanistic psychology.
Correct Answer: C
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Rationale: The cognitive revolution emerged as a response to behaviorism (dominant in the early
20th century), which rejected the study of internal mental states like memory and thinking
because they were not directly observable. Researchers like Chomsky, Miller, and Neisser argued
that mental processes could be studied scientifically using information processing models. While
behaviorism was a reaction to structuralism (A) and psychoanalysis (B), the specific context of
the "revolution" in the 1950s refers to the shift away from strict S-R (Stimulus-Response)
behaviorism.
Q3: According to the Information Processing approach, cognition is commonly conceptualized as
a sequence of:
A. Stimulus → Response.
B. Sensation → Perception → Action.
C. Input → Processing → Output.
D. Encoding → Storage → Retrieval.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The Information Processing approach models the human mind after a computer,
viewing cognition as a flow where information is received (Input), manipulated or transformed
through mental operations (Processing), and acted upon or stored (Output). While Option D
describes the memory process, it is too specific to memory alone. Option A is the behaviorist
view. Option B is a sensory-motor sequence but lacks the cognitive transformation aspect.
Q4: Who is considered the "father of American psychology" and associated with Functionalism,
proposing that consciousness helps organisms adapt to their environment?
A. Wilhelm Wundt
B. William James
C. B.F. Skinner
D. Jean Piaget
Correct Answer: B
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Rationale: William James wrote The Principles of Psychology (1890) and is the father of
functionalism. He argued that the purpose of consciousness is to help humans adapt and survive,
focusing on the "stream of thought." Wundt (A) was German and structuralist. Skinner (C) was a
radical behaviorist. Piaget (D) focused on development.
Q5: Which of the following best describes the central focus of Cognitive Psychology?
A. The study of observable behavior and external stimuli.
B. The scientific study of mental processes such as perception, thinking, memory, and language.
C. The study of childhood development and social growth.
D. The treatment of mental illness and emotional disturbances.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Cognitive psychology is defined as the scientific study of mental processes including
perception, attention, memory, language, problem-solving, and reasoning. Option A describes
behaviorism. Option C describes developmental psychology. Option D describes
clinical/abnormal psychology.
Q6: In the context of the history of cognitive psychology, what was the primary contribution of
Noam Chomsky?
A. He developed the theory of multiple intelligences.
B. He proved that behaviorism was superior to cognitive theory.
C. He critiqued Skinner's verbal behavior theory, arguing that language acquisition is innate and
too complex to be learned solely by reinforcement.
D. He discovered the "forgetting curve."
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: In 1959, Chomsky published a review of Skinner's book Verbal Behavior, arguing that
language cannot be explained solely by behaviorist principles (reinforcement) because children
produce sentences they have never heard (generative grammar). This critique was pivotal in the
"Cognitive Revolution," shifting focus back to internal mental structures and innate abilities.
Gardner (A) is a later theorist (multiple intelligences). Ebbinghaus (D) studied memory.
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Q7: The study of how we process information, often comparing the mind to a computer, is
known as the:
A. Biological approach.
B. Psychoanalytic approach.
C. Information Processing approach.
D. Behavioral approach.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The Information Processing approach dominates modern cognitive psychology and
uses the computer as a metaphor for the mind, focusing on how information is encoded, stored,
and retrieved. The biological approach (A) focuses on brain structures/neurotransmitters. The
psychoanalytic approach (B) focuses on the unconscious. The behavioral approach (D) focuses
on observable acts.
Q8: Which of the following is NOT one of the main goals of cognitive psychology?
A. To describe how people think.
B. To explain how cognitive processes work.
C. To predict behavior based on cognitive states.
D. To directly observe and measure consciousness physically like brain tissue.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: While cognitive psychology acknowledges the biological basis of the mind, it studies
the software (processes) rather than the hardware (brain tissue), which is the domain of
neuroscience. We cannot "physically measure" consciousness directly like brain tissue; we infer
it from behavior and reaction times. Describing (A), explaining (B), and predicting (C) are core
scientific goals.
Q9: George Miller's famous 1956 paper, "The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two,"
focused on which cognitive concept?