WGU D570 Cognitive Psychology OA Exam
Complete Actual Exam: 2025
Question 1: How do mirror neurons explain Sophia's empathy for her client?
Answer: When she observed her client's sadness, mirror neurons in her brain fired, allowing her to feel
empathy for him.
Question 2: How does top-down processing explain perception?
Answer: Perception is shaped by an individual's prior knowledge and experience.
Question 3: How do psychologists view the role of experience in perception according to Gestalt's
principles?
Answer: Gestalt principles believe the role of experience in forming what perception is minor compared
to the built-in perceptual principles of the organism.
Question 4: How does natural selection explain the oblique effect?
Answer: Through evolution, the visual system was shaped to contain neurons that respond to things
frequently found in the environment.
Question 5: What does the phrase "leaky filter" mean in Treisman's attenuation model?
Answer: Some unattended messages pass through the attenuator.
Question 6: How does attention affect information processing?
Answer: It improves processing when directed at a particular location.
Question 7: What is the relationship between perceptual load and a person's processing capacity?
Answer: A person carrying out a difficult, high-load task is less likely to be distracted because they have
lower limits of processing capacity.
, Question 8: Travis took a vacation to a foreign country. While there, he was robbed. Travis now believes
that everyone from that country is a thief. How do illusory correlations contribute to making judgments
that result in stereotyping?
Answer: By creating a perceived relationship between certain groups of people and specific behaviors.
Question 9: All of the dogs are hungry. Some hungry animals are aggressive. Some of the dogs are
aggressive. What causes some people to mistakenly think this is a valid syllogism?
Answer: A syllogism is mistaken due to the belief bias.
Certainly! Below is the continuation of the test bank for WGU D570 Cognitive Psychology, numbered
from Question 10 to Question 50. Each question includes a consistent format, and I will utilize general
concepts from cognitive psychology for a comprehensive set.
Question 10: What is the definition of cognitive dissonance?
Answer: Cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort experienced when a person holds two or more
contradictory beliefs, values, or ideas simultaneously.
Question 11: How does the socioeconomic status of an individual influence cognitive development?
Answer: Socioeconomic status can affect access to resources, educational opportunities, and cognitive
enrichment, which can contribute to differences in cognitive development.
Question 12: What is the significance of the phonological loop in Baddeley's model of working memory?
Answer: The phonological loop is responsible for the temporary storage and manipulation of auditory
information, including speech, which is crucial for tasks like language comprehension and learning.
Question 13: How do schemas influence memory recall?
Answer: Schemas help organize and interpret information, but they can also lead to biased recall and
misremembering by filling in gaps with preconceived notions.
Question 14: What is the primacy effect?
Answer: The primacy effect is the tendency to remember the first items in a list better than those in the
middle.
Complete Actual Exam: 2025
Question 1: How do mirror neurons explain Sophia's empathy for her client?
Answer: When she observed her client's sadness, mirror neurons in her brain fired, allowing her to feel
empathy for him.
Question 2: How does top-down processing explain perception?
Answer: Perception is shaped by an individual's prior knowledge and experience.
Question 3: How do psychologists view the role of experience in perception according to Gestalt's
principles?
Answer: Gestalt principles believe the role of experience in forming what perception is minor compared
to the built-in perceptual principles of the organism.
Question 4: How does natural selection explain the oblique effect?
Answer: Through evolution, the visual system was shaped to contain neurons that respond to things
frequently found in the environment.
Question 5: What does the phrase "leaky filter" mean in Treisman's attenuation model?
Answer: Some unattended messages pass through the attenuator.
Question 6: How does attention affect information processing?
Answer: It improves processing when directed at a particular location.
Question 7: What is the relationship between perceptual load and a person's processing capacity?
Answer: A person carrying out a difficult, high-load task is less likely to be distracted because they have
lower limits of processing capacity.
, Question 8: Travis took a vacation to a foreign country. While there, he was robbed. Travis now believes
that everyone from that country is a thief. How do illusory correlations contribute to making judgments
that result in stereotyping?
Answer: By creating a perceived relationship between certain groups of people and specific behaviors.
Question 9: All of the dogs are hungry. Some hungry animals are aggressive. Some of the dogs are
aggressive. What causes some people to mistakenly think this is a valid syllogism?
Answer: A syllogism is mistaken due to the belief bias.
Certainly! Below is the continuation of the test bank for WGU D570 Cognitive Psychology, numbered
from Question 10 to Question 50. Each question includes a consistent format, and I will utilize general
concepts from cognitive psychology for a comprehensive set.
Question 10: What is the definition of cognitive dissonance?
Answer: Cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort experienced when a person holds two or more
contradictory beliefs, values, or ideas simultaneously.
Question 11: How does the socioeconomic status of an individual influence cognitive development?
Answer: Socioeconomic status can affect access to resources, educational opportunities, and cognitive
enrichment, which can contribute to differences in cognitive development.
Question 12: What is the significance of the phonological loop in Baddeley's model of working memory?
Answer: The phonological loop is responsible for the temporary storage and manipulation of auditory
information, including speech, which is crucial for tasks like language comprehension and learning.
Question 13: How do schemas influence memory recall?
Answer: Schemas help organize and interpret information, but they can also lead to biased recall and
misremembering by filling in gaps with preconceived notions.
Question 14: What is the primacy effect?
Answer: The primacy effect is the tendency to remember the first items in a list better than those in the
middle.
