COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY: EXAM 1
(CHAPTERS 1-4) EXAM WITH CORRECT
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
What is cognitive psychology? - CORRECT-ANSWERS-the scientific study of mental
processing (what the mind does)
Speech perception - CORRECT-ANSWERS-understood a request (ex. asked to answer a
question on board; how many hands did Aristotle have?)
Object recognition - CORRECT-ANSWERSRecognized board
Attention - CORRECT-ANSWERSShifted attention toward screen
Reading - CORRECT-ANSWERSRead and comprehended words
Memory retrieval - CORRECT-ANSWERS-searched memory for info on Aristotle
-general knowledge (semantic memory)
-specific instances (episodic memory)
Judgement - CORRECT-ANSWERS"this seems so silly, do I have to answer this?"
Reasoning - CORRECT-ANSWERSNever learned that he had two, so made an inference
Speech production - CORRECT-ANSWERSVerbalize response
Types of "data examined" - CORRECT-ANSWERS-Cognitive psychology
,-Cognitive neuroscience
-Cognitive neuropsychology
Cognitive psychology - CORRECT-ANSWERS-behavioral measures used because we
cannot directly observe mental processes
Cognitive neuroscience - CORRECT-ANSWERS-the attempt to use info about behavior
AND the brain to understand human cognition
Cognitive neuropsychology - CORRECT-ANSWERS
Behavioral Data and Cognitive Psychology - CORRECT-ANSWERS-Reaction Time (RT)
Reaction Time - CORRECT-ANSWERS-how quickly a task is performed
-provides a measure of:
-difficulty
-harder tasks take longer
-number of mental steps involved
-more steps take longer
-interference in processing
-conflicting information causes you to take longer
-Accuracy (ACC)
-how many errors someone makes when performing task
,Behavioral Data and Inferences - CORRECT-ANSWERSProblem:
-can't observe mental events directly
-can look at speed/accuracy with which people perform tasks (ex. remembering what
you wore yesterday, last week, etc.)
-manipulate characteristics
Types of Data: Reaction Time example - CORRECT-ANSWERS-Flanker Task: Exploring
attention
-identify center item (target), ex. X or N
-respond with key press
-ignore flanking items
-manipulate:
-flankers compatible with target
-flankers closer or farther away
Possible model of attention - CORRECT-ANSWERS-attention selects a region of space
(like a spotlight)
-info in selected region influences response selection
lower limit to spatial resolution of attentional focus
-this attentional focus can only get so small
, -flankers inside or outside of the spotlight
Types of Data: Accuracy example - CORRECT-ANSWERS-plate, leaf, shoe, cabin, bed, ice,
barn, fence
-primacy and recency effect
Neurons - CORRECT-ANSWERS-cells specialized to create, receive, and transmit
information in nervous system
-dendrites
-cell body
-axon
Dendrites - CORRECT-ANSWERS-expands cell body, can receive more synapses
Action Potential - CORRECT-ANSWERS-neuron receives a signal
-information travels down the axon of that neuron to the dendrites of another neuron
Measuring action potentials - CORRECT-ANSWERS-micro electrodes pick up electric
signal
-comparing charge inside and outside of neuron
-potential typically -70mv at resting state
Propagation of action potential - CORRECT-ANSWERS-depolarization occurs when Na+
ion channels open, allowing positive ions to enter the cell
(CHAPTERS 1-4) EXAM WITH CORRECT
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
What is cognitive psychology? - CORRECT-ANSWERS-the scientific study of mental
processing (what the mind does)
Speech perception - CORRECT-ANSWERS-understood a request (ex. asked to answer a
question on board; how many hands did Aristotle have?)
Object recognition - CORRECT-ANSWERSRecognized board
Attention - CORRECT-ANSWERSShifted attention toward screen
Reading - CORRECT-ANSWERSRead and comprehended words
Memory retrieval - CORRECT-ANSWERS-searched memory for info on Aristotle
-general knowledge (semantic memory)
-specific instances (episodic memory)
Judgement - CORRECT-ANSWERS"this seems so silly, do I have to answer this?"
Reasoning - CORRECT-ANSWERSNever learned that he had two, so made an inference
Speech production - CORRECT-ANSWERSVerbalize response
Types of "data examined" - CORRECT-ANSWERS-Cognitive psychology
,-Cognitive neuroscience
-Cognitive neuropsychology
Cognitive psychology - CORRECT-ANSWERS-behavioral measures used because we
cannot directly observe mental processes
Cognitive neuroscience - CORRECT-ANSWERS-the attempt to use info about behavior
AND the brain to understand human cognition
Cognitive neuropsychology - CORRECT-ANSWERS
Behavioral Data and Cognitive Psychology - CORRECT-ANSWERS-Reaction Time (RT)
Reaction Time - CORRECT-ANSWERS-how quickly a task is performed
-provides a measure of:
-difficulty
-harder tasks take longer
-number of mental steps involved
-more steps take longer
-interference in processing
-conflicting information causes you to take longer
-Accuracy (ACC)
-how many errors someone makes when performing task
,Behavioral Data and Inferences - CORRECT-ANSWERSProblem:
-can't observe mental events directly
-can look at speed/accuracy with which people perform tasks (ex. remembering what
you wore yesterday, last week, etc.)
-manipulate characteristics
Types of Data: Reaction Time example - CORRECT-ANSWERS-Flanker Task: Exploring
attention
-identify center item (target), ex. X or N
-respond with key press
-ignore flanking items
-manipulate:
-flankers compatible with target
-flankers closer or farther away
Possible model of attention - CORRECT-ANSWERS-attention selects a region of space
(like a spotlight)
-info in selected region influences response selection
lower limit to spatial resolution of attentional focus
-this attentional focus can only get so small
, -flankers inside or outside of the spotlight
Types of Data: Accuracy example - CORRECT-ANSWERS-plate, leaf, shoe, cabin, bed, ice,
barn, fence
-primacy and recency effect
Neurons - CORRECT-ANSWERS-cells specialized to create, receive, and transmit
information in nervous system
-dendrites
-cell body
-axon
Dendrites - CORRECT-ANSWERS-expands cell body, can receive more synapses
Action Potential - CORRECT-ANSWERS-neuron receives a signal
-information travels down the axon of that neuron to the dendrites of another neuron
Measuring action potentials - CORRECT-ANSWERS-micro electrodes pick up electric
signal
-comparing charge inside and outside of neuron
-potential typically -70mv at resting state
Propagation of action potential - CORRECT-ANSWERS-depolarization occurs when Na+
ion channels open, allowing positive ions to enter the cell
