, CHAPTER 1: Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The example at the beginning of the book, in which Raphael talks to his
friend on a cell phone on his way to class, was used to illustrate how
a. cognitive psychologists study problem solving in adults.
b. complex but seemingly effortless human cognition is.
c. human cognition is affected by emotional events.
d. both physiology and behavior is important to the study of cognition.
ANS: B REF: page 2
TYPE: CONCEPTUAL DIF: MODERATE
2. The branch of psychology concerned with the scientific study of the mind
is called
a. cognitive psychology.
b. introspection.
c. behaviorism.
d. memory consolidation.
ANS: A REF: page 5
TYPE: FACTUAL DIF: EASY
3. Attention, perception, memory, and decision making are all different types
of mental processes in which the mind engages. These are known as
different types of
a. models.
b. cognition.
c. reaction times.
d. savings.
ANS: B REF: page 5
TYPE: FACTUAL DIF: EASY
4. Donders’ main reason for doing his choice reaction time experiment was
to study
a. perception.
b. attention.
c. decision making.
d. memory.
ANS: C REF: page 7
TYPE: FACTUAL DIF: MODERATE
235
,5. By comparing reaction times across different tasks, Donders was able to
conclude how long the mind needs to perform a certain cognitive task.
Donders interpreted the difference in reaction time between the simple and
choice conditions of his experiment as indicating how long it took to
a. perceive the stimulus.
b. process the stimulus.
c. attend to the stimulus.
d. make a decision about the stimulus.
ANS: D REF: page 7
TYPE: APPLIED DIF: MODERATE
6. The main point of the Donders’ reaction time experiments was to
a. show that reaction times can be measured accurately.
b. measure the amount of time it takes to make a decision.
c. determine differences in the way people react to stimuli.
d. show that our cognitions are often based on unconscious inferences.
ANS: B REF: page 7 KEY: WWW
TYPE: FACTUAL DIF: MODERATE
7. In Donders' experiment on decision making, when participants were asked
to press a button upon presentation of a light, they were engaged in a
a. reaction time task.
b. simple reaction time task.
c. choice reaction time task.
d. presentation task.
ANS: B REF: page 7 KEY: WWW
TYPE: FACTUAL DIF: MODERATE
8. In Donders' experiment on decision making, when participants were asked
to press one button if the light on the left was illuminated and another button
if the light on the right was illuminated, they were engaged in a
a. reaction time task.
b. simple reaction time task.
c. choice reaction time task.
d. presentation task.
ANS: C REF: page 7 KEY: WWW
TYPE: FACTUAL DIF: MODERATE
236
, 9. Reaction time refers to the time between the ________ of a stimulus and a
person’s response to it.
a. perception
b. mental awareness
c. disappearance
d. presentation
ANS: D REF: pages 6-7 KEY: WWW
TYPE: FACTUAL DIF: EASY
10. Donders’ reaction time experiment was performed using stimuli in which
of the following sensory modalities?
a. Touch
b. Hearing
c. Smell
d. Vision
ANS: D REF: pages 6-7
TYPE: CONCEPTUAL DIF: MODERATE
11. A common feature of both a reaction time experiment and an operant
conditioning experiment is
a. the presentation of positive reinforcers.
b. the measurement of behavior.
c. the inference of mental processes.
d. all of these are common features
ANS: B REF: pages 6, 10
TYPE: CONCEPTUAL DIF: DIFICULT
12. Donders’ measurement of reaction time is particularly important because
it demonstrated the “time course” on which the mind operates. Donders
found that it took ______ to decide which of two buttons to push in response
to a stimulus.
a. 1/100 second
b. 1/10 second
c. a second
d. two seconds
ANS: B REF: page 7
TYPE: FACTUAL DIF: EASY
237
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The example at the beginning of the book, in which Raphael talks to his
friend on a cell phone on his way to class, was used to illustrate how
a. cognitive psychologists study problem solving in adults.
b. complex but seemingly effortless human cognition is.
c. human cognition is affected by emotional events.
d. both physiology and behavior is important to the study of cognition.
ANS: B REF: page 2
TYPE: CONCEPTUAL DIF: MODERATE
2. The branch of psychology concerned with the scientific study of the mind
is called
a. cognitive psychology.
b. introspection.
c. behaviorism.
d. memory consolidation.
ANS: A REF: page 5
TYPE: FACTUAL DIF: EASY
3. Attention, perception, memory, and decision making are all different types
of mental processes in which the mind engages. These are known as
different types of
a. models.
b. cognition.
c. reaction times.
d. savings.
ANS: B REF: page 5
TYPE: FACTUAL DIF: EASY
4. Donders’ main reason for doing his choice reaction time experiment was
to study
a. perception.
b. attention.
c. decision making.
d. memory.
ANS: C REF: page 7
TYPE: FACTUAL DIF: MODERATE
235
,5. By comparing reaction times across different tasks, Donders was able to
conclude how long the mind needs to perform a certain cognitive task.
Donders interpreted the difference in reaction time between the simple and
choice conditions of his experiment as indicating how long it took to
a. perceive the stimulus.
b. process the stimulus.
c. attend to the stimulus.
d. make a decision about the stimulus.
ANS: D REF: page 7
TYPE: APPLIED DIF: MODERATE
6. The main point of the Donders’ reaction time experiments was to
a. show that reaction times can be measured accurately.
b. measure the amount of time it takes to make a decision.
c. determine differences in the way people react to stimuli.
d. show that our cognitions are often based on unconscious inferences.
ANS: B REF: page 7 KEY: WWW
TYPE: FACTUAL DIF: MODERATE
7. In Donders' experiment on decision making, when participants were asked
to press a button upon presentation of a light, they were engaged in a
a. reaction time task.
b. simple reaction time task.
c. choice reaction time task.
d. presentation task.
ANS: B REF: page 7 KEY: WWW
TYPE: FACTUAL DIF: MODERATE
8. In Donders' experiment on decision making, when participants were asked
to press one button if the light on the left was illuminated and another button
if the light on the right was illuminated, they were engaged in a
a. reaction time task.
b. simple reaction time task.
c. choice reaction time task.
d. presentation task.
ANS: C REF: page 7 KEY: WWW
TYPE: FACTUAL DIF: MODERATE
236
, 9. Reaction time refers to the time between the ________ of a stimulus and a
person’s response to it.
a. perception
b. mental awareness
c. disappearance
d. presentation
ANS: D REF: pages 6-7 KEY: WWW
TYPE: FACTUAL DIF: EASY
10. Donders’ reaction time experiment was performed using stimuli in which
of the following sensory modalities?
a. Touch
b. Hearing
c. Smell
d. Vision
ANS: D REF: pages 6-7
TYPE: CONCEPTUAL DIF: MODERATE
11. A common feature of both a reaction time experiment and an operant
conditioning experiment is
a. the presentation of positive reinforcers.
b. the measurement of behavior.
c. the inference of mental processes.
d. all of these are common features
ANS: B REF: pages 6, 10
TYPE: CONCEPTUAL DIF: DIFICULT
12. Donders’ measurement of reaction time is particularly important because
it demonstrated the “time course” on which the mind operates. Donders
found that it took ______ to decide which of two buttons to push in response
to a stimulus.
a. 1/100 second
b. 1/10 second
c. a second
d. two seconds
ANS: B REF: page 7
TYPE: FACTUAL DIF: EASY
237
