WGU D570 Cognitive Psychology Exam 2026 | Most
Tested Questions & Verified Answers | Graded A+
1. In a study, participants are presented with a list of 20 words. If they
demonstrate a strong primacy effect, what can be inferred about their
attention during the task?
Participants remembered the last words better than the first.
Participants likely focused more on the initial words, enhancing their
memory for those items.
Participants were distracted and could not recall any words.
Participants showed no difference in recall based on word position.
2. Baddeley added the Episodic Buffer to his Working Memory Model in order
to explain why amnesia patients can sometimes:
immediately recall significant amounts of information on a test of
memory for stories ("prose recall")
show a Phonological Similarity Effect on immediate serial recall
show a large Recency Effect on recall tests
show a large Word Length effect on immediate serial recall
3. Describe how working memory and long-term memory interact during the
process of solving a mental math problem.
Working memory is only used for visual tasks, while long-term
memory is used for auditory tasks.
Working memory and long-term memory operate independently
without interaction.
Working memory temporarily holds and manipulates information
while long-term memory provides relevant knowledge and
, strategies.
Working memory stores all past experiences, while long-term
memory is only for current tasks.
4. Describe how the garden path model of parsing affects a child's
understanding of sentences.
The garden path model suggests that children may initially interpret
sentences incorrectly based on their structure, leading to
confusion.
The garden path model emphasizes the importance of visual cues in
reading.
The garden path model indicates that children always understand
sentences correctly.
The garden path model shows that children rely solely on memory for
sentence interpretation.
5. Describe how selective attention affects a student's ability to process
information during a task.
Selective attention is irrelevant to task performance and does not
affect information processing.
Selective attention leads to cognitive overload by processing too
many stimuli at once.
Selective attention enhances memory retention by focusing on all
stimuli equally.
Selective attention allows a student to concentrate on relevant
stimuli while filtering out distractions.
6. If a driver is engaged in a conversation on a hands-free device, based on
Strayer and Johnston's research, what might be the expected impact on their
, attention while driving?
Their attention will improve due to increased cognitive engagement.
Their attention will shift entirely to the conversation.
Their attention will remain fully focused on driving.
Their attention may be significantly divided, leading to decreased
driving performance.
7. The primacy effect has been attributed to :
The ratio rule
Temporal distinctiveness
The first few items of a list receiving more attention and rehearsal
than items later in the list
The first few items of a list not being subject to masking
8. Describe how attention influences perception in the context of the hiker
hearing a snake hiss.
Attention enhances memory recall, allowing the hiker to remember
the snake's location.
Attention only affects visual stimuli, not auditory cues like hissing.
Attention has no effect on perception, so the hiker would notice the
snake regardless.
Attention can lead to inattentional blindness, causing the hiker to
miss the snake despite hearing it.
9. Solitude has been proposed as a healthy, creative way of dealing with which
of Yalom's existential challenges?
, freedom
Morality
meaning
aloneness
10. What type of memory retrieval process is demonstrated when the teenager
recalls his childhood memory of jump-starting a car?
Episodic memory retrieval
Semantic memory retrieval
Procedural memory retrieval
Working memory retrieval
11. The key to solving the Wason four-card problem is:
a categorical syllogism
the falsification principle
Mental model
12. What term describes the ability to focus on a specific task while ignoring
other stimuli?
Divided attention
Sustained attention
Selective attention
Focused perception
Tested Questions & Verified Answers | Graded A+
1. In a study, participants are presented with a list of 20 words. If they
demonstrate a strong primacy effect, what can be inferred about their
attention during the task?
Participants remembered the last words better than the first.
Participants likely focused more on the initial words, enhancing their
memory for those items.
Participants were distracted and could not recall any words.
Participants showed no difference in recall based on word position.
2. Baddeley added the Episodic Buffer to his Working Memory Model in order
to explain why amnesia patients can sometimes:
immediately recall significant amounts of information on a test of
memory for stories ("prose recall")
show a Phonological Similarity Effect on immediate serial recall
show a large Recency Effect on recall tests
show a large Word Length effect on immediate serial recall
3. Describe how working memory and long-term memory interact during the
process of solving a mental math problem.
Working memory is only used for visual tasks, while long-term
memory is used for auditory tasks.
Working memory and long-term memory operate independently
without interaction.
Working memory temporarily holds and manipulates information
while long-term memory provides relevant knowledge and
, strategies.
Working memory stores all past experiences, while long-term
memory is only for current tasks.
4. Describe how the garden path model of parsing affects a child's
understanding of sentences.
The garden path model suggests that children may initially interpret
sentences incorrectly based on their structure, leading to
confusion.
The garden path model emphasizes the importance of visual cues in
reading.
The garden path model indicates that children always understand
sentences correctly.
The garden path model shows that children rely solely on memory for
sentence interpretation.
5. Describe how selective attention affects a student's ability to process
information during a task.
Selective attention is irrelevant to task performance and does not
affect information processing.
Selective attention leads to cognitive overload by processing too
many stimuli at once.
Selective attention enhances memory retention by focusing on all
stimuli equally.
Selective attention allows a student to concentrate on relevant
stimuli while filtering out distractions.
6. If a driver is engaged in a conversation on a hands-free device, based on
Strayer and Johnston's research, what might be the expected impact on their
, attention while driving?
Their attention will improve due to increased cognitive engagement.
Their attention will shift entirely to the conversation.
Their attention will remain fully focused on driving.
Their attention may be significantly divided, leading to decreased
driving performance.
7. The primacy effect has been attributed to :
The ratio rule
Temporal distinctiveness
The first few items of a list receiving more attention and rehearsal
than items later in the list
The first few items of a list not being subject to masking
8. Describe how attention influences perception in the context of the hiker
hearing a snake hiss.
Attention enhances memory recall, allowing the hiker to remember
the snake's location.
Attention only affects visual stimuli, not auditory cues like hissing.
Attention has no effect on perception, so the hiker would notice the
snake regardless.
Attention can lead to inattentional blindness, causing the hiker to
miss the snake despite hearing it.
9. Solitude has been proposed as a healthy, creative way of dealing with which
of Yalom's existential challenges?
, freedom
Morality
meaning
aloneness
10. What type of memory retrieval process is demonstrated when the teenager
recalls his childhood memory of jump-starting a car?
Episodic memory retrieval
Semantic memory retrieval
Procedural memory retrieval
Working memory retrieval
11. The key to solving the Wason four-card problem is:
a categorical syllogism
the falsification principle
Mental model
12. What term describes the ability to focus on a specific task while ignoring
other stimuli?
Divided attention
Sustained attention
Selective attention
Focused perception
