UC BERKELEY COGSCI 1 — MIDTERM 1
Comprehensive Practice Examination
2026/2027
SECTION I: MULTIPLE CHOICE (60 Questions)
Select the single best ANSWER for each question.
1. What is Cognitive Science?
A) The study of computer programming languages
B) The interdisciplinary study of the mind
C) A subfield of biology focused on brain anatomy
D) The study of human behavior only
ANSWER: B
Rationale: Cognitive science is defined as the interdisciplinary study of the mind, drawing from
psychology, artificial intelligence, linguistics, philosophy, anthropology, and neuroscience.
2. Which of the following is NOT one of the traditional six disciplines of cognitive science?
A) Psychology
B) Linguistics
C) Sociology
,D) Artificial Intelligence
ANSWER: C
Rationale: The six core disciplines of cognitive science are psychology, philosophy, linguistics,
anthropology, artificial intelligence, and neuroscience. Sociology is not traditionally considered one of
the core disciplines.
3. The CRUM framework stands for:
A) Cognitive, Rational, Unified Model
B) Computational, Representational, Understanding of the Mind
C) Conceptual, Relational, Unified Memory
D) Cognitive, Relational, Universal Mind
ANSWER: B
Rationale: CRUM stands for Computational, Representational, Understanding of the Mind. It is the idea
that thinking can best be understood in terms of representation structures in the mind and
computational procedures that operate on those structures.
4. According to the CRUM framework, the mind is best understood as:
A) A blank slate shaped entirely by experience
B) A system that manipulates representations through computational processes
C) A purely biological organ with no symbolic processing
D) A mystical entity beyond scientific study
ANSWER: B
Rationale: The CRUM framework posits that thinking involves mental representations and
computational procedures that operate on those representations.
,5. Which of the following is NOT considered a type of mental representation?
A) Concepts
B) Propositions
C) Neurotransmitters
D) Analogies
ANSWER: C
Rationale: The primary types of mental representations are concepts, propositions (declarative
knowledge), rules (procedural knowledge), analogies, and images (visual imagery). Neurotransmitters
are chemical messengers, not mental representations.
6. The majority of our thoughts are in:
A) Images
B) Words
C) Mathematical formulas
D) Unconscious feelings
ANSWER: B
Rationale: While we use various forms of mental representation, the majority of our conscious thoughts
are encoded in words (language).
7. What are the four stages of analogical reasoning in correct order?
A) Mapping → Comprehension → Adaptation → Retrieval
B) Comprehension → Retrieval → Mapping → Adaptation
C) Retrieval → Comprehension → Mapping → Adaptation
D) Adaptation → Mapping → Retrieval → Comprehension
, ANSWER: B
Rationale: The four stages are: (1) Comprehension of the target problem, (2) Remembering/retrieving a
similar source problem, (3) Composing and mapping the source and target, and (4) Adapting the source
problem to produce a solution.
8. Where in the brain are concepts primarily formed?
A) Occipital lobe
B) Left hemisphere only
C) Basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex
D) Cerebellum
ANSWER: C
Rationale: Concepts are formed in the basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex.
9. Where in the brain are propositions primarily formed?
A) Basal ganglia
B) Right hemisphere
C) Left hemisphere
D) Occipital lobe
ANSWER: C
Rationale: Propositions (declarative knowledge) are primarily formed in the left hemisphere of the brain.
10. Where in the brain are rules primarily formed?
A) Occipital lobe and temporal lobe
B) Basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex
Comprehensive Practice Examination
2026/2027
SECTION I: MULTIPLE CHOICE (60 Questions)
Select the single best ANSWER for each question.
1. What is Cognitive Science?
A) The study of computer programming languages
B) The interdisciplinary study of the mind
C) A subfield of biology focused on brain anatomy
D) The study of human behavior only
ANSWER: B
Rationale: Cognitive science is defined as the interdisciplinary study of the mind, drawing from
psychology, artificial intelligence, linguistics, philosophy, anthropology, and neuroscience.
2. Which of the following is NOT one of the traditional six disciplines of cognitive science?
A) Psychology
B) Linguistics
C) Sociology
,D) Artificial Intelligence
ANSWER: C
Rationale: The six core disciplines of cognitive science are psychology, philosophy, linguistics,
anthropology, artificial intelligence, and neuroscience. Sociology is not traditionally considered one of
the core disciplines.
3. The CRUM framework stands for:
A) Cognitive, Rational, Unified Model
B) Computational, Representational, Understanding of the Mind
C) Conceptual, Relational, Unified Memory
D) Cognitive, Relational, Universal Mind
ANSWER: B
Rationale: CRUM stands for Computational, Representational, Understanding of the Mind. It is the idea
that thinking can best be understood in terms of representation structures in the mind and
computational procedures that operate on those structures.
4. According to the CRUM framework, the mind is best understood as:
A) A blank slate shaped entirely by experience
B) A system that manipulates representations through computational processes
C) A purely biological organ with no symbolic processing
D) A mystical entity beyond scientific study
ANSWER: B
Rationale: The CRUM framework posits that thinking involves mental representations and
computational procedures that operate on those representations.
,5. Which of the following is NOT considered a type of mental representation?
A) Concepts
B) Propositions
C) Neurotransmitters
D) Analogies
ANSWER: C
Rationale: The primary types of mental representations are concepts, propositions (declarative
knowledge), rules (procedural knowledge), analogies, and images (visual imagery). Neurotransmitters
are chemical messengers, not mental representations.
6. The majority of our thoughts are in:
A) Images
B) Words
C) Mathematical formulas
D) Unconscious feelings
ANSWER: B
Rationale: While we use various forms of mental representation, the majority of our conscious thoughts
are encoded in words (language).
7. What are the four stages of analogical reasoning in correct order?
A) Mapping → Comprehension → Adaptation → Retrieval
B) Comprehension → Retrieval → Mapping → Adaptation
C) Retrieval → Comprehension → Mapping → Adaptation
D) Adaptation → Mapping → Retrieval → Comprehension
, ANSWER: B
Rationale: The four stages are: (1) Comprehension of the target problem, (2) Remembering/retrieving a
similar source problem, (3) Composing and mapping the source and target, and (4) Adapting the source
problem to produce a solution.
8. Where in the brain are concepts primarily formed?
A) Occipital lobe
B) Left hemisphere only
C) Basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex
D) Cerebellum
ANSWER: C
Rationale: Concepts are formed in the basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex.
9. Where in the brain are propositions primarily formed?
A) Basal ganglia
B) Right hemisphere
C) Left hemisphere
D) Occipital lobe
ANSWER: C
Rationale: Propositions (declarative knowledge) are primarily formed in the left hemisphere of the brain.
10. Where in the brain are rules primarily formed?
A) Occipital lobe and temporal lobe
B) Basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex
