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, CHAPTER 1: The Science of the Mind
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1.1. Describe the scope and goals of cognitive psychology.
1.2. Understand the case of H.M., and the many ways that memory influences our lives.
1.3. Describe the limitations of introspection as a method for scientific inquiry.
1.4. Compare and contrast classical (Watsonian) behaviorism and cognitive psychology.
1.5. Kant‘s ―transcendental method‖ is sometimes called ―inference to best explanation.‖ Explain this
method and how it works.
1.6. Describe the role, in the emergence of cognitive psychology, that was played by computer science
and the development of ―computer intelligence.‖
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following topics is NOT commonly studied within cognitive psychology?
a. anger management
b. decision making
c. memory
d. Attention
CORRECT ANSWER: A DIF: Easy REF: The Scope of Cognitive Psychology OBJ:
1.1 MSC: Understanding
2. Cognitive processes are NOT necessary for which daily activity?
a. reading a newspaper
b. studying for a test
c. talking on the phone
d. breathing
CORRECT ANSWER: D DIF: Easy REF: The Scope of Cognitive Psychology
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,OBJ: 1.1 MSC: Applying
3. Alyssa wants to be a psychologist but is unsure which topic within psychology most interests her.
Which of the following topics would be LEAST likely to lead her into cognitive psychology?
a. amnesia
b. language acquisition
c. Lyme disease
d. problem-solving strategies
CORRECT ANSWER: C DIF: Easy REF: The Scope of Cognitive Psychology OBJ:
1.1 MSC: Applying
4. Consider the sequence ―Betsy wanted to bring Jacob a present. She shook her piggy bank.‖ Most
people, after hearing this sequence, believe Betsy was checking her piggy bank to see if she had money to
spend on the gift. This inference about Betsy‘s goals depends on the fact that
a. our previous knowledge fills in background information whenever we‘re understanding an event
or conversation.
b. readers are likely to know someone named Jacob.
c. English, unlike other languages, requires speakers to mention all of the people involved in an
event.
d. the individual sentences are short.
CORRECT ANSWER: A DIF: Easy REF: The Broad Role for Memory OBJ: 1.1
MSC: Understanding
5. Which of the following statements is LEAST likely to apply to patient H.M.?
a. ―He cannot remember what he did earlier today, including events that took place just an hour
ago.‖
b. ―He read this story last month, but he was still surprised by how the story turned out.‖
c. ―Even though he has encountered the nurse many times, he is still unable to recognize her.‖
d. ―He remembered that it was only a week ago that he‘d heard the sad news that his uncle had
died.‖
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, CORRECT ANSWER: D DIF: Moderate REF: Amnesia and Memory Loss OBJ:
1.2 MSC: Applying
6. Research with H.M. provides an illustration for which major theme of the chapter?
a. Introspection is an important research tool for cognitive psychologists.
b. Cognitive psychology can help us understand a wide range of activities that depend on someone‘s
ability to remember.
c. Memory is not very important.
d. The disruption caused by brain damage depends on how widespread the damage is, and not on the
specific sites that are damaged.
CORRECT ANSWER: B DIF: Moderate REF: The Scope of Cognitive Psychology
OBJ: 1.2 MSC: Evaluating
7. Patients suffering from clinical amnesia are characterized by
a. memory dysfunction.
b. an inability to recognize patterns.
c. inarticulate speech.
d. impaired language comprehension.
CORRECT ANSWER: A DIF: Easy REF: Amnesia and Memory Loss OBJ: 1.2
MSC: Remembering
8. The term ―introspection‖ refers to the
a. process by which one individual seeks to infer the thoughts of another individual.
b. procedure of examining thought processing by monitoring the brain‘s electrical activity.
c. process of each person looking within, to observe his or her own thoughts and ideas.
d. technique of studying thought by interpreting the symbols used in communication.
CORRECT ANSWER: C DIF: Easy REF: The Limits of Introspection OBJ: 1.3
MSC: Remembering
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, CHAPTER 1: The Science of the Mind
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1.1. Describe the scope and goals of cognitive psychology.
1.2. Understand the case of H.M., and the many ways that memory influences our lives.
1.3. Describe the limitations of introspection as a method for scientific inquiry.
1.4. Compare and contrast classical (Watsonian) behaviorism and cognitive psychology.
1.5. Kant‘s ―transcendental method‖ is sometimes called ―inference to best explanation.‖ Explain this
method and how it works.
1.6. Describe the role, in the emergence of cognitive psychology, that was played by computer science
and the development of ―computer intelligence.‖
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following topics is NOT commonly studied within cognitive psychology?
a. anger management
b. decision making
c. memory
d. Attention
CORRECT ANSWER: A DIF: Easy REF: The Scope of Cognitive Psychology OBJ:
1.1 MSC: Understanding
2. Cognitive processes are NOT necessary for which daily activity?
a. reading a newspaper
b. studying for a test
c. talking on the phone
d. breathing
CORRECT ANSWER: D DIF: Easy REF: The Scope of Cognitive Psychology
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,OBJ: 1.1 MSC: Applying
3. Alyssa wants to be a psychologist but is unsure which topic within psychology most interests her.
Which of the following topics would be LEAST likely to lead her into cognitive psychology?
a. amnesia
b. language acquisition
c. Lyme disease
d. problem-solving strategies
CORRECT ANSWER: C DIF: Easy REF: The Scope of Cognitive Psychology OBJ:
1.1 MSC: Applying
4. Consider the sequence ―Betsy wanted to bring Jacob a present. She shook her piggy bank.‖ Most
people, after hearing this sequence, believe Betsy was checking her piggy bank to see if she had money to
spend on the gift. This inference about Betsy‘s goals depends on the fact that
a. our previous knowledge fills in background information whenever we‘re understanding an event
or conversation.
b. readers are likely to know someone named Jacob.
c. English, unlike other languages, requires speakers to mention all of the people involved in an
event.
d. the individual sentences are short.
CORRECT ANSWER: A DIF: Easy REF: The Broad Role for Memory OBJ: 1.1
MSC: Understanding
5. Which of the following statements is LEAST likely to apply to patient H.M.?
a. ―He cannot remember what he did earlier today, including events that took place just an hour
ago.‖
b. ―He read this story last month, but he was still surprised by how the story turned out.‖
c. ―Even though he has encountered the nurse many times, he is still unable to recognize her.‖
d. ―He remembered that it was only a week ago that he‘d heard the sad news that his uncle had
died.‖
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, CORRECT ANSWER: D DIF: Moderate REF: Amnesia and Memory Loss OBJ:
1.2 MSC: Applying
6. Research with H.M. provides an illustration for which major theme of the chapter?
a. Introspection is an important research tool for cognitive psychologists.
b. Cognitive psychology can help us understand a wide range of activities that depend on someone‘s
ability to remember.
c. Memory is not very important.
d. The disruption caused by brain damage depends on how widespread the damage is, and not on the
specific sites that are damaged.
CORRECT ANSWER: B DIF: Moderate REF: The Scope of Cognitive Psychology
OBJ: 1.2 MSC: Evaluating
7. Patients suffering from clinical amnesia are characterized by
a. memory dysfunction.
b. an inability to recognize patterns.
c. inarticulate speech.
d. impaired language comprehension.
CORRECT ANSWER: A DIF: Easy REF: Amnesia and Memory Loss OBJ: 1.2
MSC: Remembering
8. The term ―introspection‖ refers to the
a. process by which one individual seeks to infer the thoughts of another individual.
b. procedure of examining thought processing by monitoring the brain‘s electrical activity.
c. process of each person looking within, to observe his or her own thoughts and ideas.
d. technique of studying thought by interpreting the symbols used in communication.
CORRECT ANSWER: C DIF: Easy REF: The Limits of Introspection OBJ: 1.3
MSC: Remembering
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