COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY FINAL
EXAM REVIEW EXAM WITH CORRECT
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
Cognitive psychology - CORRECT-ANSWERSThe scientific study of the mind
What does the mind do? - CORRECT-ANSWERS1)Creates and controls mental functions such
as perception, attention, memory, emotions, language, deciding, thinking and reasoning
2)Is a system that creates representation of the world so that we can act within it to achieve
our goals
1st indicates cognition-mental processes such as perception attention, memory);mind's control
in mental abilities
2nd indicates how the mind operates(creates representations+its function(enables us to act
and achieve goals;minds importance for functioning survival
Cognition - CORRECT-ANSWERSMental processes such as perception, attention, memory
,Francisus Donders - CORRECT-ANSWERSIn 1868, conducted 1st experiment that would be
considered cognitive psychology today. He wanted to know how long it takes to make a
decision. He did this by measuring reaction time(response to presentation of a stimulus). He
used a simple reaction task, in which subjects were asked to press a button upon presentation
of a light(light flashes-->receive light-->press key), and a choice reaction task, in which two
lights were flashed, one on the left and one on the right, and the subject has to perceive which
side the light was on, and decide which button to press(j or k). It took the subjects 1/10 of a
second to decide, and so he concluded that the difference in reaction time with simple and
choice determined how long it took people to make a decision. He concluded mental processes
can't be measured directly, but me inferred from behavior.
Hermann Ebbinghaus - CORRECT-ANSWERSHe was interested in determing the nature of
memory+forgetting specifically. He implemented a savings method and savings score (initial
repetitions-relearning repititions/initial reps)*100. Savings were greater(retention) for short
,intervals than long. Savings(forgetting) curve-memory drops rapidly for 1st 2 days after initial
learning then levels off
Wilhelm Wundt - CORRECT-ANSWERSIn 1879, Wundt founded 1st lab of scientific
psychology. Wundt's approach was to use structuralism-our overall experience is determined by
cominbing basic elemnts of experience(sensations). He wanted to create a table of all the the
basic sensations involved in creating experience. He wanted to do this through analytical
introspection(in which patients described thought processes in response to stimuli)
Ways you should be studying - CORRECT-ANSWERS1)Generativity-Take notes in own words;
relate to self
2)Distributed practice-Studying a little but over a long time(brain needs a break)
3)Encoding specificity-Source memory(conditions) trigger item memory(information);location-
try to study in some room where you will take the test or imagine it; mood-if you begin to study
, in a good mood, you breeze through information to go back to what you were doing; if in a
slightly down mood, you remember information better
4)Sleep-at least 2-6 hours before a test-No all nighters!
5)Primacy and Recency-You remember the 1st and last thing you read(notes) better and forget
information in the middle easier; vary the order in which you study infomation
6)Mnemonics(Method of Loci)-Just a basic method to remember information(place objects in a
house you want to remember, take test, go back through house and retrieve information from
rooms in the house
7)Quizzing-If you want to improve your memory, test yourself often; hightlight what you do not
know; take out sheet +write what you know, then compare to your notes; whatever you left out,
focus on that; repeat over time to make sure you know everything
Helmholtz - CORRECT-ANSWERSHe was concered with unconscious inference-inferring based
on past experience; your brain makes up stuff from past experiences; a lot of what you think you
EXAM REVIEW EXAM WITH CORRECT
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
Cognitive psychology - CORRECT-ANSWERSThe scientific study of the mind
What does the mind do? - CORRECT-ANSWERS1)Creates and controls mental functions such
as perception, attention, memory, emotions, language, deciding, thinking and reasoning
2)Is a system that creates representation of the world so that we can act within it to achieve
our goals
1st indicates cognition-mental processes such as perception attention, memory);mind's control
in mental abilities
2nd indicates how the mind operates(creates representations+its function(enables us to act
and achieve goals;minds importance for functioning survival
Cognition - CORRECT-ANSWERSMental processes such as perception, attention, memory
,Francisus Donders - CORRECT-ANSWERSIn 1868, conducted 1st experiment that would be
considered cognitive psychology today. He wanted to know how long it takes to make a
decision. He did this by measuring reaction time(response to presentation of a stimulus). He
used a simple reaction task, in which subjects were asked to press a button upon presentation
of a light(light flashes-->receive light-->press key), and a choice reaction task, in which two
lights were flashed, one on the left and one on the right, and the subject has to perceive which
side the light was on, and decide which button to press(j or k). It took the subjects 1/10 of a
second to decide, and so he concluded that the difference in reaction time with simple and
choice determined how long it took people to make a decision. He concluded mental processes
can't be measured directly, but me inferred from behavior.
Hermann Ebbinghaus - CORRECT-ANSWERSHe was interested in determing the nature of
memory+forgetting specifically. He implemented a savings method and savings score (initial
repetitions-relearning repititions/initial reps)*100. Savings were greater(retention) for short
,intervals than long. Savings(forgetting) curve-memory drops rapidly for 1st 2 days after initial
learning then levels off
Wilhelm Wundt - CORRECT-ANSWERSIn 1879, Wundt founded 1st lab of scientific
psychology. Wundt's approach was to use structuralism-our overall experience is determined by
cominbing basic elemnts of experience(sensations). He wanted to create a table of all the the
basic sensations involved in creating experience. He wanted to do this through analytical
introspection(in which patients described thought processes in response to stimuli)
Ways you should be studying - CORRECT-ANSWERS1)Generativity-Take notes in own words;
relate to self
2)Distributed practice-Studying a little but over a long time(brain needs a break)
3)Encoding specificity-Source memory(conditions) trigger item memory(information);location-
try to study in some room where you will take the test or imagine it; mood-if you begin to study
, in a good mood, you breeze through information to go back to what you were doing; if in a
slightly down mood, you remember information better
4)Sleep-at least 2-6 hours before a test-No all nighters!
5)Primacy and Recency-You remember the 1st and last thing you read(notes) better and forget
information in the middle easier; vary the order in which you study infomation
6)Mnemonics(Method of Loci)-Just a basic method to remember information(place objects in a
house you want to remember, take test, go back through house and retrieve information from
rooms in the house
7)Quizzing-If you want to improve your memory, test yourself often; hightlight what you do not
know; take out sheet +write what you know, then compare to your notes; whatever you left out,
focus on that; repeat over time to make sure you know everything
Helmholtz - CORRECT-ANSWERSHe was concered with unconscious inference-inferring based
on past experience; your brain makes up stuff from past experiences; a lot of what you think you
