WGU D570 COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
FINAL PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
⩥ artificial intelligence. Answer: a field of study aiming to make
machines behave in ways that would be considered intelligent if a
human were behaving that way, as defined by John McCarthy during the
Dartmouth conference
⩥ behaviorism. Answer: an approach to psychology founded by John
Watson that emphasizes the study of observable behavior and rejects
introspection and the investigation of unobservable mental processes
⩥ classical conditioning. Answer: a form of learning introduced by Ivan
Pavlov and associated with John Watson, wherein a neutral stimulus
becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus, resulting in a learned
response
⩥ cognition. Answer: all mental abilities, including perceiving, learning,
remembering, thinking, reasoning, and understanding
⩥ cognitive psychology. Answer: the study of mental processes,
encompassing characteristics and properties of the mind and how it
operates
,⩥ cognitive paradigm. Answer: the approach of focusing on
understanding mental processes and the operation of the mind, which
emerged during the cognitive revolution
⩥ cognitive revolution. Answer: a shift in psychology from behaviorism
to a focus on understanding mental processes, which occurred during the
1950s and was marked by events such as conferences on artificial
intelligence and information theory
⩥ decision-making process. Answer: the mental process involved in
making choices, as inferred from behavior in Donders' experiment
⩥ filter model of attention. Answer: a flow chart proposed by Donald
Broadbent in the 1950s that depicts the operation of the mind in terms of
processing stages, particularly in directing attention to stimuli in the
environment
⩥ functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Answer: a brain
imaging technique introduced in 1990 that allows the observation of
activated areas in the human brain during cognitive activity without
radioactive tracers
⩥ higher mental processes. Answer: the complex cognitive functions,
such as thinking, problem-solving, and long-term remembering,
considered in the study of cognitive psychology
,⩥ operant conditioning. Answer: a form of learning introduced by B. F.
Skinner that focuses on how behavior is strengthened by the presentation
of positive reinforcers or the withdrawal of negative reinforcers
⩥ stimulus-response relationships. Answer: the association between a
stimulus and the resulting behavior, a central focus of behaviorism
⩥ scientific revolution. Answer: a significant shift in scientific thinking
from one paradigm to another, marked by changes in dominant ideas and
approaches
⩥ sensory memory. Answer: a stage in Atkinson and Shiffrin's model of
memory that holds incoming information for a fraction of a second
⩥ short-term memory. Answer: a stage in Atkinson and Shiffrin's model
of memory with limited capacity, holding information for seconds
⩥ biological milestones. Answer: universal developmental events, such
as puberty
⩥ cognitive development. Answer: development of thinking and
reasoning abilities
, ⩥ developmental milestones. Answer: normative events marking stages
in development
⩥ fluid intelligence. Answer: information processing abilities, such as
logical reasoning, spatial ability, and reaction time
⩥ genotype. Answer: genetic makeup influencing traits
⩥ learning. Answer: the improvement of an organism's response to the
environment through the acquisition of new information
⩥ memory. Answer: the study of the capacity and fragility of human
memory, focusing on acquisition, storage, and retrieval
⩥ neuroplasticity. Answer: the brain's capacity to reorganize and adapt
⩥ normative approach. Answer: study of age-related averages for
developmental milestones
⩥ object permanence. Answer: understanding that objects continue to
exist even when out of sight
⩥ psychosocial development. Answer: development related to emotions,
personality, and social relationships
FINAL PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
⩥ artificial intelligence. Answer: a field of study aiming to make
machines behave in ways that would be considered intelligent if a
human were behaving that way, as defined by John McCarthy during the
Dartmouth conference
⩥ behaviorism. Answer: an approach to psychology founded by John
Watson that emphasizes the study of observable behavior and rejects
introspection and the investigation of unobservable mental processes
⩥ classical conditioning. Answer: a form of learning introduced by Ivan
Pavlov and associated with John Watson, wherein a neutral stimulus
becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus, resulting in a learned
response
⩥ cognition. Answer: all mental abilities, including perceiving, learning,
remembering, thinking, reasoning, and understanding
⩥ cognitive psychology. Answer: the study of mental processes,
encompassing characteristics and properties of the mind and how it
operates
,⩥ cognitive paradigm. Answer: the approach of focusing on
understanding mental processes and the operation of the mind, which
emerged during the cognitive revolution
⩥ cognitive revolution. Answer: a shift in psychology from behaviorism
to a focus on understanding mental processes, which occurred during the
1950s and was marked by events such as conferences on artificial
intelligence and information theory
⩥ decision-making process. Answer: the mental process involved in
making choices, as inferred from behavior in Donders' experiment
⩥ filter model of attention. Answer: a flow chart proposed by Donald
Broadbent in the 1950s that depicts the operation of the mind in terms of
processing stages, particularly in directing attention to stimuli in the
environment
⩥ functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Answer: a brain
imaging technique introduced in 1990 that allows the observation of
activated areas in the human brain during cognitive activity without
radioactive tracers
⩥ higher mental processes. Answer: the complex cognitive functions,
such as thinking, problem-solving, and long-term remembering,
considered in the study of cognitive psychology
,⩥ operant conditioning. Answer: a form of learning introduced by B. F.
Skinner that focuses on how behavior is strengthened by the presentation
of positive reinforcers or the withdrawal of negative reinforcers
⩥ stimulus-response relationships. Answer: the association between a
stimulus and the resulting behavior, a central focus of behaviorism
⩥ scientific revolution. Answer: a significant shift in scientific thinking
from one paradigm to another, marked by changes in dominant ideas and
approaches
⩥ sensory memory. Answer: a stage in Atkinson and Shiffrin's model of
memory that holds incoming information for a fraction of a second
⩥ short-term memory. Answer: a stage in Atkinson and Shiffrin's model
of memory with limited capacity, holding information for seconds
⩥ biological milestones. Answer: universal developmental events, such
as puberty
⩥ cognitive development. Answer: development of thinking and
reasoning abilities
, ⩥ developmental milestones. Answer: normative events marking stages
in development
⩥ fluid intelligence. Answer: information processing abilities, such as
logical reasoning, spatial ability, and reaction time
⩥ genotype. Answer: genetic makeup influencing traits
⩥ learning. Answer: the improvement of an organism's response to the
environment through the acquisition of new information
⩥ memory. Answer: the study of the capacity and fragility of human
memory, focusing on acquisition, storage, and retrieval
⩥ neuroplasticity. Answer: the brain's capacity to reorganize and adapt
⩥ normative approach. Answer: study of age-related averages for
developmental milestones
⩥ object permanence. Answer: understanding that objects continue to
exist even when out of sight
⩥ psychosocial development. Answer: development related to emotions,
personality, and social relationships
