WGU D570 COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY OA |
STUDY GUIDE 2026/2027 + PRACTICE
EXAM QUESTIONS | VERIFIED ANSWERS |
100% CORRECT | GRADED A+
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 Shifrin's model of
memory with limited capacity, holding information for seconds
Biological Milestones - ANSWER universal developmental events such as
puberty
cognition - ANSWER all mental abilities including perceiving, learning,
remembering, thinking, reasoning, and understanding
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
Action potential - ANSWER propagated electrical potential responsible for
transmitting neural information and for communication between neurons. Action
potentials typically travel down a neuron's axon
Broca's Area - ANSWER in the frontal lobe, identified as specialized for
language production
cerebral cortex - ANSWER a layer of tissue about 3 mm thick covering the
brain, responsible for many cognitive functions
, connectome - ANSWER the structural description of the network of elements
and connections forming the human brain, often referred to as the wiring diagram
of neurons in the brain.
Default Mode Network (DMN) - ANSWER a network of brain structures that
respond when a person is not involved in specific tasks. Associated with mind
wandering and becomes active during rest
Distributed Processing - ANSWER idea that different areas of the brain are
involved in a particular type of cognition and are interconnected, allowing
communication between them
Distributed Representation - ANSWER Cognitions activate several areas of the
brain, which is evident in responses to faces, memories, and language processing
Experience-dependent plasticity - ANSWER a phenomenon where the structure
of the brain is changed by experience, leading to alterations in neural connections
Hierarchical processing - ANSWER a progression from lower to higher areas of
the brain, where neurons at higher levels respond to more complex stimuli
Localization of function - ANSWER principle of brain organization where
specific areas of the brain serve specific functions
neurotransmitter - ANSWER a chemical released at the synapse of a neuron,
facilitating the transmission of signals across the gap to another neuron
STUDY GUIDE 2026/2027 + PRACTICE
EXAM QUESTIONS | VERIFIED ANSWERS |
100% CORRECT | GRADED A+
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 Shifrin's model of
memory with limited capacity, holding information for seconds
Biological Milestones - ANSWER universal developmental events such as
puberty
cognition - ANSWER all mental abilities including perceiving, learning,
remembering, thinking, reasoning, and understanding
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
Action potential - ANSWER propagated electrical potential responsible for
transmitting neural information and for communication between neurons. Action
potentials typically travel down a neuron's axon
Broca's Area - ANSWER in the frontal lobe, identified as specialized for
language production
cerebral cortex - ANSWER a layer of tissue about 3 mm thick covering the
brain, responsible for many cognitive functions
, connectome - ANSWER the structural description of the network of elements
and connections forming the human brain, often referred to as the wiring diagram
of neurons in the brain.
Default Mode Network (DMN) - ANSWER a network of brain structures that
respond when a person is not involved in specific tasks. Associated with mind
wandering and becomes active during rest
Distributed Processing - ANSWER idea that different areas of the brain are
involved in a particular type of cognition and are interconnected, allowing
communication between them
Distributed Representation - ANSWER Cognitions activate several areas of the
brain, which is evident in responses to faces, memories, and language processing
Experience-dependent plasticity - ANSWER a phenomenon where the structure
of the brain is changed by experience, leading to alterations in neural connections
Hierarchical processing - ANSWER a progression from lower to higher areas of
the brain, where neurons at higher levels respond to more complex stimuli
Localization of function - ANSWER principle of brain organization where
specific areas of the brain serve specific functions
neurotransmitter - ANSWER a chemical released at the synapse of a neuron,
facilitating the transmission of signals across the gap to another neuron
