PYC3714 EXAM PACK 2026
According to -----, mental responses cannot be measured directly, instead they must be
interpreted from behaviour - answer-Donder: Donder theorised that mental responses
cannot be measured directly but must be inferred from behaviour (CP, p. 5)
----- founded the first laboratory of scientific psychology at the university of Leipzig in
Germany. - answer-Wundt : Wilhelm Wundt founded the first laboratory of scientific
psychology at the university of Leipzig in Germany (CP, p. 7)
In his early work of determining the nature of memory and forgetting, ----- established
that
memory drops rapidly for the first two days after the initial learning, and thereafter
remains at
the same level. - answer-Ebbinghaus: Hermann Ebbinghaus deduced that memory
drops rapidly for the first two days after the initial learning and then levels off (see pg.
9).
BF Skinner was not interested in what was happening in the mind, he was interested in
how ----- was controlled by external stimuli. - answer-behaviour: Skinner was not
interested in what was happening in the mind, he was interested in how behaviour was
controlled by external stimuli (e.g. how pairing one stimulus with another stimulus
affected behaviour) (CP, p. 11)
----- refers to a learning process where behaviour is strengthened by the presentation of
positive reinforcers (i.e. social approval) or withdrawal of negative reinforcers (i.e. social
rejection) - answer-Operant conditioning : Operant conditioning refers to a learning
process where behaviour is strengthened by the presentation of positive reinforcers or
withdrawal of negative reinforcers. Thus, reinforcers increases the likelihood of
behaviour being repeated, and punishment decreases the likelihood of behaviour being
repeated (CP, p. 11)
Psychologists in the 1940's did not use the term "cognitive" because it violated the
behaviourists'' idea that the internal processes such as thinking and mind maps in the
head were not acceptable topics to discuss. It was ----- work that introduced the concept
of a cognitive map. - answer-Edward Tolman's : The concept of cognitive map was
based on the work of Edward Tolman (CP, p. 12).
According to -----, children learned language through operant conditioning. However,
----- claimed that language development is determined by a biological programme that
hold across cultures. - answer-Skinner, Chomsky: F Skinner argued that children
learned language through operant conditioning. However, Noam Chomsky claimed that
, language development is determined by biological programme that hold across cultures
(CP, p. 13)
----- refers to the method of studying the mind that tracks sequences of mental activities
involved in cognition. - answer-information processing approach: Information processing
approach refers to the studying of the method of studying the mind that tracks
sequences of mental activities involved in cognition (CP, p. 13).
Cognitive neuroscience refers to the study of the ----- basis of cognition. - answer-
physiological : Cognitive neuroscience refers to the study of the physiological principles
of cognition (CP, p. 10)
----- are tiny branches that receive signals from other neurons - answer-dendrites:
Dendrites (tree-like branch) receives signals from other neurons.
A specialised junction where two neurons or a neuron and another cell communicate
and transmit signals is called -----
. - answer-synapse : specialised junction where two neurons or a neuron and another
cell communicate and transmit signals is called synapse (CP, p. 28).
What happens when the action potentials reach the synapse at the end of the axon? -
answer-a neurotransmitter is released : A chemical called neurotransmitter is released,
which makes it possible
for the signal to be transmitted across the that separates the end of the axon from the
dendrite of the cell body of another neuron (CP, p.31)
Sudoku puzzles are not just visual representation of numbers in a grid. In your brain, it's
a complex pattern of neurons firing. This example illustrates the -----. - answer-principle
of neural representation: This illustrates how our experiences are represented both in
our mind (behaviourally) and in the brain (physiologically) (CP, p.32)
Which technique is utilised for detecting tumours and other brain abnormalities? -
answer-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) :An MRI is a standard technique for
detecting tumours and other brain abnormalities, (NB it does not indicate neural activity)
(CP, p. 40)
----- is regarded as a safe method to temporarily alter brain activity, which can be used
to study the causal link between brain structure and cognitive function? - answer-
transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is
regarded as a safe method to temporarily alter brain activity, which can be used to study
the causal link between brain structure and cognitive function
Which of the following is an example of an effect of top-down processing? - answer-
Speech segmentation: Top-down processing refers to how our prior knowledge,
experiences, and expectations influence our perception. Speech segmentation is an
example of top-down processing because our understanding of language helps us
According to -----, mental responses cannot be measured directly, instead they must be
interpreted from behaviour - answer-Donder: Donder theorised that mental responses
cannot be measured directly but must be inferred from behaviour (CP, p. 5)
----- founded the first laboratory of scientific psychology at the university of Leipzig in
Germany. - answer-Wundt : Wilhelm Wundt founded the first laboratory of scientific
psychology at the university of Leipzig in Germany (CP, p. 7)
In his early work of determining the nature of memory and forgetting, ----- established
that
memory drops rapidly for the first two days after the initial learning, and thereafter
remains at
the same level. - answer-Ebbinghaus: Hermann Ebbinghaus deduced that memory
drops rapidly for the first two days after the initial learning and then levels off (see pg.
9).
BF Skinner was not interested in what was happening in the mind, he was interested in
how ----- was controlled by external stimuli. - answer-behaviour: Skinner was not
interested in what was happening in the mind, he was interested in how behaviour was
controlled by external stimuli (e.g. how pairing one stimulus with another stimulus
affected behaviour) (CP, p. 11)
----- refers to a learning process where behaviour is strengthened by the presentation of
positive reinforcers (i.e. social approval) or withdrawal of negative reinforcers (i.e. social
rejection) - answer-Operant conditioning : Operant conditioning refers to a learning
process where behaviour is strengthened by the presentation of positive reinforcers or
withdrawal of negative reinforcers. Thus, reinforcers increases the likelihood of
behaviour being repeated, and punishment decreases the likelihood of behaviour being
repeated (CP, p. 11)
Psychologists in the 1940's did not use the term "cognitive" because it violated the
behaviourists'' idea that the internal processes such as thinking and mind maps in the
head were not acceptable topics to discuss. It was ----- work that introduced the concept
of a cognitive map. - answer-Edward Tolman's : The concept of cognitive map was
based on the work of Edward Tolman (CP, p. 12).
According to -----, children learned language through operant conditioning. However,
----- claimed that language development is determined by a biological programme that
hold across cultures. - answer-Skinner, Chomsky: F Skinner argued that children
learned language through operant conditioning. However, Noam Chomsky claimed that
, language development is determined by biological programme that hold across cultures
(CP, p. 13)
----- refers to the method of studying the mind that tracks sequences of mental activities
involved in cognition. - answer-information processing approach: Information processing
approach refers to the studying of the method of studying the mind that tracks
sequences of mental activities involved in cognition (CP, p. 13).
Cognitive neuroscience refers to the study of the ----- basis of cognition. - answer-
physiological : Cognitive neuroscience refers to the study of the physiological principles
of cognition (CP, p. 10)
----- are tiny branches that receive signals from other neurons - answer-dendrites:
Dendrites (tree-like branch) receives signals from other neurons.
A specialised junction where two neurons or a neuron and another cell communicate
and transmit signals is called -----
. - answer-synapse : specialised junction where two neurons or a neuron and another
cell communicate and transmit signals is called synapse (CP, p. 28).
What happens when the action potentials reach the synapse at the end of the axon? -
answer-a neurotransmitter is released : A chemical called neurotransmitter is released,
which makes it possible
for the signal to be transmitted across the that separates the end of the axon from the
dendrite of the cell body of another neuron (CP, p.31)
Sudoku puzzles are not just visual representation of numbers in a grid. In your brain, it's
a complex pattern of neurons firing. This example illustrates the -----. - answer-principle
of neural representation: This illustrates how our experiences are represented both in
our mind (behaviourally) and in the brain (physiologically) (CP, p.32)
Which technique is utilised for detecting tumours and other brain abnormalities? -
answer-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) :An MRI is a standard technique for
detecting tumours and other brain abnormalities, (NB it does not indicate neural activity)
(CP, p. 40)
----- is regarded as a safe method to temporarily alter brain activity, which can be used
to study the causal link between brain structure and cognitive function? - answer-
transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is
regarded as a safe method to temporarily alter brain activity, which can be used to study
the causal link between brain structure and cognitive function
Which of the following is an example of an effect of top-down processing? - answer-
Speech segmentation: Top-down processing refers to how our prior knowledge,
experiences, and expectations influence our perception. Speech segmentation is an
example of top-down processing because our understanding of language helps us
