Cognitive Psychology WGU D570 Exam 1 (Chapters 1-
4): Questions And Complete Answers
What is cognitive psychology? Right Ans - -the scientific study of mental
processing (what the mind does)
Speech perception Right Ans - -understood a request (ex. asked to answer
a question on board; how many hands did Aristotle have?)
Object recognition Right Ans - Recognized board
Attention Right Ans - Shifted attention toward screen
Reading Right Ans - Read and comprehended words
Memory retrieval Right Ans - -searched memory for info on Aristotle
-general knowledge (semantic memory)
-specific instances (episodic memory)
Judgement Right Ans - "this seems so silly, do I have to answer this?"
Reasoning Right Ans - Never learned that he had two, so made an inference
Speech production Right Ans - Verbalize response
Types of "data examined" Right Ans - -Cognitive psychology
-Cognitive neuroscience
-Cognitive neuropsychology
Cognitive psychology Right Ans - -behavioral measures used because we
cannot directly observe mental processes
Cognitive neuroscience Right Ans - -the attempt to use info about behavior
AND the brain to understand human cognition
Cognitive neuropsychology Right Ans -
Behavioral Data and Cognitive Psychology Right Ans - -Reaction Time (RT)
,Reaction Time Right Ans - -how quickly a task is performed
-provides a measure of:
-difficulty
-harder tasks take longer
-number of mental steps involved
-more steps take longer
-interference in processing
-conflicting information causes you to take longer
-Accuracy (ACC)
-how many errors someone makes when performing task
Behavioral Data and Inferences Right Ans - Problem:
-can't observe mental events directly
-can look at speed/accuracy with which people perform tasks (ex.
remembering what you wore yesterday, last week, etc.)
-manipulate characteristics
Types of Data: Reaction Time example Right Ans - -Flanker Task: Exploring
attention
-identify center item (target), ex. X or N
-respond with key press
-ignore flanking items
-manipulate:
-flankers compatible with target
-flankers closer or farther away
Possible model of attention Right Ans - -attention selects a region of space
(like a spotlight)
-info in selected region influences response selection
lower limit to spatial resolution of attentional focus
-this attentional focus can only get so small
-flankers inside or outside of the spotlight
Types of Data: Accuracy example Right Ans - -plate, leaf, shoe, cabin, bed,
ice, barn, fence
-primacy and recency effect
, Neurons Right Ans - -cells specialized to create, receive, and transmit
information in nervous system
-dendrites
-cell body
-axon
Dendrites Right Ans - -expands cell body, can receive more synapses
Action Potential Right Ans - -neuron receives a signal
-information travels down the axon of that neuron to the dendrites of another
neuron
Measuring action potentials Right Ans - -micro electrodes pick up electric
signal
-comparing charge inside and outside of neuron
-potential typically -70mv at resting state
Propagation of action potential Right Ans - -depolarization occurs when
Na+ ion channels open, allowing positive ions to enter the cell
-depolarization at one location on axon leads to opening of Na+ channels at
neighboring locations
-depolarization spreads down axon
-myelin sheath spreads signal transmission
-signal jumps from node to node
Measuring action potentials Right Ans - -the size is NOT measured; size
remains consistent
-the rate of firing is measured
Low intensities => Right Ans - Slow firing rate
High intensities => Right Ans - Fast firing rate
Synapse Right Ans - space between axon terminal buttons of one neuron
and dendrite or cell body of another
When the action potential reaches the end of the axon... Right Ans -
synaptic vesicles open and release chemical neurotransmitters
4): Questions And Complete Answers
What is cognitive psychology? Right Ans - -the scientific study of mental
processing (what the mind does)
Speech perception Right Ans - -understood a request (ex. asked to answer
a question on board; how many hands did Aristotle have?)
Object recognition Right Ans - Recognized board
Attention Right Ans - Shifted attention toward screen
Reading Right Ans - Read and comprehended words
Memory retrieval Right Ans - -searched memory for info on Aristotle
-general knowledge (semantic memory)
-specific instances (episodic memory)
Judgement Right Ans - "this seems so silly, do I have to answer this?"
Reasoning Right Ans - Never learned that he had two, so made an inference
Speech production Right Ans - Verbalize response
Types of "data examined" Right Ans - -Cognitive psychology
-Cognitive neuroscience
-Cognitive neuropsychology
Cognitive psychology Right Ans - -behavioral measures used because we
cannot directly observe mental processes
Cognitive neuroscience Right Ans - -the attempt to use info about behavior
AND the brain to understand human cognition
Cognitive neuropsychology Right Ans -
Behavioral Data and Cognitive Psychology Right Ans - -Reaction Time (RT)
,Reaction Time Right Ans - -how quickly a task is performed
-provides a measure of:
-difficulty
-harder tasks take longer
-number of mental steps involved
-more steps take longer
-interference in processing
-conflicting information causes you to take longer
-Accuracy (ACC)
-how many errors someone makes when performing task
Behavioral Data and Inferences Right Ans - Problem:
-can't observe mental events directly
-can look at speed/accuracy with which people perform tasks (ex.
remembering what you wore yesterday, last week, etc.)
-manipulate characteristics
Types of Data: Reaction Time example Right Ans - -Flanker Task: Exploring
attention
-identify center item (target), ex. X or N
-respond with key press
-ignore flanking items
-manipulate:
-flankers compatible with target
-flankers closer or farther away
Possible model of attention Right Ans - -attention selects a region of space
(like a spotlight)
-info in selected region influences response selection
lower limit to spatial resolution of attentional focus
-this attentional focus can only get so small
-flankers inside or outside of the spotlight
Types of Data: Accuracy example Right Ans - -plate, leaf, shoe, cabin, bed,
ice, barn, fence
-primacy and recency effect
, Neurons Right Ans - -cells specialized to create, receive, and transmit
information in nervous system
-dendrites
-cell body
-axon
Dendrites Right Ans - -expands cell body, can receive more synapses
Action Potential Right Ans - -neuron receives a signal
-information travels down the axon of that neuron to the dendrites of another
neuron
Measuring action potentials Right Ans - -micro electrodes pick up electric
signal
-comparing charge inside and outside of neuron
-potential typically -70mv at resting state
Propagation of action potential Right Ans - -depolarization occurs when
Na+ ion channels open, allowing positive ions to enter the cell
-depolarization at one location on axon leads to opening of Na+ channels at
neighboring locations
-depolarization spreads down axon
-myelin sheath spreads signal transmission
-signal jumps from node to node
Measuring action potentials Right Ans - -the size is NOT measured; size
remains consistent
-the rate of firing is measured
Low intensities => Right Ans - Slow firing rate
High intensities => Right Ans - Fast firing rate
Synapse Right Ans - space between axon terminal buttons of one neuron
and dendrite or cell body of another
When the action potential reaches the end of the axon... Right Ans -
synaptic vesicles open and release chemical neurotransmitters
