Most Tested Questions & Verified Answers | Latest Update | Graded A+
SECTION 1: HISTORY AND FOUNDATIONS OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
Question 1
Who conducted one of the first experiments in cognitive psychology in 1868, 11 years before the
founding of the first psychological laboratory?
A) Wilhelm Wundt
B) Hermann Ebbinghaus
C) Franciscus Donders
D) William James
Correct Answer: C – Franciscus Donders
Rationale: Franciscus Donders conducted one of the first cognitive psychology experiments in 1868
using reaction time to measure mental processes. He used the subtraction method to infer the time
course of cognitive operations.
Question 2
Cognitive psychology is best defined as the study of:
A) Observable behavior only
B) Mental processes including perception, attention, memory, language, and problem-solving
C) Unconscious drives and conflicts
D) Social interactions and group dynamics
Correct Answer: B – Mental processes including perception, attention, memory, language, and
problem-solving
Rationale: Cognitive psychology is the scientific study of the mind and mental processes, including
perception, attention, memory, language, problem-solving, and decision-making.
Question 3
Which approach to psychology emphasizes the study of observable behavior and rejects the study of
internal mental processes?
A) Cognitive psychology
B) Behaviorism
C) Structuralism
D) Functionalism
,Correct Answer: B – Behaviorism
Rationale: Behaviorism, championed by John Watson and B.F. Skinner, focused exclusively on
observable behavior and rejected the study of internal mental processes as unscientific.
Question 4
The "cognitive revolution" in psychology occurred primarily during which decade?
A) 1920s
B) 1940s
C) 1950s
D) 1970s
Correct Answer: C – 1950s
Rationale: The cognitive revolution began in the 1950s as a response to behaviorism, influenced by
developments in computer science, linguistics, and information processing theory.
Question 5
Which of the following is a key assumption of the information processing approach in cognitive
psychology?
A) Mental processes cannot be studied scientifically
B) The mind operates like a computer, processing information through a series of stages
C) All behavior is determined by environmental stimuli
D) Cognitive processes are unconscious and inaccessible
Correct Answer: B – The mind operates like a computer, processing information through a series of
stages
Rationale: The information processing approach views the mind as a system that processes information
through a series of stages, similar to a computer.
Question 6
Wilhelm Wundt is best known for:
A) Founding the first psychology laboratory
B) Developing behaviorism
C) Proposing the cognitive revolution
D) Discovering classical conditioning
Correct Answer: A – Founding the first psychology laboratory
, Rationale: Wilhelm Wundt founded the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany, in 1879,
marking the formal beginning of psychology as a scientific discipline.
Question 7
The method of introspection, used by early structuralists, involves:
A) Observing and reporting one's own conscious experiences
B) Measuring reaction times to stimuli
C) Observing animal behavior in controlled settings
D) Analyzing brain lesions in patients
Correct Answer: A – Observing and reporting one's own conscious experiences
Rationale: Introspection involves systematically observing and reporting one's own conscious
experiences in response to stimuli.
Question 8
Who proposed the concept of the "black box" in behaviorism?
A) Wilhelm Wundt
B) John Watson
C) B.F. Skinner
D) Edward Tolman
Correct Answer: B – John Watson
Rationale: John Watson proposed that the mind is a "black box" that cannot be observed or studied
scientifically; only inputs (stimuli) and outputs (behaviors) should be studied.
Question 9
Which of the following is NOT a core area of study in cognitive psychology?
A) Memory
B) Attention
C) Dream analysis
D) Language
Correct Answer: C – Dream analysis
Rationale: Dream analysis is more closely associated with psychoanalysis (Freud) than with cognitive
psychology. Core areas of cognitive psychology include memory, attention, language, perception, and
problem-solving.