AU PSYC 355 Cognitive
Psychology Test Bank For
Cognition 10th Edition
1. What is the definition of cognitive psychology?
Answer: Cognitive psychology is the branch of psychology that studies mental
processes such as perception, memory, problem-solving, decision-making, language,
and learning. It focuses on how people acquire, process, and store information.
2. What are the stages of memory processing in the Atkinson-Shiffrin model?
Answer: The Atkinson-Shiffrin model proposes three stages of memory processing:
Sensory Memory: The initial stage where sensory information is stored for a brief
period (milliseconds to a few seconds).
,Short-Term Memory (STM): Information that is attended to moves into short-term
memory, where it is held for about 15–30 seconds.
Long-Term Memory (LTM): Information that is rehearsed or processed deeply can
transfer to long-term memory, where it can be stored indefinitely.
3. Explain the difference between explicit and implicit memory.
Answer:
Explicit memory involves conscious recall of information and includes episodic
memory (personal events) and semantic memory (general facts).
Implicit memory involves unconscious memory processes, such as procedural
memory (how to perform tasks) and priming.
4. What is the Stroop Effect and how does it relate to cognitive processing?
Answer: The Stroop Effect refers to the delay in reaction time when a person is asked
to name the color of a word when the word itself is the name of a different color
(e.g., the word "red" written in blue ink). It demonstrates the interference of
automatic cognitive processes (reading) with controlled processes (color
identification).
5. What is the role of working memory in cognitive tasks?
Answer: Working memory is a system for temporarily storing and manipulating
information needed to perform complex cognitive tasks such as reasoning,
comprehension, and learning. It includes the central executive, which controls
attention, and two subsystems: the phonological loop (for verbal information) and
the visuospatial sketchpad (for visual and spatial information).
6. How does the concept of cognitive load affect learning and performance?
Answer: Cognitive load refers to the amount of mental effort required to process
information. High cognitive load can hinder learning and performance because it
overwhelms the brain's capacity to process information. Strategies like chunking and
simplifying tasks can help reduce cognitive load.
7. What is the concept of "cognitive bias," and can you provide an example?
Answer: Cognitive bias refers to systematic patterns of deviation from norm or
rationality in judgment, where individuals make decisions based on subjective
factors rather than objective reasoning. An example is the confirmation bias, where
,people tend to search for, interpret, or remember information that confirms their
preexisting beliefs.
8. What is the role of attention in cognitive processing?
Answer: Attention is the process of selectively focusing mental resources on specific
information while ignoring others. It is essential for perception, memory encoding,
and decision-making. Theories like the spotlight model of attention suggest that
attention can be directed to different areas in the environment, much like a
spotlight.
9. What is the role of schemas in cognitive processing?
Answer: Schemas are mental frameworks or structures that help individuals organize
and interpret information. They guide perception and memory by helping to
categorize and make sense of new information, although they can also lead to
distortions and biases if they are inaccurate.
10. What is the "dual process theory" in cognitive psychology?
Answer: Dual process theory suggests that there are two distinct systems of thinking:
System 1: Fast, automatic, intuitive, and often unconscious decision-making.
System 2: Slow, deliberate, analytical, and conscious reasoning.11. What is the
difference between bottom-up and top-down processing?
Answer:
Bottom-up processing occurs when perception is driven by incoming sensory
information from the environment, without prior knowledge or expectations (e.g.,
recognizing an unfamiliar object for the first time).
Top-down processing occurs when perception is influenced by prior knowledge,
experience, and expectations (e.g., recognizing a partially obscured word in a
sentence based on context).
12. What are the main components of Baddeley’s working memory model?
Answer: Baddeley’s model of working memory includes:
Central Executive – Directs attention and manages cognitive processes.
Phonological Loop – Processes verbal and auditory information.
Visuospatial Sketchpad – Handles visual and spatial information.
Episodic Buffer – Integrates information from different sources and links working
memory with long-term memory.
, 13. What is change blindness, and how does it demonstrate limitations in attention?
Answer: Change blindness is the failure to notice significant changes in a visual
scene, particularly when attention is diverted. It shows that perception depends
heavily on attention and that we do not encode every detail of our environment.
14. What are heuristics, and how do they affect decision-making?
Answer: Heuristics are mental shortcuts or rules of thumb used for problem-solving
and decision-making. While they are efficient, they can lead to biases. Examples
include:
Availability heuristic – Judging probability based on how easily examples come to
mind.
Representativeness heuristic – Judging likelihood based on similarity to a prototype.
15. What is the difference between episodic and semantic memory?
Answer:
Episodic memory stores personal experiences and specific events (e.g., recalling your
last vacation).
Semantic memory stores general knowledge and facts (e.g., knowing the capital of
France is Paris).
16. What is the capacity of short-term memory according to Miller’s “Magic
Number” theory?
Answer: George Miller proposed that short-term memory has a capacity of 7 ± 2
items. However, strategies like chunking (grouping items into meaningful units) can
expand this capacity.
17. What is the difference between proactive and retroactive interference?
Answer:
Proactive interference occurs when old information interferes with new learning
(e.g., struggling to remember a new phone number because of an old one).
Retroactive interference happens when new information disrupts the recall of old
information (e.g., learning a new language and forgetting vocabulary from a
previously learned language).
18. What is the distinction between declarative and procedural memory?
Answer:
Psychology Test Bank For
Cognition 10th Edition
1. What is the definition of cognitive psychology?
Answer: Cognitive psychology is the branch of psychology that studies mental
processes such as perception, memory, problem-solving, decision-making, language,
and learning. It focuses on how people acquire, process, and store information.
2. What are the stages of memory processing in the Atkinson-Shiffrin model?
Answer: The Atkinson-Shiffrin model proposes three stages of memory processing:
Sensory Memory: The initial stage where sensory information is stored for a brief
period (milliseconds to a few seconds).
,Short-Term Memory (STM): Information that is attended to moves into short-term
memory, where it is held for about 15–30 seconds.
Long-Term Memory (LTM): Information that is rehearsed or processed deeply can
transfer to long-term memory, where it can be stored indefinitely.
3. Explain the difference between explicit and implicit memory.
Answer:
Explicit memory involves conscious recall of information and includes episodic
memory (personal events) and semantic memory (general facts).
Implicit memory involves unconscious memory processes, such as procedural
memory (how to perform tasks) and priming.
4. What is the Stroop Effect and how does it relate to cognitive processing?
Answer: The Stroop Effect refers to the delay in reaction time when a person is asked
to name the color of a word when the word itself is the name of a different color
(e.g., the word "red" written in blue ink). It demonstrates the interference of
automatic cognitive processes (reading) with controlled processes (color
identification).
5. What is the role of working memory in cognitive tasks?
Answer: Working memory is a system for temporarily storing and manipulating
information needed to perform complex cognitive tasks such as reasoning,
comprehension, and learning. It includes the central executive, which controls
attention, and two subsystems: the phonological loop (for verbal information) and
the visuospatial sketchpad (for visual and spatial information).
6. How does the concept of cognitive load affect learning and performance?
Answer: Cognitive load refers to the amount of mental effort required to process
information. High cognitive load can hinder learning and performance because it
overwhelms the brain's capacity to process information. Strategies like chunking and
simplifying tasks can help reduce cognitive load.
7. What is the concept of "cognitive bias," and can you provide an example?
Answer: Cognitive bias refers to systematic patterns of deviation from norm or
rationality in judgment, where individuals make decisions based on subjective
factors rather than objective reasoning. An example is the confirmation bias, where
,people tend to search for, interpret, or remember information that confirms their
preexisting beliefs.
8. What is the role of attention in cognitive processing?
Answer: Attention is the process of selectively focusing mental resources on specific
information while ignoring others. It is essential for perception, memory encoding,
and decision-making. Theories like the spotlight model of attention suggest that
attention can be directed to different areas in the environment, much like a
spotlight.
9. What is the role of schemas in cognitive processing?
Answer: Schemas are mental frameworks or structures that help individuals organize
and interpret information. They guide perception and memory by helping to
categorize and make sense of new information, although they can also lead to
distortions and biases if they are inaccurate.
10. What is the "dual process theory" in cognitive psychology?
Answer: Dual process theory suggests that there are two distinct systems of thinking:
System 1: Fast, automatic, intuitive, and often unconscious decision-making.
System 2: Slow, deliberate, analytical, and conscious reasoning.11. What is the
difference between bottom-up and top-down processing?
Answer:
Bottom-up processing occurs when perception is driven by incoming sensory
information from the environment, without prior knowledge or expectations (e.g.,
recognizing an unfamiliar object for the first time).
Top-down processing occurs when perception is influenced by prior knowledge,
experience, and expectations (e.g., recognizing a partially obscured word in a
sentence based on context).
12. What are the main components of Baddeley’s working memory model?
Answer: Baddeley’s model of working memory includes:
Central Executive – Directs attention and manages cognitive processes.
Phonological Loop – Processes verbal and auditory information.
Visuospatial Sketchpad – Handles visual and spatial information.
Episodic Buffer – Integrates information from different sources and links working
memory with long-term memory.
, 13. What is change blindness, and how does it demonstrate limitations in attention?
Answer: Change blindness is the failure to notice significant changes in a visual
scene, particularly when attention is diverted. It shows that perception depends
heavily on attention and that we do not encode every detail of our environment.
14. What are heuristics, and how do they affect decision-making?
Answer: Heuristics are mental shortcuts or rules of thumb used for problem-solving
and decision-making. While they are efficient, they can lead to biases. Examples
include:
Availability heuristic – Judging probability based on how easily examples come to
mind.
Representativeness heuristic – Judging likelihood based on similarity to a prototype.
15. What is the difference between episodic and semantic memory?
Answer:
Episodic memory stores personal experiences and specific events (e.g., recalling your
last vacation).
Semantic memory stores general knowledge and facts (e.g., knowing the capital of
France is Paris).
16. What is the capacity of short-term memory according to Miller’s “Magic
Number” theory?
Answer: George Miller proposed that short-term memory has a capacity of 7 ± 2
items. However, strategies like chunking (grouping items into meaningful units) can
expand this capacity.
17. What is the difference between proactive and retroactive interference?
Answer:
Proactive interference occurs when old information interferes with new learning
(e.g., struggling to remember a new phone number because of an old one).
Retroactive interference happens when new information disrupts the recall of old
information (e.g., learning a new language and forgetting vocabulary from a
previously learned language).
18. What is the distinction between declarative and procedural memory?
Answer:
