Which of the following activities would require the deepest level of processing according to the levels of processing theory in cognitive psychology?

• A. Noticing whether a word is written in uppercase or lowercase letters
• B. Repeating a word over and over without considering its meaning
• C. Counting the number of letters in a word
• D. Thinking about the meaning of a word and relating it to your own experiences

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the levels of processing theory, which suggests that memory retention depends on the depth of mental processing, ranging from shallow to deep processing.
2. Identify shallow processing activities, such as focusing on physical features of a word (e.g., noticing uppercase or lowercase letters) or repeating a word without meaning, which involve minimal semantic engagement.
3. Recognize intermediate processing, like counting the number of letters in a word, which involves some attention to the word's structure but not its meaning.
4. Understand that deep processing involves semantic encoding, where you think about the meaning of the word and relate it to your own experiences, creating stronger memory traces.
5. Conclude that among the given options, the activity requiring the deepest level of processing is thinking about the meaning of a word and relating it to personal experiences, as it engages semantic and elaborative processing.