Question 1

Which of the following best describes the main focus of cognitive psychology?

Accepted Answer

The study of mental processes such as information processing, memory, perception, language, and problem solving.

Question 2

The rise of which technology in the 1950s and 60s most influenced the development of cognitive psychology?

Accepted Answer

Computers

Question 3

Which of the following research questions would a cognitive psychologist most likely investigate?

Accepted Answer

How do humans process, think, remember, and solve problems?

Question 4

Which psychologist is credited with founding the field of cognitive psychology and publishing the influential book 'Cognitive Psychology' in 1967?

Accepted Answer

Ulric Neisser

Question 5

Noam Chomsky is best known for his contributions to which area of cognitive psychology?

Accepted Answer

The cognitive revolution and the study of language acquisition

Question 6

George A. Miller's research on memory is best known for introducing which concept?

Accepted Answer

The concept of 'chunking' and the idea that short-term memory capacity is about 7 items

Question 7

Which statement best reflects a criticism that a cognitive psychologist might make about behaviorism?

Accepted Answer

By focusing entirely on behavior, we are missing something because most psychological phenomena happen in the mind.

Question 8

The shift from behaviorism to cognitive psychology is often referred to as:

Accepted Answer

The Cognitive Revolution

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of applying cognitive psychology to a real-world problem?

Accepted Answer

Designing computer interfaces that match how people process information.

Question 10

A cognitive psychologist is interested in how people solve problems. Which process would they most likely study?

Accepted Answer

Heuristic reasoning

Question 11

Which equation best represents Miller's concept of short-term memory capacity?

Accepted Answer

$$n = 7 \pm 2$$

Question 12

If a psychologist is studying how people encode, store, and retrieve information, which subfield are they most likely working in?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive psychology

Question 13

Which of the following best illustrates the use of a computer metaphor in cognitive psychology?

Accepted Answer

Describing the brain as processing, storing, and retrieving information like a computer.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT a typical research question for cognitive psychologists?

Accepted Answer

How do neurotransmitters affect muscle contraction?

Question 15

Which of the following best explains why cognitive psychology became popular in the mid-20th century?

Accepted Answer

The rise of computers, which provided a new way to think about mental processes.

Question 16

A cognitive psychologist is designing an experiment to test memory capacity. Which method would be most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Asking participants to recall a list of words and analyzing the number of items remembered.

Question 17

Which of the following statements is most consistent with the cognitive approach to psychology?

Accepted Answer

Mental processes such as thinking and memory are central to understanding behavior.

Question 18

Which founder of cognitive psychology argued that language acquisition could not be explained solely by behaviorist principles?

Accepted Answer

Noam Chomsky

Question 19

Which of the following best describes the concept of 'chunking' in memory?

Accepted Answer

Grouping information into meaningful units to increase memory capacity.

Question 20

A cognitive psychologist is interested in stereotypes. Which research question would they most likely ask?

Accepted Answer

How do people develop stereotypes through mental processes?

Cognitive Psychology: Foundations, Key Figures, and Research Questions

Study Guide - Practice Questions