Cognitive Psychology Intermediate Level MCQs

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1. What is the role of the prefrontal cortex in cognition?

  • Processing emotions
  • Encoding sensory information
  • Planning and decision-making
  • Regulating autonomic functions

2. What is the key concept of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development?

  • Stages of moral reasoning
  • The role of unconscious motivation
  • Sequential stages of cognitive growth
  • Social interaction as a basis for learning

3. Which term describes the mental process of organizing and interpreting sensory input?

  • Encoding
  • Perception
  • Attention
  • Retrieval

4. What is the primary function of sensory memory?

  • Storing sensory inputs for long-term use
  • Encoding information into long-term memory
  • Briefly retaining sensory information
  • Organizing stimuli into patterns

5. What does the term “dual coding” suggest in learning?

  • Using both verbal and visual information for memory
  • Processing auditory and tactile stimuli simultaneously
  • Storing information in two separate memory systems
  • Relying on emotional and logical reasoning

6. What is the “recency effect”?

  • The tendency to remember the first items in a list
  • The tendency to remember the last items in a list
  • The ability to remember random information
  • The tendency to forget irrelevant details

7. Which of the following is a type of implicit memory?

  • Semantic memory
  • Procedural memory
  • Episodic memory
  • Declarative memory

8. What is “attention switching”?

  • The ability to divide attention among multiple tasks
  • The act of shifting focus between tasks or stimuli
  • Maintaining sustained focus over time
  • Filtering out irrelevant information

9. What does the term “mental set” refer to?

  • A habitual approach to problem-solving
  • Flexibility in decision-making
  • An emotional state affecting cognition
  • A strategy for multitasking

10. What is the capacity of short-term memory according to Miller’s law?

  • 5 ± 2 items
  • 7 ± 2 items
  • 9 ± 2 items
  • 10 ± 2 items

11. What is the role of rehearsal in memory?

  • Enhancing sensory memory
  • Transferring information to long-term memory
  • Decoding sensory stimuli
  • Reducing cognitive load

12. What is the purpose of a heuristic in problem-solving?

  • To guarantee an accurate solution
  • To simplify complex problems quickly
  • To test multiple hypotheses
  • To minimize emotional influence

13. What is “functional fixedness”?

  • The tendency to perceive objects only in their traditional use
  • The ability to use objects creatively
  • The process of adapting to novel tasks
  • A lack of focus in problem-solving

14. What does “top-down processing” emphasize?

  • Sensory input guiding perception
  • Pre-existing knowledge shaping perception
  • Data-driven interpretation of stimuli
  • Random organization of sensory input

15. What is the main function of declarative memory?

  • Storing procedural knowledge
  • Retaining factual and event-related information
  • Managing emotional responses
  • Encoding sensory details

16. Which term describes the ability to process multiple stimuli simultaneously?

  • Selective attention
  • Divided attention
  • Sustained attention
  • Focused attention

17. What is the term for the phenomenon of improved memory recall when the context matches the learning environment?

  • Encoding specificity principle
  • Context-dependent memory
  • State-dependent learning
  • Episodic memory

18. What is an example of proactive interference in memory?

  • Forgetting a new password due to remembering an old one
  • Forgetting old habits due to learning new ones
  • Failing to recall due to emotional distress
  • Forgetting details over time

19. What is the role of the amygdala in cognition?

  • Storing semantic memories
  • Processing emotional responses
  • Managing motor coordination
  • Enhancing visual perception

20. What does “anchoring bias” refer to in decision-making?

  • Relying on the first piece of information as a reference point
  • Avoiding risk in uncertain situations
  • Overestimating the likelihood of recent events
  • Preferring familiar options over new ones

21. Which cognitive theory emphasizes the role of reinforcement in learning?

  • Behaviorism
  • Constructivism
  • Social learning theory
  • Information processing theory

22. What is “metacognition”?

  • The ability to multitask
  • Knowledge and awareness of one’s own thought processes
  • Automatic retrieval of information
  • The organization of sensory inputs

23. What does “semantic memory” store?

  • Personal experiences
  • Factual knowledge and concepts
  • Procedural skills
  • Emotional memories

24. Which type of processing involves analyzing individual components of a stimulus?

  • Top-down processing
  • Bottom-up processing
  • Selective processing
  • Divided processing

25. What is the term for forgetting caused by insufficient retrieval cues?

  • Decay theory
  • Retrieval failure
  • Proactive interference
  • Retroactive interference

26. Which term describes the brain’s ability to reorganize and adapt?

  • Neuroplasticity
  • Neurogenesis
  • Cognitive restructuring
  • Synaptic pruning

27. What does the “serial position effect” explain?

  • Improved recall for the first and last items in a list
  • Difficulty recalling details in random order
  • Enhanced memory for repetitive stimuli
  • The impact of practice on memory

28. What does “automaticity” refer to in cognitive psychology?

  • The ability to perform tasks without conscious effort
  • The process of encoding information into memory
  • The practice of multitasking effectively
  • The application of heuristics in decision-making

29. Which of the following is an example of state-dependent memory?

  • Recalling information while in the same emotional state as learning
  • Memorizing a list of words using repetition
  • Forgetting details of unrelated events
  • Recognizing familiar faces

30. Which of the following is an example of cognitive dissonance?

  • Feeling anxiety before a big exam
  • A person justifying their unhealthy lifestyle despite knowing its risks
  • Recalling a memory from childhood
  • Learning a new language by repeating words aloud