Cognitive Psychology Exam 2 Sample Questions

Chapter 5 Material: Explain Sperling's experiments about sensory . Compare and contrast the results of the whole- vs. partial-report methods, and use this example to explain how clever experimentation can reveal rapid cognitive processes that we are usually unaware of.

This experiment measured the capacity and duration of by flashing an array of letters on a screen and asking participants to report as many as possible. When they were asked to report as many as could be seen, using the whole report method, they could only 4.5/12 letters. When a tone was added to signify which row to recall using the partial report method, they could report 3.3/4 letters.

Explain proactive interference and the release from proactive interference. First, provide experimental evidence for these phenomena. Then, use these two concepts to describe successful strategies for studying in college.

George Sperling showed that the perceptual span of 4.5 items was really a limit on a. perception. b. memory. c. processing. d. attention.

The three structural components of the modal model of memory are a. receptors, occipital lobe, temporal lobe. b. receptors, temporal lobe, frontal lobe. c. sensory memory, short-term memory, long-term memory. d. sensory memory, iconic memory, rehearsal.

When a sparkler is twirled rapidly, people perceive a circle of light. This occurs because a. the trail you see is caused by sparks left behind from the sparkler. b. due to its high intensity, we see the light from the sparkler for about a second after it goes out. c. the length of iconic memory (the persistence of vision) is about one-third of a second. d. Gestalt principles work to complete the circle in our minds. Chapter 6 Material: Describe the serial position curve. Draw a graph (labeling each axis) to illustrate the curve, making sure you explain each “section” of the curve. Explain the structural features of memory responsible for the shape of the curve.

Explain how psychologists distinguish between episodic and semantic memory, and also how these two types of are connected.

Loss of memory for things that have happened in the past is known as a. anterograde amnesia. b. retrograde amnesia. c. the primacy effect. d. the serial effect.

The primacy effect is attributed to a. recall of information stored in LTM. b. a type of rehearsal that improves memory for all items in a list. c. recall of information still active in STM. d. forgetting of early items in a list as they are replaced by later items.