BAPSY Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Cognitive Psychology and Processes Questions and Answers Flashcards

Which component of Baddeley's working memory model processes visual and spatial information?

Answer: Visuospatial sketchpad

The visuospatial sketchpad is the working memory component responsible for maintaining and manipulating visual and spatial representations.

What does the misinformation effect demonstrate about human memory?

Answer: Post-event information can alter existing memories

The misinformation effect, studied extensively by Elizabeth Loftus, shows that exposure to misleading information after an event can distort a person's memory of that event.

Which stage of Piaget's cognitive development theory is characterized by the ability to think abstractly and hypothetically?

Answer: Formal operational stage

The formal operational stage, beginning around age 12, is marked by the emergence of abstract reasoning, hypothetical thinking, and systematic problem solving.

What is the primary function of the central executive in Baddeley's working memory model?

Answer: Controlling attention and coordinating subsystems

The central executive acts as an attentional control system that directs focus, coordinates the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad, and manages cognitive resources.

In dual-process theory, System 1 thinking is best characterized as which of the following?

Answer: Fast, automatic, and intuitive

System 1, as described by Kahneman, operates quickly and automatically with little effort or sense of voluntary control, relying on heuristics and intuition.

What cognitive phenomenon explains why people tend to search for information that confirms their existing beliefs?

Answer: Confirmation bias

Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence.