Free Cognitive Psychology MCQs with Answers

552 Cognitive Psychology MCQs from Psychology, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.

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  • A. an electroencephalograph (EEG) recording
  • B. a positron emission tomography (PET) scan
  • C. a computerized tomography(CT) scan
  • D. a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan

Explanation: A PET scan uses an injected radioactive tracer to show metabolic activity in the brain.

Correct answer: a positron emission tomography (PET) scan
  • A. cerebellum
  • B. autonomic nervous system
  • C. thalamus
  • D. association areasDiscover Lesson Plans

Explanation: Association areas interpret and integrate information needed for complex abilities such as spatial orientation and navigation.

Correct answer: association areasDiscover Lesson Plans
  • A. Spatial abilities
  • B. Speech production
  • C. Understanding speech
  • D. Consolidating memory

Explanation: Wernicke's area, located in the temporal lobe of the language-dominant hemisphere, is primarily involved in understanding spoken and…

Correct answer: Understanding speech
  • A. EEG
  • B. CAT
  • C. MRI
  • D. PET

Explanation: A PET scan maps metabolic activity while also producing an anatomical image of the brain, so it can relate function to structure.

Correct answer: PET
  • A. The two cerebral hemispheres are specialized to handle different types of cognitive tasks
  • B. People have a separate stream of consciousness in each hemisphere
  • C. Each hemisphere has it own cognitive style
  • D. some people are right-brained, while others are left-brainedGet Study Guides

Explanation: Research supports relative hemispheric specialization, such as greater language involvement in the left hemisphere and visuospatial…

Correct answer: The two cerebral hemispheres are specialized to handle different types of cognitive tasks
  • A. when sent to the right hemisphere first
  • B. when sent to the left hemisphere first
  • C. when presented to the left visual field
  • D. when presented auditorily rather than visually

Explanation: Because language processing is usually more strongly lateralized to the left hemisphere, verbal information is identified more quickly and…

Correct answer: when sent to the left hemisphere first
  • A. Human orbitofrontal cortex
  • B. Human renin-angiotensin system
  • C. Human hypothalamus
  • D. Peacock hypothalamus

Explanation: The orbitofrontal cortex helps assign pleasant or unpleasant value to sensory experiences, including pleasant touch.

Correct answer: Human orbitofrontal cortex
  • A. Parallel and visual processing of incoming information
  • B. Independent and neuronal processing of incoming information
  • C. Parallel and visual processing of outgoing information
  • D. Parallel and modular processing of incoming information

Explanation: The brain handles many components of incoming information at the same time through parallel processing, while specialised modules handle…

Correct answer: Parallel and modular processing of incoming information
  • A. Different aspects of a visual stimulus appear to be analysed by different modules in the brain
  • B. It is impossible to use an evolutionary explanation for modularity in the brain
  • C. Both (a) and (b)
  • D. Neither (a) nor (b)

Explanation: Modularity means that specialised brain systems process different aspects of information, such as colour, motion, or form in vision.

Correct answer: Different aspects of a visual stimulus appear to be analysed by different modules in the brain
  • A. Experience can modify a neuron's responses
  • B. Experience can modify a person's potential
  • C. Experience can modify a person's mental health
  • D. Experience cannot modify a neuron's responses

Explanation: Long-term potentiation strengthens and long-term depression weakens synaptic responses following experience or activity.

Correct answer: Experience can modify a neuron's responses
  • A. A method of distilling job performance into measurable units
  • B. A precursor to the think- aloud protocol
  • C. A job analysis method that focuses on specific tasks
  • D. A technique used to quantity job analysis information

Explanation: Cognitive task analysis breaks job performance into observable or measurable components while also identifying the knowledge, decisions…

Correct answer: A method of distilling job performance into measurable units
  • A. Dissonance theory
  • B. Equity theory
  • C. Comparison theory
  • D. Incompatibility theory

Explanation: Cognitive dissonance theory explains the uncomfortable tension produced by holding incompatible thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes.

Correct answer: Dissonance theory
  • A. 1902
  • B. 1904
  • C. 1905
  • D. 1906

Explanation: Binet and Simon published their first practical intelligence scale in 1905, introducing a systematic way to identify children needing…

Correct answer: 1905
  • A. Edward L.Thorndike
  • B. Binet
  • C. Charles De
  • D. None of the above

Explanation: Binet’s individual intelligence-testing work provided the conceptual foundation for later group intelligence tests, including the Army…

Correct answer: Binet
  • A. verbal ability
  • B. mathematical ability
  • C. intelligence
  • D. visual-spatial abilities

Explanation: Reported average sex differences commonly concern verbal ability, mathematical ability, and visual-spatial skills, but not overall…

Correct answer: intelligence
  • A. less cerebral specialization, smaller corpus callosum
  • B. less cerebral specialization; larger corpus callosum
  • C. more cerebral specialization; smaller corpus callosum
  • D. more cerebral specialization; larger corpus callosum

Explanation: Traditional findings describe greater cerebral specialization in males, while females are reported to have a relatively larger corpus…

Correct answer: more cerebral specialization; larger corpus callosum
  • A. formal operations; concrete operations
  • B. crystallized intelligence; fluid intelligence
  • C. concrete operations; formal operations
  • D. fluid intelligence; crystallized intelligenceTake Psychology Courses

Explanation: Learning unfamiliar software requires fluid intelligence, the ability to solve new problems.

Correct answer: fluid intelligence; crystallized intelligenceTake Psychology Courses
  • A. she lacked language skills for organizing her early life experiences
  • B. experiences shortly after birth area a meaning less blue of darkness and light
  • C. later experiences in life interfered with Karen's earlier memories
  • D. most brain cells do not yet exist at the time of birth

Explanation: This is infantile amnesia: early memories are difficult to retrieve partly because infants lack the language and mature self-organisation…

Correct answer: she lacked language skills for organizing her early life experiences
  • A. Leadings
  • B. Change perspective
  • C. Report everything
  • D. Context reinstatement

Explanation: Context reinstatement, changing perspective, and reporting everything are cognitive-interview techniques intended to improve eyewitness…

Correct answer: Leadings
  • A. Anger management
  • B. Encoding social cues
  • C. Deception
  • D. Memory retrieval

Explanation: Violent individuals often show deficits in encoding social cues, meaning they may misread ambiguous actions as hostile or threatening.

Correct answer: Encoding social cues