Cognitive psychology worksheet with answers

Free printable Cognitive psychology worksheet: 8 problems from easy to exam level, with an answer key. Print it or save it as a PDF.

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Name: ____________________   Date: ____________

1.Easy

The tendency to search for information that supports what we already believe is called:

  1. AAnchoring
  2. BFundamental attribution error
  3. CConfirmation bias
  4. DHindsight bias
2.Easy

A multiple-choice exam mainly tests which kind of retrieval?

  1. AFree recall
  2. BRecognition
  3. CRelearning
  4. DSerial recall
3.Easy

A vivid, detailed memory of where you were when you heard shocking news is called a:

  1. AFlashbulb memory
  2. BIconic memory
  3. CProcedural memory
  4. DScreen memory
4.Medium

After studying the words "bed, rest, tired, dream, snooze", many people falsely recall "sleep". This paradigm demonstrates:

  1. ANear-perfect recall of meaningful, related word lists
  2. BThe word length effect in verbal memory
  3. CFalse memories produced by related associations
  4. DRapid decay of items in iconic memory
5.Medium

In Baddeley and Hitch's working memory model, which component handles verbal and acoustic information?

  1. AThe episodic buffer
  2. BThe central executive
  3. CThe visuospatial sketchpad
  4. DThe phonological loop
6.Medium

Rubin's vase, which can be seen as a vase or as two faces, illustrates:

  1. AThe law of closure
  2. BRetinal disparity
  3. CSize constancy
  4. DFigure–ground organisation
7.Hard

In Sperling's experiments, participants saw a 3 × 4 grid of letters briefly. When a tone signalled which row to report immediately afterwards, they could report most letters of that row. What did this show?

  1. AIconic memory holds only about four letters, however they are tested
  2. BBriefly seen letters are transferred into long-term memory at once
  3. CHearing a warning tone improves visual perception of nearby letters in general
  4. DMost of the display is briefly held but fades before it can all be reported
8.Hard

Gick and Holyoak gave participants a story about an army attacking a fortress from many sides, then Duncker's radiation problem. What did they find?

  1. AAlmost everyone used the analogy without needing any hint
  2. BThe story made the radiation problem harder to solve
  3. CFew used the analogy until told the story might help
  4. DNobody could solve the radiation problem, even with a hint

Answer key

  1. 1. C · Confirmation bias
  2. 2. B · Recognition
  3. 3. A · Flashbulb memory
  4. 4. C · False memories produced by related associations
  5. 5. D · The phonological loop
  6. 6. D · Figure–ground organisation
  7. 7. D · Most of the display is briefly held but fades before it can all be reported
  8. 8. C · Few used the analogy until told the story might help

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