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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1.Easy

The representativeness heuristic means judging the probability of something by:

  1. AHow easily examples come to mind
  2. BHow much time or money you have already invested in it
  3. CHow closely it resembles a typical example
  4. DThe first number you were given
2.Easy

About how many items can a person hold in short-term memory, according to George Miller's classic estimate?

  1. A20 ± 5
  2. B12 ± 3
  3. C7 ± 2
  4. D3 ± 1
3.Easy

Trying to perform two tasks at the same time, such as texting while listening to a lecture, involves:

  1. AIconic memory
  2. BSustained attention
  3. CSelective attention
  4. DDivided attention
4.Medium

The availability heuristic means people judge how likely an event is by:

  1. AThe first number they hear
  2. BHow easily examples come to mind
  3. CIts actual statistical frequency
  4. DHow similar it is to a typical case
5.Medium

A student who studied while drinking coffee recalls more when tested after drinking coffee. This illustrates:

  1. AState-dependent memory
  2. BThe spacing effect
  3. CThe serial position effect
  4. DFlashbulb memory
6.Medium

According to the levels-of-processing approach, which task leads to the best recall of words?

  1. ADeciding whether each word rhymes with "cat"
  2. BDeciding whether each word is in capital letters
  3. CCounting the letters in each word
  4. DDeciding whether each word fits into a sentence
7.Hard

When a video shows a face saying "ga" while the audio says "ba", many people hear "da". This shows that:

  1. AVision is ignored when we listen to speech
  2. BSpeech perception combines what we see and hear
  3. CPeople cannot tell similar speech sounds apart
  4. DHearing always overrides vision when they conflict
8.Hard

Clive Wearing developed severe amnesia after a brain infection and cannot remember events from moment to moment, yet he can still play the piano and conduct music. This shows that:

  1. AAll long-term memory depends on a single system
  2. BMusical skills are stored in short-term memory
  3. CProcedural memory can survive severe loss of episodic memory
  4. DEpisodic memory is needed to perform any skill

Answer key

  1. 1. C · How closely it resembles a typical example
  2. 2. C · 7 ± 2
  3. 3. D · Divided attention
  4. 4. B · How easily examples come to mind
  5. 5. A · State-dependent memory
  6. 6. D · Deciding whether each word fits into a sentence
  7. 7. B · Speech perception combines what we see and hear
  8. 8. C · Procedural memory can survive severe loss of episodic memory

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