Deck 6: Cognitive Growth: Information Processing Approaches

Question 1

How does the process of encoding take place?

A)information enters a person's memory system in its raw form,typically through an unconscious process outside of the person's awareness
B)information collected from the world at large is recorded in a form that can be used by a person's memory system
C)information already stored in memory is recalled to mind,so that a person can act on that information
D)"registers" or "receptors" in the memory system are identified,and individual memories are assigned to each one

Answer 1

information collected from the world at large is recorded in a form that can be used by a person's memory system

Question 2

Which part of the cognitive architecture refers to the initial,momentary storage of information that lasts only an instant?

A)short-term memory
B)sequential memory
C)sensory store
D)long-term memory

Answer 2

sensory store

Question 3

What do information processing approaches to understanding cognitive development highlight?

A)the processes underlying the acquisition and use of information
B)identifying clear breakpoints in developmental advances
C)age ranges for cognitive skills across the entire lifespan
D)qualitative changes in a person's cognitive skills

Answer 3

the processes underlying the acquisition and use of information

Question 4

Which term refers to the process by which information is initially recorded,stored,and retrieved?

A)encoding
B)automatization
C)categorization
D)memory

Question 5

Which term describes the perspective that seeks to identify the way individuals take in,use,and store information?

A)information processing approach
B)social development model
C)automatization of responses
D)encoding-specificity principle

Question 6

Reggie looks at the telephone number of Chubby's Char-Grilled Beefhouse for a few seconds,and then walks into the other room to call in her order.Reggie remembers the phone number in its correct sequence because of which aspect of cognitive architecture?

A)short-term memory
B)sequential processing
C)sensory memory
D)long-term memory

Question 7

How would an information processing theorist describe a process that requires a large amount of attention?

A)automatic
B)stored
C)encoded
D)controlled

Question 8

A baby is in its crib while a swarm of relatives hovers,calling the baby's name and making cooing sounds.There is a radio playing in the background and sounds emanate from the television in the living room.All the while,the baby's mother is trying to get the baby's attention to get ready for its feeding.In all this hubbub the baby is most likely to attend to the mother's face and voice.What is the baby's behavior an example of?

A)ambient storage
B)delayed retrieval
C)selective encoding
D)recursive automatization

Question 9

Information processing approaches often involve a computer analogy for human reasoning and memory.In that analogy,which element represents software that accesses information?

A)storage
B)automatization
C)encoding
D)retrieval

Question 10

How is the three-system approach to memory best conceptualized?

A)as abstract components of an overall information processing system
B)as a description of memory systems proposed by the ancient Greeks
C)as physical locations in the brain responsible for different memory tasks
D)as a series of internal "questions" that are posed and answered during information processing

Question 11

Which term refers to the degree to which an activity requires attention?

A)automatization
B)encoding
C)information processing
D)retrieval

Question 12

Which type of memory capacity tends to increase with age?

A)short-term memory
B)sequential memory
C)sensory storage
D)long-term memory

Question 13

Which term refers to the placement of material into memory?

A)storage
B)automatization
C)encoding
D)retrieval

Question 14

Which term refers to the process by which material in memory is located,brought to awareness,and used?

A)encoding
B)retrieval
C)storage
D)automatization

Question 15

How does experience with material to be remembered affect the capacity of short-term memory?

A)Experience allows information to pass directly from sensory memory to long-term memory,thereby making short-term memory unnecessary.
B)Experience acts as a perceptual filter to "weed out" irrelevant information from short-term memory.
C)Experience speeds the transmission of information from long-term memory to short-term memory,and from there to behavior.
D)Experience provides the ability to chunk information,and efficiently chunked information is more easily retained in short-term memory.

Question 16

Larry was daydreaming the day his first grade teacher presented the math lesson that 5 + 5 = 10.Later,Larry was not able to recall this information,most likely because of which disruption?

A)He never understood it.
B)He never encoded it.
C)He never rehearsed it.
D)He never visualized it.

Question 17

Which term refers to the process of focusing attention and selecting information over others so as not to be overwhelmed in the environment?

A)selective encoding
B)recursive automatization
C)ambient storage
D)delayed retrieval

Question 18

Where is information held in memory for 15 to 25 seconds?

A)short-term memory
B)sequential memory
C)sensory storage
D)long-term memory

Question 19

Which of the following is considered a basic element of information processing?

A)behavior enactment
B)classical conditioning
C)storage of information
D)production of speech

Question 20

Understanding quantitative changes in an infant's abilities to organize and manipulate information is a cornerstone of which theoretical approach?

A)circular reasoning hypothesis
B)prime development model
C)encoding reactions model
D)information processing approach

Question 21

If a 9-year-old employs conscious,intentional tactics to improve cognitive processing,what is being demonstrated?

A)reasoning
B)control strategies
C)rehearsal
D)working memory

Question 22

Which statement offers the best explanation of why some middle-aged people have some long-term memory loss?

A)Middle-aged people have too much information stored;therefore,it is difficult to keep it all in long-term memory.
B)Middle-aged people have too much stress in their lives,which impedes their ability to use their long-term memory capacity.
C)Middle-aged people have less efficient retrieval skills for finding and retrieving information,even if the information was adequately stored in long-term memory.
D)Middle-aged people's learning genes begin to deteriorate,which leads to long-term memory loss.

Question 23

What makes a stimulus attention-getting?

A)its meaningfulness
B)its familiarity
C)its physical characteristics
D)its conceptual possibilities

Question 24

Infantile amnesia is defined as the lack of memory for experience that occurred prior to what age?

A)6 months
B)12 months
C)2 years
D)3 years

Question 25

Which memory module retains information relevant to enacting skills,habits,and other behaviors?

A)short-term memory
B)procedural memory
C)declarative memory
D)sequential memory

Question 26

Information processing involving the ability to strategically choose among and sort out different stimuli in the environment is more generally known by what term?

A)attention
B)automatization
C)storage
D)retrieval

Question 27

Which memory module retains factual information that is gained over time?

A)short-term memory
B)procedural memory
C)declarative memory
D)sequential memory

Question 28

Which term describes a memory of particular events from one's own life?

A)picture memory
B)visual memory
C)autobiographical memory
D)biographical memory

Question 29

Children's memories are often organized in general representations of a sequence or series of events in the order in which they occur.What is this organizing tactic called?

A)autobiographical memory
B)biographical memory
C)scripts
D)intuition

Question 30

Which memory skill shows a decline in middle age?

A)working memory
B)sensory memory
C)short-term memory
D)long-term memory

Question 31

How do information processing approaches to understanding cognitive development compare to Piaget's approach to understanding cognitive development?

A)Information processing approaches focus on quantitative developments,whereas Piaget's approach focuses on qualitative developments.
B)Information processing approaches focus on effective object manipulation,whereas Piaget's approach focuses on efficient object manipulation.
C)Information processing approaches focus on qualitative developments,whereas Piaget's approach focuses on quantitative developments.
D)Information processing approaches focus on mental representations of processes,whereas Piaget's approach focuses on abstract idealizations of processes.

Question 32

How do contemporary theorists conceptualize short-term memory?

A)as a passive receptacle of facts
B)as working memory,a highly active information processing system
C)as an extension of sensory memory,with active learning involved
D)as synonymous with long-term memory

Question 33

Rasheed is memorizing his math multiplication tables by using flash cards.He does this frequently enough that eventually he does not need the visual stimulation of the cards to remember the information.Which aspect of memory is Rasheed taking advantage of?

A)short-term memory
B)sequential memory
C)sensory memory
D)long-term memory

Question 34

Which term describes the lack of memory for experiences that occurred in infancy?

A)memory decay
B)infantile amnesia
C)storage absence
D)retrieval failure

Question 35

Which term refers to an individual's understanding of the processes that underlie memory?

A)recall
B)rehearsal
C)metamemory
D)working memory

Question 36

When information in memory is rehearsed and stored on a relatively permanent basis,it is located in which part of the cognitive architecture?

A)short-term memory
B)sequential memory
C)sensory memory
D)long-term memory

Question 37

How would a developmentalist most likely conceptualize "planning?"

A)the ability to verbalize one's wants and desires
B)the capacity to prioritize interactions over objects
C)successfully meeting daily challenges
D)the ability to allocate attention based on desired goals

Question 38

Which statement is correct regarding memory loss in middle-aged people?

A)All middle-aged people can expect to experience significant memory loss.
B)Middle-aged people may attribute absentmindedness stereotypically to aging,even though they have actually been absentminded most of their lives.
C)All middle-aged people will experience some memory loss starting in their 40s,with memory loss stabilizing around 70.
D)Middle-aged people have memory loss for specific facts.

Question 39

What easily enacted strategy can middle-aged people use to improve their memory functioning?

A)Change routines often to exercise one's sensory processes.
B)Create elaborate rituals and routines that are unique to the individual.
C)Pay greater attention to material when it is first encountered.
D)Write everything down,no matter how inconsequential it may seem.

Question 40

What makes a stimulus attention-holding?

A)its meaningfulness
B)its familiarity
C)its physical characteristics
D)its abstract properties

Question 41

What type of thinking makes use of cognitive skills and strategies to increase the likelihood of solving problems,forming inferences,and making decisions appropriately and successfully?

A)encoding
B)metamemory
C)critical thinking
D)information processing

Question 42

With which slogan would an information processing theorist be most likely to agree?

A)"not possible until age 3"
B)"emotion rather than cognition"
C)"quantitative beats qualitative"
D)"thinking stops at age 15"

Question 43

Statistically,which person's memory is considered to be the most vulnerable to suggestion,and therefore perhaps the least reliable?

A)a senior citizen
B)a middle-aged adult
C)a school-aged child
D)a preschool-aged child

Question 44

A reading educator is in favor of teaching reading by presenting it as a natural process,similar to the acquisition of oral language.Which instructional strategy is this teacher a proponent of?

A)whole-language approach
B)sound-symbol approach
C)code-based approach
D)phonetic-fluency approach

Question 45

Wilson is told that all dogs descended from wolves."Hmm," he replied,"so that means that puppies should show a preference for staying in packs and for eating meat." What important skill has Wilson successfully applied to the information he received?

A)code-based processing
B)metamemory
C)whole-concept processing
D)critical thinking

Question 46

What is an advantage of the information processing approach compared to the approaches of Piaget and Vygotsky?

A)The information processing approach relies on precise concepts that can be empirically tested,rather than the relatively vague concepts advanced by Piaget and Vygotsky.
B)Piaget and Vygotsky insisted on controlled laboratory experiments to confirm their theoretical concepts,whereas the information processing approach embraces many forms of evidence.
C)The information processing perspective takes a holistic view of cognition,rather than isolating specific aspects of cognitive processing,as Piaget or Vygotsky did.
D)Piaget and Vygotsky placed too little emphasis on social and interpersonal aspects of development,whereas the information processing approach places the social context in a central role.

Question 47

Which approach to reading instruction is most effective,based on substantial research evidence?

A)whole-language approaches
B)sound-symbol approaches
C)phonetic-fluency approaches
D)code-based approaches

Question 48

How are confidence and accuracy related when it comes to eyewitness memory?

A)The more confident a person is about her or his recollections,usually the more accurate those recollections are.
B)There is no relationship between confidence and accuracy in eyewitness memory.
C)More accurate memories tend to be established by less-confident witnesses.
D)The relationship between feeling confident about one's memories and the accuracy of those memories is meager,at best.

Question 49

Which principle is an ingredient of critical thinking?

A)being argumentative
B)accepting assumptions
C)seeking confirmatory examples of a claim
D)exploring alternative explanations

Question 50

Which principle is an ingredient of critical thinking?

A)recognizing the context of information
B)acknowledging the prestige of an authority
C)accepting assumptions
D)being argumentative

Question 51

Which statement best describes how humans engage in critical thinking?

A)Young children are better at critical thinking than are adolescents or adults.
B)Most people are generally poor critical thinkers,but critical thinking skills can be taught.
C)Most people show evidence of critical thinking skills on a regular basis.
D)Critical thinking is an "either/or" proposition;a person either can or cannot do it.

Question 52

Which principle is an ingredient of critical thinking?

A)having an accepting disposition
B)challenging assumptions
C)being argumentative
D)seeking confirmatory examples of a claim

Question 53

Which strategy should be used to question children to produce the most accurate recollections?

A)Ask vague questions.
B)Question them as soon as possible after an incident.
C)Ask questions inside of a courtroom in front of a judge.
D)Use anatomically correct dolls to aid in questioning.

Question 54

A reading educator is in favor of teaching reading by presenting the basic skills that underlie reading.Which instructional strategy is this teacher a proponent of?

A)whole-language approach
B)sound-symbol approach
C)code-based approach
D)phonetic-fluency approach

Question 55

Edweena is told that more Oldsmobiles are sold currently in the United States than Hondas,Fords,Toyotas,and Chevrolets combined.She not only accepts this statement but repeats it to her friends,family,and teachers.Given that Oldsmobiles haven't been manufactured since 2004,what important skill has Edweena neglected to apply?

A)critical thinking
B)metamemory
C)metacognition
D)code-based processing

Question 56

Renaldo has progressed beyond picture books to early-reader stories appropriate for his young age.His mother encourages him to guess what each of the words mean,stumbling through "bark," "sail," "tall," and "baby" before eventually recognizing the shape of the intended word "ball." Which approach to reading is Renaldo's mother promoting?

A)whole-language approach
B)sound-symbol approach
C)code-based approach
D)phonetic-fluency approach

Question 57

Which principle is an ingredient of critical thinking?

A)determining factual accuracy
B)having an accepting disposition
C)seeking confirmatory examples of a claim
D)acknowledging the prestige of an authority

Question 58

Angelo has progressed beyond picture books to early-reader stories appropriate for his young age.His mother encourages him to sound out each of the letters he comes across,making "buh-aw-luh" eventually recognizable as "ball." Which approach to reading is Angelo's mother promoting?

A)whole-language approach
B)sound-symbol approach
C)code-based approach
D)phonetic-fluency approach

Question 59

Which nonobvious area of the brain receives beneficial organization through the process of reading?

A)hypothalamus
B)visual cortex
C)basal ganglia
D)sleep centers

Question 60

Danica is told that red wine is best served at body temperature,about 96 degrees Fahrenheit."I don't know much about wine," she replied,"but that seems a little warm to me.I'm going to double-check that information with my cousin Luther,the sommelier." What important skill is Danica demonstrating?

A)metacognition
B)critical thinking
C)whole-concept processing
D)metamemory

Question 61

Explain techniques that are useful and not useful when questioning children in a legal setting.

Question 62

Four-year-old Carla is engaged in playing with a toy truck,while her 10-year-old brother Vincent is wrapped up in a book.The truck and the book are said to be different __________ stimuli for each child.

A)attention-getting
B)information-processing
C)attention-holding
D)cognitive-control

Question 63

According to the information processing perspective,older children first resolve preschoolers' difficulty with the Piagetian conservation problem when their improved __________.

A)memory enables them to remember when they first encountered the problem of the two glasses
B)critical thinking ability allows them to dismiss false assumptions about tall and short glasses
C)mathematical skills help them to understand that the volume of the two glasses is the same
D)attention span permits them to attend simultaneously to the height and width of the glasses

Question 64

__________ is the ability to allocate attentional resources based on desired goals.

A)Planning
B)Attention
C)Control
D)Strategy

Question 65

One plausible reason why infants appear to remember less than older children and adults is the lack of __________.

A)short-term memory
B)interesting experiences
C)long-term memory
D)an extensive vocabulary

Question 66

Describe the three types of memory.How is each related to development during middle age?

Question 67

If it is necessary to question children for legal purposes,which of the following strategies has been shown to increase the accuracy of their recollections?

A)Question children as soon as possible after the event.
B)Use a formal,official setting for conducting the questioning.
C)Allow children an hour or two to calm down before questioning.
D)Use general,open-ended questions to enable children to answer freely.

Question 68

The memory of events from one's own life,known as __________ memory,is not very accurate until after age 3.

A)biological
B)autobiographical
C)introspective
D)personal

Question 69

Provide an example of an automatic process,and explain why automatization of cognitive tasks is beneficial.

Question 70

__________ approaches to cognitive development seek to identify the way that individuals take in,use,and store information.

A)Information gathering
B)Data collecting
C)Automatization processing
D)Information processing

Question 71

The enduring structures of information processing that remain constant over the course of development are known as __________.

A)cognitive architecture
B)central processes
C)developmental permanence
D)intellectual design

Question 72

According to the three-system model,the __________ is the initial process by which information is very briefly held before further processing.

A)working memory
B)short-term memory
C)sensory store
D)photographic memory

Question 73

Compared with other approaches,the information processing approach pays more attention to __________.

A)social and cultural factors in development
B)drawing a comprehensive picture of child development
C)the workings of memory,attention,and other mental activities
D)interior human processes,such as hopes and aspirations

Question 74

Compared with whole-language approaches to reading instruction,code-based approaches focus more on __________.

A)reading out loud to the teacher or the whole class
B)using context to figure out the meaning of a word or sentence
C)reading natural-language stories and other resources in class
D)sounding out letters and words to discover their meaning

Question 75

The key difference between information processing and Piagetian approaches is that information processing approaches focus on __________.

A)a smaller and less distinct number of stages
B)lifelong rather than infant development
C)permanent rather than temporary changes
D)quantitative rather than qualitative changes

Question 76

Explain what mnemonics are and how they can be used to improve memory.

Question 77

As they grow older,children begin to recall memories in terms of __________,which are general representations in memory of a sequence or series of events.

A)scripts
B)control strategies
C)metamemories
D)chunks

Question 78

Describe how the information processing approach to cognitive development utilizes computer metaphors.

Question 79

Which of the following is a critical thinking skill?

A)identifying and questioning assumptions in statements
B)using intuition to provide simple answers to complex questions
C)memorizing spellings of a list of words
D)following directions to a location

Question 80

The three basic aspects of information processing are encoding,storage,and __________.

A)recitation
B)retrieval
C)repetition
D)recall