Question 1: What do we mean when we say that cognitive processes are active? Provide at least two examples of active cognitive processes (e.g. memory, speech perception, etc.) from this semester, and explain how those processes are active.
Question 2: How did the idea of working memory improves on theories of short-term memory? What are the main differences between the two approaches?
Question 3: Donna has an upcoming final exam for her Chemistry class on Wednesday at 8 AM. She really wants to get an A, so she's working really hard to prepare for the exam. Every day for the last week, she has gone to her favorite coffee shop to study from 5-7 PM. She rereads her notes and highlights and reviews the parts of the book that seem most important. When she gets to the classroom on exam day, she feels like she knows the notes and books perfectly. She ends up only getting a C! Using things you've learned in this class, how would you advise Donna to improve her study habits for next time? Identify at least three specific things she could do better, and explain why cognitive psychology tells us they're better than her approach.
Question 4: You're a juror in a critical case about a man who may have robbed a bank. The primary evidence is eye-witness testimony from witnesses at the scene. Given what we have learned about memory, what types of errors might you expect eyewitnesses to make? Explain at least three cognitive factors that could lead their testimony to be less reliable.
Question 5: Sperling's Partial Report study completely changed how we think about iconic memory. Previous theories thought iconic memory was fairly limited, with similar limits to those of working memory. But Sperling showed with the partial report paradigm that the capacity of iconic memory seems to be unlimited. Describe what iconic memory is, and explain why capacity looks larger in partial report studies. What specifically causes the difference in capacity estimates between partial report and full report studies?