About this Study Set
This study set covers Cognitive Psychology through
10 practice questions.
This set of questions probes deep into the historical development and foundational experiments of cognitive psychology, focusing on verified events and key figures. Every question includes the correct answer so you can learn as you go — pick any format above to get started.
Questions & Answers
Browse all 10 questions from the
Historical Milestones in Cognitive Psychology study set below.
Each question shows the correct answer — select a study format above to practice interactively.
1
Which influential early experimental psychologist, known for his rigorous introspection, published 'Principles of Psychology' in 1890, laying groundwork for functionalism and later cognitive thought?
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A
Wilhelm Wundt
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B
William James
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C
Hermann Ebbinghaus
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D
G. Stanley Hall
2
The seminal 1956 symposium at MIT, often cited as the 'birthplace' of cognitive psychology, featured groundbreaking presentations on topics such as information processing, artificial intelligence, and language. Which of these individuals presented a paper on the 'magical number seven, plus or minus two'?
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A
Noam Chomsky
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B
George Miller
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C
Jerome Bruner
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D
Herbert Simon
3
During World War II, research into human factors and pilot performance led to significant advancements that informed early cognitive psychology. A key focus of this research was on improving the design of control systems and understanding human limitations in complex environments. Which of these psychologists was a prominent figure in this area?
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A
B.F. Skinner
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B
Donald Broadbent
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C
Clark Hull
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D
Edward Thorndike
4
The 'cognitive revolution' was partly a reaction against the dominance of behaviorism. Which publication by Ulric Neisser in 1967 is widely considered the first comprehensive textbook on cognitive psychology, codifying its principles and research?
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A
Thinking and Learning
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B
Cognitive Psychology
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C
The Psychology of Attention
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D
Human Information Processing
5
Hermann Ebbinghaus's groundbreaking work on memory, published in 1885, utilized a novel methodology. What was this methodology that allowed for the scientific study of memory's decay over time?
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A
Animal maze learning
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B
Paired-associate learning with nonsense syllables
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C
Free recall of word lists
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D
Case studies of amnesia patients
6
The work of Karl Lashley, particularly his experiments on rats, led to the development of two important concepts in neuroscience and cognitive psychology. What were these two concepts, challenging earlier localizationist views of brain function?
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A
Habituation and Sensitization
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B
Sensory Adaptation and Perceptual Constancy
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C
Mass Action and Equipotentiality
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D
Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning
7
The development of the Turing machine by Alan Turing in 1936 provided a theoretical foundation for computation and influenced early cognitive science. What fundamental concept did the Turing machine establish that became crucial for information processing models?
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A
The subconscious mind
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B
The biological basis of emotion
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C
The universality of algorithms and computability
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D
The role of social influence on cognition
8
In the history of memory research, Frederic Bartlett's 1932 book 'Remembering' challenged the purely mechanistic view of memory. What key concept did Bartlett introduce to explain how people reconstruct memories, often influenced by their existing knowledge and cultural schemas?
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A
Automatic processing
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B
Schemas and reconstructive memory
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C
Chunking and working memory
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D
Priming and semantic networks
9
The concept of 'chunking' as a strategy for increasing the capacity of short-term memory was popularized by George Miller. This concept is directly related to which core principle of information processing theory?
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A
Serial processing
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B
Parallel distributed processing
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C
Limited capacity channels
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D
Top-down processing
10
Noam Chomsky's critique of behaviorist explanations for language acquisition, particularly his review of B.F. Skinner's 'Verbal Behavior' in 1959, was a pivotal moment in the cognitive revolution. What did Chomsky propose as the innate mechanism responsible for language learning?
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A
Operant conditioning through reinforcement
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B
Imitation and habit formation
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C
A Universal Grammar and language acquisition device
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D
Social learning theory and observational learning
