L07

Question 1

A student is trying to solve a complex math word problem. To find the solution, she keeps several pieces of information in mind — the quantities mentioned in the problem, the formula she plans to use, and the intermediate results she’s calculating. Which cognitive process is she primarily relying on?

A. Long-term memory
B. Sensory memory
C. Working memory
D. Procedural memory

Answer 1

C. Working memory

Question 2

A researcher asks participants to remember a list of words by repeating them over and over. Another group is asked to think about the meaning of each word and use it in a sentence. Later, the second group remembers more words.
What does this finding best illustrate?

A. The effectiveness of rehearsal in STM
B. The role of sensory memory in encoding
C. The levels-of-processing effect
D. The decay theory of forgetting

Answer 2

C. The levels-of-processing effect

Question 3

A patient with severe damage to short-term memory is still able to learn new facts and skills over time. This challenges the assumption that:

A. Long-term memory depends on STM for storage
B. STM and LTM are independent systems
C. Working memory involves multiple components
D. Semantic memory cannot be formed without rehearsal

Answer 3

A. Long-term memory depends on STM for storage

Question 4

A taxi driver with poor short-term memory can still navigate busy city streets, estimate fares, and engage in conversation with passengers. This suggests that:

A. STM and LTM are identical systems
B. Working memory involves more complex processing than STM
C. STM is sufficient for multitasking
D. Memory depends only on repetition

Answer 4

B. Working memory involves more complex processing than STM

Question 5

While trying to remember a phone number, Jamal quietly repeats the digits to himself until he can write them down. Which component of the working memory model is he primarily using?

A. Central executive
B. Episodic buffer
C. Phonological loop
D. Visuo-spatial sketchpad

Answer 5

C. Phonological loop

Question 6

Lena is assembling furniture by looking at a picture in the manual while keeping track of which screws and panels go where. Which part of her working memory is most active?

A. Phonological loop
B. Central executive
C. Visuo-spatial sketchpad
D. Sensory memory

Answer 6

C. Visuo-spatial sketchpad

Question 7

A student is solving a math word problem that requires reading the question, keeping track of intermediate results, and deciding what formula to apply. Which component of working memory coordinates these activities?

A. Central executive
B. Phonological loop
C. Visuo-spatial sketchpad
D. Long-term memory

Answer 7

A. Central executive

Question 8

Patient PV has a severely limited phonological loop but manages her daily activities and runs a shop effectively. What does this suggest about the role of the phonological loop?

A. It is essential for all forms of everyday cognition
B. It primarily supports short-term visual memory
C. It contributes specifically to language-related processing rather than general intelligence
D. It is necessary for all problem-solving and reasoning tasks

Answer 8

C. It contributes specifically to language-related processing rather than general intelligence

Question 9

PV struggles to understand long sentences because she cannot hold the beginning of the sentence in mind while processing the end. This difficulty demonstrates that the phonological loop supports:

A. Motor coordination
B. Language comprehension through temporary verbal storage
C. Visual imagery during reading
D. Retrieval from long-term memory

Answer 9

B. Language comprehension through temporary verbal storage

Question 10

When asked to learn pairs of native words and their Russian translations, PV completely fails, but she performs normally when learning pairs of native words. What does this imply about the phonological loop’s role in learning?

A. It is crucial for learning unfamiliar word forms and new languages
B. It is only useful for visual learning
C. It plays no role in memory formation
D. It is equally important for all types of learning

Answer 10

A. It is crucial for learning unfamiliar word forms and new languages

Question 11

Eight-year-old children with developmental language disorder (LDG) performed as well as controls on one-syllable nonwords but struggled with longer ones like “woogalamic.” What does this suggest about their phonological loop?

A. It functions normally for both short and long verbal material
B. It has a reduced capacity, limiting the ability to retain longer sequences of sounds
C. It is more effective for processing visual information than auditory information
D. It is unrelated to language development

Answer 11

B. It has a reduced capacity, limiting the ability to retain longer sequences of sounds

Question 12

Children with language disorders had a verbal memory span nearly three years behind their chronological age. What cognitive function most likely explains this delay?

A. Impaired visuo-spatial processing
B. Underdeveloped phonological loop affecting the learning of new words
C. Reduced attention span controlled by the central executive
D. Difficulty accessing long-term semantic memory

Answer 12

B. Underdeveloped phonological loop affecting the learning of new words

Question 13

Children with LDG showed a phonological similarity effect—they made more recall errors when hearing similar-sounding words like bat, cat, cap—especially in lists of 3 or more words. What does this finding suggest about their phonological processing?

A. They cannot represent verbal stimuli phonologically
B. They encode words phonologically, just like typically developing children
C. They rely only on visual memory for word recall
D. They have no working memory involvement in language tasks

Answer 13

B. They encode words phonologically, just like typically developing children

Question 14

If children with LDG perform normally on phonological similarity tasks but still have smaller verbal spans, what does this pattern indicate about the source of their language difficulties?

A. The phonological store is intact, but rehearsal or processing capacity may be limited
B. Their long-term memory for words is impaired
C. They fail to form any phonological representations
D. Their central executive is entirely nonfunctional

Answer 14

A. The phonological store is intact, but rehearsal or processing capacity may be limited

Question 15

In an experiment, children with LDG recalled fewer words overall than controls, but they showed a word-length effect — remembering more one-syllable words (e.g., cat, bed) than three-syllable words (e.g., banana, elephant). What does this finding indicate?

A. The phonological loop’s rehearsal process is impaired in LDG
B. The phonological store is completely nonfunctional in LDG
C. The rehearsal process in LDG is intact, but overall working memory capacity is smaller
D. LDG children rely only on visual encoding, not phonological rehearsal

Answer 15

C. The rehearsal process in LDG is intact, but overall working memory capacity is smaller

Question 16

If children with LDG show a normal word-length effect, what conclusion can be drawn about the nature of their phonological loop deficit?

A. Their phonological store and rehearsal are both severely impaired
B. Their phonological store is intact, and rehearsal operates normally
C. They cannot encode phonological information
D. They rely solely on the visuo-spatial sketchpad for language tasks

Answer 16

B. Their phonological store is intact, and rehearsal operates normally

Question 17

Children with LDG performed normally on phonological discrimination tasks (e.g., judging if bat and pat sound the same or different) and had normal articulation speed. Yet, they performed poorly on nonword repetition tasks. What does this pattern suggest?

A. They have a general speech perception deficit
B. Their difficulty lies in storing phonological information in working memory
C. Their problem is due to slow articulation and speech production
D. They have trouble understanding word meanings

Answer 17

B. Their difficulty lies in storing phonological information in working memory

Question 18

Studies show that children’s vocabulary size correlates with their performance on nonword repetition tests. What does this relationship imply about the role of the phonological loop?

A. It supports only short-term memory, not learning
B. It facilitates vocabulary growth by holding new sound patterns for long enough to be encoded in long-term memory
C. It primarily supports visual memory for written words
D. It is unrelated to language acquisition processes

Answer 18

B. It facilitates vocabulary growth by holding new sound patterns for long enough to be encoded in long-term memory

Question 19

A teacher observes that students who perform well on phonological short-term memory tasks also learn foreign language words more quickly. What is the most likely explanation for this?

A. Phonological STM supports the storage and rehearsal of unfamiliar sound sequences during language learning
B. Foreign language learning depends only on visual memory for spelling patterns
C. Students with strong phonological STM simply have better general intelligence
D. Phonological STM has no influence on second-language acquisition

Answer 19

A. Phonological STM supports the storage and rehearsal of unfamiliar sound sequences during language learning

Question 20

In a mental folding task, participants decide whether two arrows on an unfolded cube would meet if the cube were folded. Reaction times increase linearly with the number of folds needed. What does this finding suggest about how participants solve the task?

A. They use a verbal reasoning strategy to describe each fold
B. They rely on a visual-spatial mental simulation process in working memory
C. They use long-term memory of cube patterns
D. They guess based on random spatial associations

Answer 20

B. They rely on a visual-spatial mental simulation process in working memory

Question 21

In the cube-folding task, participants took 0.5–1.0 seconds longer to respond to the “extra-baggage” problem (which cannot actually fold into a cube), even though the arrows met. What does this reveal about their strategy?

A. They based their decision on learned rules about cubes
B. They visualized the folding process rather than relying on logic or verbal rules
C. They performed the task through verbal rehearsal
D. They were confused by the meaning of the arrows

Answer 21

B. They visualized the folding process rather than relying on logic or verbal rules

Question 22

Which component of Baddeley and Hitch’s working memory model is primarily responsible for performing mental rotation or mental folding tasks?

A. Phonological loop
B. Episodic buffer
C. Central executive
D. Visuo-spatial sketchpad

Answer 22

D. Visuo-spatial sketchpad

Question 23

During a mental rotation task, participants are asked to imagine turning an object in their mind. When they are simultaneously asked to tap a complex spatial pattern on a keypad, their performance decreases, but reading random digits aloud does not affect performance.
What does this result suggest?

A. The phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad operate independently.
B. The visuospatial sketchpad is involved in mental rotation and is disrupted by spatial interference.
C. Articulatory suppression interferes with spatial processing.
D. The central executive controls both but is not affected by either interference task.

Answer 23

B. The visuospatial sketchpad is involved in mental rotation and is disrupted by spatial interference.

Question 24

In a block design task (where participants recreate patterns using colored blocks), performance drops when participants must repeat “the, the, the” aloud during the task.
Why does articulatory suppression interfere with this visual task?

A. It overloads the visuospatial sketchpad.
B. It prevents the phonological loop from storing verbal labels needed for guiding visual construction.
C. It disrupts the central executive’s attentional control.
D. It eliminates subvocal rehearsal of spatial information.

Answer 24

B. It prevents the phonological loop from storing verbal labels needed for guiding visual construction.

Question 25

A researcher finds that participants perform best on a complex visual assembly task when no secondary task is present, worse when they perform articulatory suppression, and even worse when they do both articulatory suppression and a spatial tapping task simultaneously. What conclusion best fits this finding? A. Only the phonological loop is required for visual construction. B. The phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad both contribute to the task. C. The visuospatial sketchpad is irrelevant to visual assembly tasks. D. The central executive functions independently of the other systems.

Answer 25

B. The phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad both contribute to the task.

Question 26

During a study, participants are asked to memorize the layout of a room and then recall where different objects were placed. When a flashing light distractor is introduced, their ability to remember the color and shape of the objects declines, but their memory for locations stays intact. Which component of the visuo-spatial sketchpad was most affected by the distraction? A. The inner scribe B. The visual cache C. The central executive D. The phonological loop

Answer 26

B. The visual cache

Question 27

In another experiment, participants imagine walking through a familiar neighborhood while simultaneously performing a hand-tracking task that requires them to follow a moving light with a joystick. Their performance on the imagined navigation task decreases significantly. Which explanation best accounts for this interference? A. The inner scribe and the tracking task compete for spatial rehearsal resources. B. The visual cache is overloaded by the visual details of the light. C. The phonological loop is disrupted by the spatial tracking task. D. The central executive diverts attention from long-term memory.

Answer 27

A. The inner scribe and the tracking task compete for spatial rehearsal resources.

Question 28

An experienced driver can easily carry on a conversation while driving on an empty road, but when approaching a busy intersection, they pause the conversation to focus on traffic. Which aspect of the central executive’s functioning does this example best illustrate? A. The visual cache monitoring spatial cues B. Switching between automatic and controlled attention C. The phonological loop managing speech processing D. Dividing attention between unrelated tasks

Answer 28

B. Switching between automatic and controlled attention

Question 29

A patient with frontal lobe damage struggles to stop themselves from performing routine responses (e.g., reaching for a phone when it rings during an experiment, even when told not to). This difficulty most likely reflects a problem with: A. The visuospatial sketchpad B. The supervisory attentional system (SAS) C. The phonological loop D. The visual cache

Answer 29

B. The supervisory attentional system (SAS)

Question 30

While writing an email, you hear a notification sound and automatically check your phone, then quickly return to typing. This behavior reflects which mode of the central executive? A. Supervisory attentional system (SAS) B. Habit-based, semi-automatic mode of operation C. Phonological loop D. Episodic buffer

Answer 30

B. Habit-based, semi-automatic mode of operation

Question 31

A student is multitasking: they are summarizing lecture notes while listening to a podcast. When the lecturer begins explaining a difficult concept, they pause the podcast to focus on the notes. Which function of the central executive is demonstrated here? A. Dividing attention between auditory and visual tasks B. Focusing and switching attention according to task demands C. Using the phonological loop to store verbal information D. Storing episodic information for later recall

Answer 31

B. Focusing and switching attention according to task demands

Question 32

An experienced chess player is asked to plan their next move while repeating “the, the, the” aloud. Their performance remains unaffected. What does this finding suggest about the cognitive systems involved in chess planning? A. The phonological loop plays a key role in planning chess moves. B. The visuo-spatial sketchpad and central executive are not involved. C. Chess planning primarily relies on the visuo-spatial sketchpad rather than the phonological loop. D. The articulatory suppression task reduced available working memory capacity.

Answer 32

C. Chess planning primarily relies on the visuo-spatial sketchpad rather than the phonological loop.

Question 33

When the same chess players perform a visuo-spatial tapping task while trying to remember chess positions, their performance decreases. What does this result imply? A. The task interferes with the visual cache, disrupting the storage of spatial patterns on the chessboard. B. The phonological loop is overloaded by competing visual information. C. The central executive cannot coordinate two automatic tasks at once. D. The random generation task demands more attentional control than the tapping task.

Answer 33

A. The task interferes with the visual cache, disrupting the storage of spatial patterns on the chessboard.

Question 34

During a random letter generation task, chess players’ ability to select optimal moves decreases significantly. What does this finding reveal about the role of the central executive in chess performance? A. The central executive is not necessary for planning moves in familiar tasks. B. The central executive is engaged in attention control and decision-making during chess play. C. The visuo-spatial sketchpad operates independently of attentional control. D. Articulatory suppression directly impairs central executive performance.

Answer 34

B. The central executive is engaged in attention control and decision-making during chess play.

Question 35

In Experiment 2, participants’ ability to imagine a sequence of shapes was impaired by spatial tapping but not by counting aloud. What does this finding suggest about the systems involved? A. The phonological loop supports visual imagery. B. The visuo-spatial sketchpad was overloaded by a competing spatial task. C. Counting interfered with visual imagery through the central executive. D. The episodic buffer stores spatial information separately from long-term memory.

Answer 35

B. The visuo-spatial sketchpad was overloaded by a competing spatial task.

Question 36

In Experiment 4, participants imagined familiar scenes (e.g., Buckingham Palace) while performing the same secondary tasks, and interference effects were much weaker. What does this result suggest about the interaction between LTM and WM? A. Familiar information can draw on long-term memory representations, easing the load on working memory. B. The phonological loop stores familiar images more efficiently than unfamiliar ones. C. Long-term memory and working memory operate entirely independently. D. The episodic buffer cannot integrate long-term knowledge into current working tasks.

Answer 36

A. Familiar information can draw on long-term memory representations, easing the load on working memory.

Question 37

A participant easily imagines the sound of a ringing phone while tapping a spatial sequence, but struggles when simultaneously counting aloud. Which cognitive explanation best fits this pattern? A. The phonological loop is responsible for auditory imagery, and counting disrupts it. B. The visuo-spatial sketchpad stores auditory information and is disrupted by spatial tapping. C. The episodic buffer fails to integrate sound and space information. D. The central executive is overwhelmed by two automatic processes.

Answer 37

A. The phonological loop is responsible for auditory imagery, and counting disrupts it.

Question 38

A participant is asked to create a short story that meaningfully connects the words “hockey” and “elephant.” They imagine an elephant playing hockey and easily recall both words later. Which working memory component best explains this improved recall? A. The phonological loop, which stores verbal material. B. The visuo-spatial sketchpad, which maintains mental images. C. The episodic buffer, which binds information from different sources into a coherent episode. D. The central executive, which inhibits irrelevant associations.

Answer 38

C. The episodic buffer, which binds information from different sources into a coherent episode.

Question 39

A student remembers the melody of a song and the image of the album cover at the same time while trying to describe it to a friend. Which process allows the student to integrate these auditory and visual details into one experience? A. Coordination by the phonological loop B. Integration within the episodic buffer C. Control by the central executive D. Storage within long-term memory

Answer 39

B. Integration within the episodic buffer

Question 41

In an experiment, participants can hold about four combined “chunks” of integrated information (e.g., sound + image + word pairs) in short-term storage before errors increase. Which conclusion best fits this result? A. The visuo-spatial sketchpad and phonological loop each store up to four items independently. B. The episodic buffer has a limited capacity for multidimensional chunks of information. C. The central executive has unlimited attentional capacity. D. Long-term memory fully replaces working memory during complex integration tasks.

Answer 41

B. The episodic buffer has a limited capacity for multidimensional chunks of information.

Question 42

A student is trying to remember a short shopping list: milk, bread, apples, and eggs. After briefly rehearsing the list, they can recall all four items, but after being distracted by a phone call, they forget most of it. According to Cowan’s model, what explains this forgetting? A. The items were never transferred from short-term memory to long-term memory. B. The temporary activation of long-term memory representations decayed when attention was withdrawn. C. The visuospatial sketchpad was overloaded. D. The phonological loop failed to store the auditory information.

Answer 42

B. The temporary activation of long-term memory representations decayed when attention was withdrawn.

Question 43

A researcher asks participants to rehearse a list of numbers repeatedly while also solving simple puzzles. Those who maintain attention on the numbers recall more items than those whose attention is divided. What aspect of Cowan’s model does this finding support? A. Attention controls which information in long-term memory stays activated in working memory. B. Working memory is independent of long-term memory. C. Phonological rehearsal prevents decay in long-term memory. D. Divided attention increases working memory capacity.

Answer 43

A. Attention controls which information in long-term memory stays activated in working memory.

Question 44

Two participants are asked to recall brief lists of unrelated words. One group visualizes each word in a personal context (e.g., “apple in my lunchbox”), while the other group just repeats them aloud. The first group remembers more words. How would Cowan’s model explain this advantage? A. Visualization uses the visuo-spatial sketchpad to bypass attention limits. B. Creating meaningful associations activates richer long-term memory representations that remain accessible. C. Rehearsal automatically prevents decay, regardless of meaning. D. The episodic buffer stores visual and verbal data in separate systems.

Answer 44

B. Creating meaningful associations activates richer long-term memory representations that remain accessible.

Question 45

A student is trying to mentally solve a math problem while classmates nearby are talking. Despite the noise, they successfully focus and solve it. According to Engle’s model, which cognitive ability allowed the student to stay on task? A. High capacity of the phonological loop B. Efficient inhibition of irrelevant auditory information C. Enhanced visual-spatial storage capacity D. Reliance on automatic processing

Answer 45

B. Efficient inhibition of irrelevant auditory information

Question 46

In a reading span task, participants read a series of sentences while remembering the last word of each sentence. Those who can recall all the final words correctly after reading several sentences are said to have high working memory capacity. What does this reveal about their cognitive processing? A. They have larger short-term storage capacity. B. They are better at controlling attention and managing interference from sentence processing. C. They use subvocal rehearsal more effectively. D. They rely on long-term memory to retrieve forgotten words.

Answer 46

B. They are better at controlling attention and managing interference from sentence processing

Question 47

Two employees are listening to instructions for a project while also receiving unrelated Slack notifications. One remembers all the steps, while the other forgets half. According to Engle’s model, what likely explains this difference? A. The first employee has higher inhibitory control, filtering out irrelevant distractions. B. The second employee has a smaller phonological loop. C. The first employee’s visual imagery compensates for distraction. D. The second employee relies too heavily on long-term memory.

Answer 47

A. The first employee has higher inhibitory control, filtering out irrelevant distractions.

Question 48

A participant in an operation span task must solve equations (e.g., 4 + 2 = ?) while remembering words like “cat” or “door” between problems. What aspect of working memory is being tested in this type of task? A. Pure short-term storage capacity B. Automatic recall of learned associations C. Ability to divide attention equally between two tasks D. Controlled attention and inhibition of interference between processing and storage

Answer 48

D. Controlled attention and inhibition of interference between processing and storage

Question 49

During an exam, a student finds themselves distracted by intrusive thoughts (“I might fail this test”) but manages to refocus on the question and complete it successfully. According to Engle’s inhibitory control model, what process supports this refocusing? A. Strengthening of the visuospatial sketchpad B. Suppression of irrelevant internal distractions via attentional control C. Shifting to automatic, habitual responses D. Retrieval of prior knowledge from long-term memory

Answer 49

B. Suppression of irrelevant internal distractions via attentional control

Question 50

In a visual attention task, participants must detect the gap in a target box while ignoring several distractor boxes. Results show that participants with higher working memory capacity are better at identifying the target when distractors are similar in appearance. Which explanation best accounts for this finding? A. They have greater visual storage capacity in the visuo-spatial sketchpad. B. Their phonological loop allows faster naming of visual targets. C. Their central executive provides stronger attentional control to inhibit distractors. D. Their episodic buffer integrates target and distractor features more efficiently.

Answer 50

C. Their central executive provides stronger attentional control to inhibit distractors.

Question 51

During the same experiment, participants with lower working memory capacity were more likely to have their attention captured by distractors that looked similar to the target, even when the cue correctly indicated the target location. What does this result imply about the role of working memory in selective attention? A. Low working memory capacity limits visual acuity rather than attentional control. B. Working memory capacity reflects the ability to maintain focus and resist distraction. C. The visuo-spatial sketchpad automatically filters irrelevant stimuli. D. The episodic buffer compensates for distractor interference.

Answer 51

B. Working memory capacity reflects the ability to maintain focus and resist distraction.

Question 52

In a delayed-response task, a monkey sees a food reward placed in one of two locations, then must remember its location over a short delay before retrieving it. Researchers find that certain neurons in the frontal lobe fire during the delay period—but only on trials where the monkey correctly retrieves the food. What does this finding suggest? A. The frontal lobe cells are involved in sensory perception rather than memory. B. The frontal lobe maintains task-relevant information during short-term retention. C. The firing reflects motor preparation rather than working memory. D. The neurons are part of the visuospatial sketchpad.

Answer 52

B. The frontal lobe maintains task-relevant information during short-term retention.

Question 53

A patient with frontal lobe damage continues to use the same incorrect problem-solving strategy despite feedback indicating it is wrong. Which aspect of central executive functioning is most impaired? A. Dividing attention between multiple tasks B. Monitoring and updating ongoing behaviour C. Rehearsing verbal information in the phonological loop D. Storing visual information in the visual cache

Answer 53

B. Monitoring and updating ongoing behaviour

Question 54

Functional imaging shows activity in both the frontal and parietal lobes during a complex working memory task. What conclusion can be drawn from this finding? A. The frontal lobe alone is responsible for working memory processes. B. Working memory depends on a distributed neural network beyond the frontal lobe. C. The parietal lobe only stores visual information and does not contribute to WM. D. The frontal lobe supports the phonological loop exclusively.

Answer 54

B. Working memory depends on a distributed neural network beyond the frontal lobe.

Question 55

During a card-sorting task, healthy participants easily shift their sorting strategy when rules change, but patients with frontal lobe lesions continue using the old rule. Which component of Baddeley’s working memory model is most likely compromised in these patients? A. The phonological loop B. The visuospatial sketchpad C. The central executive D. The episodic buffer

Answer 55

C. The central executive

Question 56

A researcher uses brain imaging to study participants silently repeating a list of words in their minds. Increased activity is observed in Broca’s area (left frontal region). What does this finding suggest about Broca’s area? A. It supports phonological storage of verbal information. B. It is involved in subvocal rehearsal of verbal material, similar to inner speech. C. It primarily processes auditory input from the environment. D. It serves as the central executive for verbal working memory tasks.

Answer 56

B. It is involved in subvocal rehearsal of verbal material, similar to inner speech.

Question 57

Damage to a region between the left parietal and temporal lobes causes a patient to have normal speech but difficulty remembering short lists of words or digits. Which working memory function is most likely impaired? A. Phonological storage of auditory-verbal information B. Central executive control of attention C. Visuo-spatial sketchpad function D. Semantic integration in the episodic buffer

Answer 57

A. Phonological storage of auditory-verbal information

Question 58

In an fMRI study, participants are asked to either silently rehearse a list of words or listen to a recording of words without rehearsal. The first condition activates both Broca’s area and the left parietal-temporal region, while the second activates only auditory regions. What does this pattern reveal about the phonological loop? A. It consists of separate but coordinated components for storage and rehearsal. B. It relies solely on the auditory cortex for both listening and memory. C. It functions independently of the frontal regions. D. It is part of the visuo-spatial sketchpad.

Answer 58

A. It consists of separate but coordinated components for storage and rehearsal.

Question 59

In a PET study, participants perform two working memory tasks: Verbal task – remembering letters and deciding whether a new letter matches one previously shown. Visual task – remembering spatial positions of dots. Results show left-hemisphere activation during the verbal task and right-hemisphere activation during the visual task. What conclusion best fits these findings? A. Both verbal and visual working memory rely on the same neural mechanisms. B. The phonological loop is primarily left-lateralized, while the visuo-spatial sketchpad is right-lateralized. C. The right hemisphere supports language-based rehearsal. D. The central executive operates only in the right hemisphere.

Answer 59

B. The phonological loop is primarily left-lateralized, while the visuo-spatial sketchpad is right-lateralized.

Question 60

A patient shows impaired ability to remember spatial locations but intact ability to rehearse lists of words. Which brain region is most likely affected? A. Left parietal–temporal region B. Right-hemispheric regions supporting the visuo-spatial sketchpad C. Broca’s area in the left frontal lobe D. Bilateral prefrontal cortex

Answer 60

B. Right-hemispheric regions supporting the visuo-spatial sketchpad

Question 61

In a dual-task experiment, participants must perform both a verbal memory task and a spatial memory task simultaneously. Performance drops only slightly compared to doing each task alone. What does this result indicate about the organization of working memory systems? A. Verbal and visual working memory share a single storage system. B. The two systems operate largely independently, supported by distinct brain regions. C. Both tasks overload the same phonological loop. D. The episodic buffer stores both verbal and visual information without interference

Answer 61

B. The two systems operate largely independently, supported by distinct brain regions.

Question 62

In a working memory experiment, participants must remember where several dots appeared on a screen. Brain imaging shows activation in the dorsal regions of the parietal cortex. Which process is most likely being used? A. Object-based visual memory in the ventral stream B. Spatial working memory in the “where” stream C. Verbal rehearsal in the phonological loop D. Episodic integration in the episodic buffer

Answer 62

B. Spatial working memory in the “where” stream

Question 63

A patient can remember the locations of objects but struggles to remember their colors and shapes. Which neural pathway is most likely damaged? A. The dorsal stream (“where” pathway) B. The ventral stream (“what” pathway) C. The frontal lobe, responsible for attentional control D. The left parietal–temporal phonological storage area

Answer 63

B. The ventral stream (“what” pathway)

Question 64

In an fMRI study using the N-back task, participants complete 1-back, 2-back, and 3-back conditions. As the N value increases, researchers observe increased activation in the prefrontal cortex. What does this finding suggest? A. The prefrontal cortex is only involved in automatic memory retrieval. B. Executive control demands increase with higher working memory load. C. The phonological loop becomes less active as task difficulty increases. D. Visual processing regions are solely responsible for the N-back task.

Answer 64

B. Executive control demands increase with higher working memory load.

Question 65

A participant performs normally on a 1-back task but struggles significantly on 3-back and 4-back trials. Neuroimaging shows reduced activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). What does this pattern most likely indicate? A. Impaired phonological storage B. Deficient executive updating and attentional control C. Reduced capacity in the visuo-spatial sketchpad D. Overactivation of the episodic buffer

Answer 65

B. Deficient executive updating and attentional control

Question 66

During an N-back study, brain imaging reveals activation not only in the frontal lobe but also in parietal and temporal regions. Which interpretation best fits this result? A. The N-back task activates only one localized brain region. B. Working memory tasks rely on a distributed neural network, not just the frontal lobe. C. The parietal lobe suppresses irrelevant stimuli, while the frontal lobe stores information. D. Temporal regions are unrelated to working memory processes.

Answer 66

B. Working memory tasks rely on a distributed neural network, not just the frontal lobe.

Question 67

A participant performs a task requiring holding a sentence in mind while forming a response. Neuroimaging shows strong activation in Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area. Which WM component is primarily engaged? A. Visuo-spatial sketchpad B. Phonological loop C. Episodic buffer D. Central executive

Answer 67

B. Phonological loop

Question 68

A patient with damage to the prefrontal cortex shows difficulty switching between tasks and maintaining focus during problem-solving. Which WM component is most affected? A. Phonological loop B. Episodic buffer C. Central executive D. Visuo-spatial sketchpad

Answer 68

C. Central executive

Question 69

During a visual navigation task, activity is strongest in the occipital lobe. Which type of working memory process is most likely taking place? A. Storage of verbal labels B. Spatial rehearsal of locations C. Integration of multimodal information D. Suppression of irrelevant auditory information

Answer 69

B. Spatial rehearsal of locations

Question 70

In an experiment combining auditory words with visual images (e.g., remembering a spoken phrase with a matching scene), activation is observed in the parietal lobe. Which process is being illustrated? A. Auditory rehearsal in the phonological loop B. Visual storage in the sketchpad C. Cross-modal integration in the episodic buffer D. Attention allocation in the ACC

Answer 70

C. Cross-modal integration in the episodic buffer

Question 71

A neuroscientist finds increased activation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) when participants must focus on one of two competing stimuli. What does this activation represent? A. Storage of visual details in the occipital cortex B. Control of attention and conflict monitoring C. Verbal rehearsal of target information D. Retrieval of integrated episodes from LTM

Answer 71

B. Control of attention and conflict monitoring