Study with labs and exams
University of North Dakota, PSYC 439: Cognitive Psychology
Free Cognitive Psychology Course: 8 Lessons and Worked Examples
Explore attention, perception, memory, language, and judgment through eight free lessons. Read a diagram, work through an example, and check your explanation. Start here, then compare longer courses when you want more depth.
8 lessonsProgress in this browser
BySeph Fontane Pennock
Reviewed byMichael Callans, MSWBy the end you can...
- Separate a mental process from the response used to study it.
- Explain how sensory cues, expectations, and memory contribute to a task.
- Compare a shortcut with a procedure that checks every constraint.
- Distinguish an initial suggestion from evidence for an estimate.
Eight lessons on attention, memory, language and judgment, taught through fictional adult examples and worked exercises.
Start the course
Complete eight free lessons with diagrams, concept checks, and worked exercises. This introduction is for adults and requires no prior study. Work at your own pace, or compare longer courses. For foundations, start with our introduction.
1
Studying mental processes
4 minBy the end you can separate a mental process from its measurement.
Cognitive psychology studies mental processes through observable responses, such as time taken and errors made. A response is evidence to interpret, not a direct picture of a thought. Field overview
A useful comparison specifies what changes, what is measured, and what stays similar. The label task below separates those roles. Even a clear difference can leave several explanations open. Experimental comparisons
- ChangeNumber of labels
- ObserveSearch time and errors
- CompareWere size and brightness held similar?
- InterpretConsider more than one explanation
One change, two observations
In the fictional luggage task, six labels become twelve. Search time and errors are recorded. More time with fewer mistakes could reflect careful checking, so time alone does not settle the explanation. Source
Try it
A fictional researcher changes the number of labels, then records errors and search time. Name the manipulated variable and two measured outcomes.
Show the answer
The manipulated variable is the number of labels. The measured outcomes are errors and search time. Attention is the proposed mental process, not a third directly observed score. To interpret the result, ask whether anything else changed between displays, such as label size. A difference would support an explanation about this search task; it would not establish a general ranking of the participants.
Takeaway: Name what changed and what was recorded before explaining a result. (source)
2
Selective attention and Stroop
4 minBy the end you can explain competition between relevant and irrelevant information.
In Stroop (1935), naming ink colors took longer with conflicting color words than with comparison color patches. Reading a word and naming its ink are different tasks.
The word-count exercise here illustrates competition without reproducing that experiment. Order, repetition, and familiarity are uncontrolled. No hesitation is also possible. Hedge and colleagues (2018) explain why a robust task effect need not reliably rank individuals. Use the exercise to explain task demands, without assigning an attention score.
Meaning agrees
- "one" contains one word
- "two two" contains two words
Meaning conflicts
- "three" contains one word
- "one one" contains two words
Try it
Count words aloud: A: "one"; "two two"; "three three three". B: "three"; "one one"; "two two two". Predict, try, then explain any difference.
Show the answer
Both lists require the answers one, two, three. In A, word meaning agrees with the count; in B, it conflicts. B may feel more awkward because the irrelevant meaning offers a competing answer. No difference on this tiny exercise is also possible. Repetition, reading order, and familiarity are uncontrolled. This illustration cannot reproduce the evidence from a carefully administered Stroop experiment.
Takeaway: The instruction determines which feature matters. (source)
Practice this in Learn: Attention: Stroop and selective attention
3
Perception and expectations
4 minBy the end you can identify sensory cues and prior knowledge.
Perception interprets sensory input. Bottom-up processing begins with the display; top-down processing draws on knowledge and expectations. OpenStax explains the distinction.
In the fictional museum sign, context makes one completion plausible. It does not establish the missing letter. To investigate context, a researcher could keep the damaged target unchanged while varying surrounding words. The comparison would concern interpretations of that display, not a general measure of perceptual ability.
Information in the display
- Visible letters: GALL_RY
- A gap where one letter is missing
Knowledge brought to it
- The familiar word gallery
- The surrounding museum setting
Try it
The museum sign reads "GALL_RY." Identify one bottom-up cue, one top-down contribution, and one observation that could check the interpretation.
Show the answer
The visible letters are bottom-up cues. Knowledge of the word gallery and the museum setting contributes top-down information. An undamaged copy of the sign could check the proposed reading. Expecting gallery is reasonable here, but expectation does not restore the missing physical mark. The distinction is between evidence supplied by the display and information supplied by the reader, not between sensible and foolish readers.
Takeaway: A plausible interpretation still needs evidence. (source)
4
Working memory
4 minBy the end you can distinguish retaining information from manipulating it.
Working memory involves retaining information while using it. Repeating delivery times as heard emphasizes storage; arranging them in arrival order adds manipulation.
The diagram uses invented times. Looking back at them provides an external record. A single sorting attempt cannot establish a personal capacity: format, familiarity, and grouping opportunities all change the task. Explain what must be retained and what must be done with it.
- RetainA 10:20; B 10:05; C 10:40
- CompareEarlier versus later arrivals
- ReorderB, A, C
Try it
Van A: 10:20; B: 10:05; C: 10:40. Put them in arrival order. How does looking back at this line change the task?
Show the answer
The order is B, A, C. Sorting requires comparing the times while preserving their connection to the van labels. Looking back supplies an external record, reducing the need to retain all three pairs at once. It does not remove the comparison step. An error would show that this attempt went wrong, not explain why it happened or establish a general memory limit.
Takeaway: Storing information and using it are different task demands. (source)
5
Encoding and retrieval
4 minBy the end you can distinguish encoding from retrieval.
Memory functions distinguish encoding, storage, and retrieval. The equipment example shows what each task asks the learner to do.
Elaboration and retrieval practice involve connecting meaning and attempting recall. For the exercise, explain a connection, look away, restate it, and compare with the original. Immediate success shows what was retrieved now; a later attempt asks a different question about retention.
- EncodeConnect valve with its role
- StoreRetain that connection
- RetrieveExplain the role without the label
From seeing to explaining
An adult first connects a valve with regulating flow. Later, the label is hidden and the adult explains the connection. The first task concerns encoding; the later attempt asks for retrieval. Source
Try it
Explain how encoding differs from retrieval using an equipment label. Look away, restate the distinction, then check what your explanation missed.
Show the answer
Linking valve to its role in regulating flow is an encoding activity. Explaining that role later without looking at the label is a retrieval attempt. A useful response names both the information and what the learner does with it. If your account only said "remembering," revise it to distinguish forming the connection from accessing it. This check concerns the explanation, not your memory as a whole.
Takeaway: An explanation from memory asks a different question from rereading. (source)
6
Language and meaning
4 minBy the end you can explain how wording changes meaning.
Language combines words through rules. Changing word order can change who acts on whom, even when the vocabulary stays the same.
The studio message below leaves a pronoun unresolved. Rewriting it requires specifying the intended event. In a language study, choosing a referent, paraphrasing, and responding quickly would be different measured tasks. A fast answer alone would not establish correct interpretation.
Reference left open
- Rae told Jo that she would send the draft.
- The pronoun could refer to Rae or Jo.
Sender identified
- Rae told Jo, "I will send the draft."
- Rae is the named sender.
Try it
Rewrite "Rae told Jo that she would send the draft" so that Rae is unambiguously the sender. Explain what your revision changes.
Show the answer
One version is: "Rae told Jo, 'I will send the draft.'" Another is: "Rae told Jo that Rae would send the draft." Both identify Rae as the sender. Replacing told with promised would also change the speech act, so that is not an equivalent rewrite. The original pronoun could refer to either person; the bare sentence does not settle its referent.
Takeaway: Knowing the words does not always settle who did what. (source)
Source: Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., and Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e: Language. OpenStax.
7
Reasoning and problem-solving
4 minBy the end you can compare a systematic procedure with a shortcut.
Problem-solving strategies differ in how they search for a solution. A systematic procedure can check every assignment; a shortcut can reduce work but miss a constraint.
In this fictional two-talk problem, each room can host only one talk at the same time. Success requires both enough seats and the requested equipment. Evaluate the proposed method against those requirements, rather than judging shortcuts as always useful or always poor.
Talk: top row A: 60 seats and projector, bottom row B: 40 seats. Room: left X: 80 seats, no projector, right Y: 60 seats, projector.
- A: 60 seats and projector and X: 80 seats, no projector
- A in X: missing projector
- A: 60 seats and projector and Y: 60 seats, projector
- A in Y: both needs met
- B: 40 seats and X: 80 seats, no projector
- B in X: seats sufficient
- B: 40 seats and Y: 60 seats, projector
- B in Y: seats sufficient
The biggest room is not enough
Putting A in X meets its seating need but misses its projector need. Assigning A to Y leaves X available for B. Both talks now meet their stated requirements. Source
Try it
Talk A needs 60 seats and a projector; B needs 40 seats. Room X has 80 seats without a projector; Y has 60 with one. Assign rooms.
Show the answer
A goes in Y and B goes in X. Assigning the largest audience to the largest room would place A in X and fail its equipment requirement. The shortcut considered one constraint while neglecting another. A systematic check asks whether each assignment satisfies both seating and equipment needs. The example does not show that shortcuts are always poor; it shows why their fit to the problem matters.
Takeaway: Check every required condition before accepting a shortcut. (source)
Source: Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., and Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e: Problem Solving. OpenStax.
8
Judgment and cognitive biases
4 minBy the end you can distinguish an anchor from comparison evidence.
Anchoring concerns an initial value influencing a later estimate. A listing followed by a similar estimate does not by itself demonstrate that effect: the estimate might match relevant evidence.
The fictional sales below supply comparison information. A study would need to vary the starting suggestion while keeping other relevant conditions comparable. The illustration provides no participant results, and using comparison evidence does not establish immunity to bias.
Give the starting value a reason
The fictional listing suggests 900 dollars. Comparable sales are 410, 440, and 450 dollars, averaging about 433. Check condition, accessories, and sale date before treating them as equivalent. Source
Try it
A camera listing says $900. Three recent comparable sales were $410, $440, and $450. Which information directly supports a revised estimate, and what remains uncertain?
Show the answer
The comparable sales provide evidence about actual prices; $900 supplies a starting suggestion. Their simple average is about $433, but differences in condition, accessories, and sale date still matter. The figures are invented for this exercise. Revising toward them is an evidence-based response within the scenario, not proof of immunity to anchoring. The central distinction is between an initial number and the reasons for trusting it.
Takeaway: A starting number needs evidence behind it. (source)
Source: Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., and Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e: Problem Solving. OpenStax.
What demonstrations do and do not measure
Return to lesson 2 and explain why a task effect is different from a ranking of people. Hedge and colleagues (2018) is the source for that distinction. Then choose a next step below.
Compare longer courses
Choose academic study, focused experiments, or open materials.
Try a focused experimental introduction
University of York / FutureLearn, Introduction to Cognitive Psychology: An Experimental Science
Use open study materials
MIT OpenCourseWare, Introduction to Psychology, 9.00SC (Fall 2011)
See the full comparison
| Provider and offering | Type | Scope | Audience | Access | Workload | Entry requirements | Assessment | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Dakota PSYC 439: Cognitive Psychology | university subject | Memory, attention, language, problem-solving, and decisions | US; research methods background | Paid tuition; materials extra | 17 lessons, 14 labs, 3 exams; 3 to 9 months | PSYC 303 Research Methods or instructor consent | Labs and 3 proctored exams | Open, enroll anytime |
| University of York / FutureLearn Introduction to Cognitive Psychology: An Experimental Science | short course | Reasoning and mental imagery; focused introduction | UK; introductory experimental science | Free access limited to 3 weeks; paid options | 3 weeks; 4 hours per week | not stated | Experiments and quizzes; tests excluded from free access | Available now |
| MIT OpenCourseWare Introduction to Psychology, 9.00SC (Fall 2011) | free resource | Broad psychology, including perception and thinking | US; introductory independent study | Free course materials; some readings only linked | Total study hours not stated | No specific course prerequisites; basic statistics and science preparation | 3 exams with solutions; optional writing | Public archive; not current MIT enrollment |
What is a cognitive psychology course?
It studies attention, perception, memory, language, reasoning, and judgment. Here you learn those ideas through short tasks and worked explanations. The OpenStax contemporary psychology source describes the field; the comparison separates this introduction from broader academic courses and focused experiments. (source)
What will I learn in this course?
You will explain eight distinctions, including encoding versus retrieval and a shortcut versus a systematic procedure. Every lesson supplies a task and answer. Completing this introduction means working through the sequence; it does not establish professional competence or measure your ability.
Can I learn it without neuroscience training?
Yes. This introduction requires no neuroscience background. For specialist neuropsychology study, check the provider's brain-science coverage and prerequisites. Requirements differ: UND specifies research methods or instructor consent, while MIT names no specific prerequisite course but describes basic statistics and science preparation. (source 1, source 2)
Do these exercises measure cognitive ability?
These exercises explain task demands and research comparisons. A single attempt cannot establish a general ability score. The Hedge and colleagues study (source) explains why a reliable task effect need not reliably rank individuals.
Is cognitive psych a hard class, or the hardest psychology class?
Difficulty depends on syllabus and preparation; there is no universally hardest class established here. UND includes labs and proctored exams; this page uses written exercises. Compare the actual reading, methods, assignments, and deadlines to judge whether a class fits your starting point. (source)
How can I go deeper after this introduction?
Can I find a free course or cognitive psychology PDF?
Where to go next
Sources
- Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., and Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e: Contemporary Psychology. OpenStax.
- Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., and Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e: Analyzing Findings. OpenStax.
- Stroop, J. R. (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 18, 643-662.
- Hedge, C., Powell, G., and Sumner, P. (2018). The reliability paradox: Why robust cognitive tasks do not produce reliable individual differences. Behavior Research Methods, 50, 1166-1186.
- Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., and Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e: Sensation versus Perception. OpenStax.
- Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., and Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e: How Memory Functions. OpenStax.
- Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., and Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e: Ways to Enhance Memory. OpenStax.
- Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., and Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e: Language. OpenStax.
- Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., and Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e: Problem Solving. OpenStax.
- University of North Dakota. PSYC 439: Cognitive Psychology. Course information, checked November 4, 2026.
- University of York and FutureLearn. Introduction to Cognitive Psychology: An Experimental Science. Course information, checked November 4, 2026.
- Gabrieli, J. (2011). Introduction to Psychology, 9.00SC: Syllabus. MIT OpenCourseWare.
- Psychology.com. Learn: public track and access information. Opened November 4, 2026.
- Psychology.com. Courses: course and mini course catalog. Opened November 4, 2026.
Cite this source
Psychology.com. (2026, November 4). Cognitive Psychology Course. Psychology.com. https://psychology.com/courses/cognitive-psychology