Topic Analysis: MPC-001 Cognitive Psychology, Learning and Memory

📊 Statistical Overview

Papers Analyzed: 28 (2011–2024, June & December sessions)
Total Questions: 316
Unique Topics: 32

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Top 10 Topics by Frequency

Rank	Topic	Papers Appeared	% of Papers	Times in Exam	Priority
1	Problem Solving Strategies & Techniques	27	96.4%	29	🔴 High
2	Creativity — Meaning, Aspects & Stages	23	82.1%	24	🔴 High
3	Cognitive Psychology — History & Definition	22	78.6%	22	🔴 High
4	Blocks to Problem Solving	22	78.6%	22	🔴 High
5	Information Processing	20	71.4%	20	🔴 High
6	Multilingualism	18	64.3%	18	🔴 High
7	Speech Disorders	16	57.1%	16	🔴 High
8	Memory Models	16	57.1%	16	🔴 High
9	Memory Systems (STM, LTM)	16	57.1%	16	🔴 High
10	Intelligence Testing & Measurement	15	53.6%	16	🔴 High

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Topic Frequency Distribution

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Block-wise Topic Distribution

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Top 15 Topics — Horizontal Bar View

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Most Repeated Questions

Rank	Question Theme	Repetitions	% of Papers	Topic
1	Blocks to Problem Solving (all types)	13	46.4%	Problem Solving
2	Creativity — Meaning, Aspects & Stages	12	42.9%	Creativity
3	Multilingualism (meaning, types, thinking)	13	46.4%	Language
4	Cognitive Psychology — History/Definition	12	42.9%	Cognitive Psych
5	Problem Solving — Strategies & Techniques	11	39.3%	Problem Solving
6	Language Acquisition (behaviourist/innateness)	10	35.7%	Language
7	Neuropsychology of Learning & Memory	9	32.1%	Memory
8	Spearman's Two-Factor Theory	9	32.1%	Intelligence
9	Intelligence Testing & Measurement	11	39.3%	Intelligence
10	PASS Theory of Intelligence	8	28.6%	Intelligence
11	Guilford's Structure of Intellect	6	21.4%	Intelligence
12	Levels of Processing (Craik & Lockhart)	6	21.4%	Memory
13	Gardner's Multiple Intelligences	6	21.4%	Intelligence
14	Memory Models (Atkinson-Shiffrin, Waugh-Norman)	7	25.0%	Memory
15	Speech Disorders (Aphasia, Apraxia)	8+	28.6%+	Language

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Session-Wise Analysis

Session	Papers	Observations
June	14	Slightly heavier on Research Methods, PASS Theory, Sternberg
December	14	Slightly heavier on Levels of Processing, Key Issues in Cog Psych
Both equally	—	Creativity, Problem Solving, Memory, most Language topics

Session Pattern

There is no major June vs December divergence. Prepare all high-priority topics regardless of session.

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Year-wise Coverage (selected topics)

Topic	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Prob. Solv. Strategies	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Blocks to Prob Solv	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Creativity	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	—	✅	—	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Cog Psych History	✅	✅	✅	✅	—	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Memory Models	✅	✅	✅	✅	—	—	✅	✅	—	✅	✅	✅	—	✅
Intelligence Testing	✅	✅	✅	—	✅	✅	—	—	—	—	✅	—	✅	✅
Multilingualism	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	—	✅	✅	✅	—	—	✅	✅	✅
Language Acquisition	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	—	✅	—	✅	—	✅	—	✅	✅
Speech Disorders	✅	—	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	—	—	✅	✅	—	✅	✅
PASS Theory	✅	—	✅	✅	✅	—	✅	—	—	—	—	✅	✅	—

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Block-by-Block Coverage Summary

Block 1: Cognitive Psychology & Memory

Topic	Papers	%
Cognitive Psychology — History & Definition	22	78.6%
Information Processing	20	71.4%
Research Methods	14	50.0%
Memory Models (Atkinson-Shiffrin, Waugh-Norman)	16	57.1%
Memory Systems (STM, LTM, Sensory)	16	57.1%
Neuropsychology of Learning & Memory	17	60.7%
Key Issues in Cognitive Psychology	12	42.9%
Levels of Processing Model	7	25.0%

Block 2: Intelligence & Creativity

Topic	Papers	%
Creativity — Meaning, Aspects & Stages	23	82.1%
Intelligence Testing & Measurement	15	53.6%
Gardner's Multiple Intelligences	12	42.9%
Spearman's Two-Factor Theory	11	39.3%
PASS Theory of Intelligence	10	35.7%
Creativity–Intelligence Relationship	9	32.1%
Investment & Confluence Theory of Creativity	8	28.6%
Guilford's Structure of Intellect	8	28.6%
Sternberg's Triarchic Theory	7	25.0%
Intelligence Theories — Factor Theories	9	32.1%

Block 3 & 4: Language & Problem Solving

Topic	Papers	%
Problem Solving Strategies & Techniques	27	96.4%
Blocks to Problem Solving	22	78.6%
Multilingualism	18	64.3%
Language Acquisition	17	60.7%
Speech Disorders	16	57.1%
Language Disorders & Aphasia	14	50.0%
Problem Solving — Definition & Types	14	50.0%
Problem Solving — Newell's Approach & AI	13	46.4%
Language Structure & Functions	11	39.3%
Innateness Theory of Language	7	25.0%

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💡 Exam Insights

Topics That Appear EVERY Year (Study First)

1. Problem Solving Strategies & Techniques — 27/28 papers
2. Blocks to Problem Solving — appeared every year since 2012
3. Creativity — appeared in 23/28 papers, every year except 2016
4. Cognitive Psychology History/Definition — appeared every year

Topics With Increasing Frequency (2019–2024)

• Multilingualism and language-thinking relationship
• Neuropsychology of memory (hippocampus, consolidation)
• Cognitive Psychology history and key issues
• Alfred Binet and history of intelligence measurement

Topics With Occasional Gaps

• PASS Theory (not asked 2016, 2018–2021, 2024)
• Sternberg's Triarchic Theory (not asked every year)
• Levels of Processing (irregular — but when asked, full 10-mark question)

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🎯 Strategic Study Recommendations

If you have 4 weeks

Week 1: Block 4 — Problem Solving (all 5 topics, highest frequency)
Week 2: Block 2 — Intelligence & Creativity (all 8 topics)
Week 3: Block 3 & 4 — Language (all 7 topics)
Week 4: Block 1 — Memory & Cognitive Psychology (all 8 topics) + revision

If you have 2 weeks

Week 1: Top 15 highest-frequency topics (covering ~85% of exam content)
Week 2: Remaining high-priority topics + revision of repeated questions

If you have 3 days

Focus exclusively on the Top 10 Most Repeated Question Themes — these alone cover enough material to attempt all required questions in most papers.