Cognitive Psychology 414 Exam One Practice Test

In the Interactive Activation Model, recognition happens with a network that spans multiple levels (from features to letters to whole-word units) and allows activation to move in several directions. Feedforward connections push information upward—from features to letters to words—so the sensory input builds higher-level representations. Feedback connections run downward—from word units back to letter units and even to features—so higher-level expectations can bias and guide lower-level processing, which helps resolve ambiguity when input is noisy or incomplete. Lateral connections within the same level let neighboring or similar units influence each other, supporting competition and smoothing across alternatives.

Because recognition in this model relies on upward propagation, downward guidance from higher levels, and interactions within a level, all three connection types are allowed. That’s why the best answer reflects feedforward, feedback, and lateral connections.