Which term refers to knowledge about the world gained from experience, stored as mental representations?

• A. Prior knowledge
• B. Procedural knowledge
• C. Declarative knowledge
• D. Episodic knowledge

Answer: (A)

This item is about how what you already know from experience shapes new understanding. Prior knowledge refers to information about the world that you’ve accumulated from past experiences and that’s stored in memory as mental representations. This background knowledge acts like a lens, helping you interpret new material, fill in gaps, and make connections.

Procedural knowledge is knowing how to do things—skills and steps. Declarative knowledge is facts and information you can state. Episodic knowledge is memory of personal experiences. The description given focuses on knowledge about the world gained from experience and kept in memory, which aligns with the idea of prior knowledge as the pre-existing store you bring to any new learning situation.