Deck 5: Short-Term and Working Memory

Question 1

Sperling's delayed partial report procedure provided evidence that

A) short-term and long-term memory are the independent components of memory.
B) information in sensory memory fades within one or two seconds.
C) information in short-term memory must be rehearsed to transfer into long-term memory.
D) short-term memory has a limited capacity.

Answer 1

information in sensory memory fades within one or two seconds.

Question 2

Peterson and Peterson studied how well participants can remember groups of three letters (like BRT, QSD) after various delays. They found that participants remembered an average of 80 percent of the groups after 3 seconds but only 10 percent after 18 seconds. They hypothesized that this decrease in performance was due to ___________, but later research showed that it was actually due to ___________.

A) interference; decay
B) priming; interference
C) decay; interference
D) decay; lack of rehearsal

Answer 2

decay; interference

Question 3

A property of control processes in the modal model of memory is that they

A) do not require attention.
B) may differ from one task to another.
C) are performed without conscious awareness.
D) are difficult to modify.

Answer 3

may differ from one task to another.

Question 4

Brief sensory memory for sound is known as

A) iconic memory.
B) primary auditory memory.
C) echoic memory.
D) pre-perceptual auditory memory.

Question 5

Imagine you are driving to a friend's new house. In your mind, you say the address repeatedly until you arrive. To remember the address, you used a(n)___________process in short-term memory.

A) control
B) automatic
C) coding
D) iconic

Question 6

The effective duration of short-term memory, when rehearsal is prevented, is

A) just under a fraction of a second.
B) 15-20 seconds or less.
C) one to three minutes or more.
D) indefinite.

Question 7

Before going to the grocery store, Jamal quickly made a list in his head of the few items he needed to cook dinner. Driving to the store, he repeated the list over and over to himself so that he wouldn't forget anything. How would Broadbent describe Jamal's actions in the car?

A) Chunking in sensory memory
B) Buffering in the central executive
C) Rehearsal in short-term memory
D) Rotation in the phonological loop

Question 8

The primary effect of chunking is to

A) maximize the recency effect.
B) increase memory for items by grouping them together based on sound.
C) develop a visual code to supplement a phonological code for the information.
D) increase the efficiency of short-term memory.

Question 9

Suppose you're on the phone with a customer support representative who gives you a ticket number for your records. You're later transferred to a different representative who asks for your ticket number, but you've forgotten it. This probably occurred because the number was only temporarily stored in your

A) sensory memory.
B) short-term memory.
C) long-term memory.
D) episodic memory.

Question 10

Which of the following is not a stage in the information processing model of memory?

A) Sensory memory
B) Short-term memory
C) Long-term memory
D) Episodic memory

Question 11

Remembering that a tomato is a fruit rather than a vegetable is an example of ___________ memory.

A) semantic
B) acoustic
C) visual
D) iconic

Question 12

The three structural components of the modal model of memory are

A) receptors, occipital lobe, temporal lobe.
B) receptors, temporal lobe, frontal lobe.
C) sensory memory, short-term memory, long-term memory.
D) sensory memory, iconic memory, rehearsal.

Question 13

Models designed to explain mental functioning are constantly refined and modified to explain new results. Which of the following exemplifies this concept based on the results presented in your text?

A) Replacing the short-term memory component of the modal model with working memory
B) Replacing the sensory memory component of the modal model with the episodic buffer
C) Replacing the short-term memory component of the modal model with iconic memory
D) Replacing the sensory memory component of the modal model with working memory

Question 14

Information remains in sensory memory for

A) seconds or a fraction of a second.
B) 15-30 seconds.
C) one to three minutes.
D) as long as it is rehearsed.

Question 15

Compared to the whole report technique, the partial report procedure involves

A) a smaller stimulus set.
B) a smaller response set.
C) a smaller stimulus set and a smaller response set.
D) a shorter rehearsal period.

Question 16

Which of the following stimuli will last longer in the receiver's sensory memory?

A) A red bird in the snow
B) A lion's roar at the zoo
C) An infant's first smile
D) A striped top on a mannequin

Question 17

When a sparkler is twirled rapidly, people perceive a circle of light. This occurs because

A) the trail you see is caused by sparks left behind from the sparkler.
B) longer light wavelengths from the sparkler produce a visual echoic effect.
C) the length of iconic memory is about a fraction of a second.
D) Gestalt principles work to complete the circle in our minds.

Question 18

A person with a reduced digit span would most likely have a problem with ___________ memory.

A) short-term
B) long-term
C) sensory
D) autobiographical

Question 19

Which of the following represents the most effective chunking of the digit sequence 14929111776?

A) 14 929 111 776
B) 149 29111 776
C) 14 92 91 117 76
D) 1492 911 1776

Question 20

When light from a flashlight is moved quickly back and forth on a wall in a darkened room, it can appear to observers that there is a trail of light moving across the wall, even though physically the light is only in one place at any given time. This experience is an effect of memory that occurs because of

A) a visual delay effect.
B) echoic memory.
C) persistence of vision.
D) top-down processing.

Question 21

The research by Ericsson and colleagues (1980) examined the ability of a college student to achieve amazing feats of memory by having him remember strings of random digits that were recited to him. They found that this student used his experience with running times to help him retain these strings of numbers. The significance of this finding was that

A) experts show larger primacy and recency effects than beginners.
B) knowledge in an area of expertise increases a person's digit span.
C) expertise with some material reduces susceptibility to proactive interference with that material.
D) chunking requires knowledge of familiar patterns or concepts.

Question 22

It is easier to perform two tasks at the same time if

A) one is handled by the visuospatial sketch pad and one is handled by the phonological loop.
B) both are handled by the visuospatial sketch pad.
C) both are handled by the phonological loop.
D) the central executive is deactivated during the dual task time period.

Question 23

Have you ever tried to think of the words and hum the melody of one song while the radio is playing a different song? People have often noted that this is very difficult to do. This difficulty can be understood as

A) articulatory suppression.
B) an overload of sensory memory.
C) rehearsal interference.
D) an LTM recency effect.

Question 24

Given what we know about the operation of the phonological loop, which of the following word lists would be most difficult for people to retain for 15 seconds?

A) BIP, TEK, LIN, MOD, REY
B) SAY, BET, PIN, COW, RUG
C) MAC, CAN, CAP, MAN, MAP
D) PIG, DOG, RAT, FOX, HEN

Question 25

Research suggests that the capacity of short-term memory is

A) somewhat small, holding only about seven items at one time.
B) quite large, holding a large number of items simultaneously.
C) equivalent to sensory memory, holding about a hundred items at one time.
D) larger than the capacity of long-term memory among young people.

Question 26

Chantal has frontal lobe damage. She is doing a problem-solving task in which she has to choose the red object out of many choices. She can easily complete this repeatedly, but when the experimenter asks her to choose the blue object on a new trial of the task, she continues to choose the red one, even when the experimenter gives her feedback that she is incorrect. Chantal is displaying

A) sensory memory.
B) decay.
C) perseveration.
D) agnosia.

Question 27

One function of ___________ is to pull information out of long-term memory.

A) sensory memory
B) the phonological loop
C) articulatory suppression
D) the central executive

Question 28

The episodic buffer directly connects to which two components in Baddeley's model of memory?

A) The phonological loop and the visuospatial sketchpad
B) The central executive and long-term memory
C) The central executive and the phonological loop
D) The phonological loop and long-term memory

Question 29

Imagine yourself walking from your car, bus stop, or dorm to your first class. Your ability to form such a picture in your mind depends on which of the following components of working memory?

A) The STM recency effect
B) Delayed response coding
C) The phonological loop
D) The visuospatial sketch pad

Question 30

Which of the following represents the correct progression of information as it moves through the primary memory stores?

A) Short-term, long-term, episodic
B) Sensory, short-term, long-term
C) Episodic, short-term, sensory
D) Sensory, episodic, long-term

Question 31

What is the typical duration of short-term memory?

A) 15 to 50 seconds
B) 15 to 20 seconds
C) 5 to 7 seconds
D) 7 to 15 seconds

Question 32

Observations that people may actually process and manipulate information rather than simply store it for brief periods of time challenged the conceptualization of

A) the phonological similarity effect.
B) short-term memory.
C) the persistence of vision.
D) the physiological approach to coding.

Question 33

Which of the following statements about short-term memory is FALSE?

A) Short-term memory has a relatively small capacity for information.
B) Retention of information in short-term memory is brief.
C) Short-term memory stores an exact replica of sensory stimuli.
D) Short-term memory provides meaning to information.

Question 34

According to the model of working memory, which of the following mental tasks should LEAST adversely affect people's driving performance while operating a car along an unfamiliar, winding road?

A) Trying to imagine how many cabinets are in their kitchen
B) Trying to remember a map of the area
C) Trying to remember the definition of a word they just learned
D) Trying to imagine a portrait from a recent museum exhibit

Question 35

Working memory differs from short-term memory in that

A) short-term memory consists of a number of components.
B) short-term memory has a central executive function.
C) working memory is engaged in processing information.
D) working memory has unlimited capacity.

Question 36

Digit span is one measure of capacity of

A) short-term memory.
B) long-term memory.
C) sensory memory.
D) long-term semantic memory.

Question 37

Jason quickly scanned the map on his phone to get to his job interview, then took a left and ran down the block so he wouldn't be late. According to Stokes, Jason's ability to recall the directions as he's running is the result of ________.

A) a buffering process followed by an activity process
B) an activity state followed by a synaptic state
C) a buffering process followed by an executive process
D) a synaptic state followed by a buffering state

Question 38

A task with the instructions "Read the following words while repeating 'the, the, the' out loud, look away, and then write down the words you remember" would most likely be studying

A) articulatory suppression.
B) the visuospatial sketch pad.
C) echoic memory.
D) the central executive.

Question 39

Robin lost the softball game for her team when she ran toward home and was thrown out at the plate. The coach asked her, "Why did you run? You knew it was a risky move." Robin replied, "But I heard you yell, 'Go! Go!'" The coach replied, "I was saying, 'No! No!'" Robin's ill-fated run was the result of a ________ error.

A) visuospatial
B) control
C) suppressive
D) phonological

Question 40

Rehearsal is important for transferring information from

A) sensory memory to long-term memory.
B) sensory memory to short-term memory.
C) long-term memory to sensory memory.
D) short-term memory to long-term memory.

Question 41

Which of the following terms does NOT reflect the concept of control processes?

A) sensory
B) conscious
C) proactive
D) variable

Question 42

If the brain can be considered a busy factory that takes in and processes information, which of the following would occur during the synaptic state in Stokes's working memory concept?

A) The factory machines would consume electricity.
B) The factory machines would produce electricity.
C) Machines would shut down for material resupply.
D) An alarm would sound signaling system overload.

Question 43

Which term best reflects the core concept of echoic memory?

A) repetition
B) buffer
C) access
D) time

Question 44

Funahashi's work on monkeys doing a delayed response task examined the role of neurons in the

A) nucleus accumbens.
B) prefrontal cortex.
C) diencephalon.
D) cingulate gyrus.

Question 45

Models designed to explain mental functioning are constantly refined and modified to explain new experimental results. Using the research from this chapter, discuss this idea by describing an "old" theory, the "new or revised" theory, and the data that brought about the refinements to models of memory.

Question 46

Describe Atkinson and Shiffrin's concept of control processes. Then give two examples of control processes to support your thinking.

Question 47

Explain Stokes's concept of activity-silent working memory. Describe what brain scans would look like in a task of gathering and then remembering information.

Question 48

The ability to manipulate information in memory temporarily while remembering something else is called

A) working memory.
B) semantic memory.
C) short-term memory.
D) episodic memory.

Question 49

If working memory were an actual workplace, which of the following best describes the members of Baddeley's model?

A) independent consultants
B) equal team members
C) competing employees
D) workers and manager

Question 50

A person who is activating their visuospatial sketch pad is likely to say which of the following?

A) "Let's walk down memory lane."
B) "I can see it in my mind's eye."
C) "It's right on the tip of my tongue."
D) "I can remember like it was yesterday."

Question 51

What is the relationship between digit span and chunking? Give an example of how both concepts apply in a single memory task.

Question 52

Which of the following stimulus characteristics most challenges the processing capacity of short-term memory?

A) frequency
B) color
C) complexity
D) source

Question 53

The staff working in the air traffic control tower at a busy airport can be considered a suitable metaphor for which of the following?

A) episodic buffer
B) central executive
C) working memory
D) articulatory rehearsal

Question 54

On what factor do working memory and short-term memory most differ?

A) velocity
B) activity
C) location
D) stimuli

Question 55

Physiological studies indicate that damage to the brain's___________can disrupt behaviors that depend on working memory.

A) Prefrontal cortex
B) Amygdala
C) Hippocampus
D) Occipital lobe

Question 56

Funahashi and coworkers recorded neurons in the PF cortex of monkeys during a delayed response task. These neurons showed the most intense firing during

A) stimulus presentation.
B) delay.
C) response.
D) encoding.

Question 57

Compare and contrast the concepts of short-term memory and working memory. How do the models of each concept differ and why?