Question 1

The tendency for superior recall of items in the middle of a list compared to items at the beginning and end of a list is called the serial position effect.

Accepted Answer

The serial position effect refers to the tendency to recall items at the beginning (primacy effect) and end (recency effect) of a list better than those in the middle.

Question 2

Elaborative rehearsal is defined as the rote repetition of material in order to prolong exposure.

Accepted Answer

Elaborative rehearsal involves making meaning from information and connecting it to existing knowledge, rather than simply repeating it over and over again.

Question 3

At the cellular level,long-term potentiation (LTP)may represent the first stages of memory.

Accepted Answer

LTP is a process by which synaptic connections between neurons are strengthened, and it has been linked to the formation of memories. Therefore, it is believed that LTP represents the initial stages of long-term memory formation at the cellular level.

Question 4

Flashbulb memories,unlike other memories,are extremely accurate records of the past.

Accepted Answer

Flashbulb memories are subject to distortion and forgetting over time, just like other memories. Although they may seem vivid and detailed in the moment, research has shown that they can be influenced by factors such as emotional intensity, familiarity, and cultural expectations. Thus, they are not necessarily more accurate than other types of memories.

Question 5

The capacity of short-term memory is limitless.

Accepted Answer

The capacity of short-term memory is limited to around 7 items, plus or minus two, according to George Miller's theory of the magical number seven. While some people may have a slightly larger or smaller capacity, it is not limitless.

Question 6

Rather than remembering specific details,people tend to remember the 'gist' of an event or story.

Accepted Answer

This is supported by research in psychology and neuroscience, which suggests that our memory tends to focus more on the general meaning or essence of events, rather than on specific details. This phenomenon is sometimes called "gist memory."

Question 7

In the Atkinson-Shiffrin model,incoming information moves from sensory memory into short-term memory through the process of rehearsal.

Accepted Answer

In the Atkinson-Shiffrin model, incoming information moves from sensory memory to short-term memory through the process of attention, not rehearsal. Rehearsal is the process used to keep information in short-term memory or to move it into long-term memory.

Question 8

False memories are especially likely to occur if you have thought about the imagined event many times.

Accepted Answer

This is true. Repeatedly thinking about an imagined event can make it feel more real, which can increase the likelihood of developing a false memory.

Question 9

Declarative memories are the type of long-term memories that you are consciously aware of.

Accepted Answer

Declarative memories are also known as explicit memories and are consciously available for retrieval. They include memories of facts, events, and information that can be explicitly verbalized or recognized.

Question 10

In general,psychologists agree that the inability to remember experiences during the first years of life is due to the defence mechanism of repression.

Accepted Answer

The inability to remember experiences from the first years of life, known as infantile amnesia, is generally attributed to the underdevelopment of the brain's memory-forming areas during early childhood, not to the defense mechanism of repression.

Deck 7: A: Memory