Question 1

__________ occurs when simply the passage of time causes us to forget.
A)Decay
B)Interference
C)Reconstructive interference
D)Unlearning

Accepted Answer

Decay theory suggests that forgetting occurs over time, as memories gradually fade or decay if they are not accessed or used.

Question 2

One of the sins of memory in which false information is thought to have occurred (e.g. ,seeing something that did not occur).
A)suggestibility
B)bias
C)blocking
D)transience

Accepted Answer

Suggestibility is the tendency to incorporate false information into our memories due to leading questions, misinformation, or other external influences. This can lead to memories of events that did not actually occur. Bias refers to the influence of preexisting beliefs or attitudes on memory, blocking is the inability to retrieve a memory despite the feeling that it is there, and transience refers to the natural decay of memories over time.

Question 3

Reyna won an Olympic gold medal many years ago.Yet,she can still recall with great detail and vividness standing on the podium,medal in hand.This is an example of a(n)__________ memory.
A)constructive
B)photographic
C)flashbulb
D)iconic

Accepted Answer

The scenario described suggests that Reyna is recalling a highly emotional and significant event from her life. Flashbulb memory is a type of long-term memory that encodes highly emotional and vivid information related to a significant event. Therefore, option C, flashbulb memory, is the best choice. Option A, constructive memory, refers to the process of filling in gaps in memory with plausible information, and is not applicable here. Option B, photographic memory, refers to the ability to recall information in great detail, such as an image or words, without significant effort. However, it is still debated whether such a phenomenon is real or not. Option D, iconic memory, refers to a sensory memory store that briefly holds visual sensory information before it is processed further, and is therefore not relevant here.

Question 4

__________ theory asserts that information is forgotten because of the gradual disappearance of the memory trace.
A)Availability
B)Accessibility
C)Interference
D)Decay

Accepted Answer

The decay theory asserts that information is forgotten because of the gradual disappearance of the memory trace. Over time, if a memory is not rehearsed or used, the memory trace fades away or decays. This is why information that is not used or needed is often forgotten.

Question 5

Linton's self study of autobiographical memory found that her rate of forgetting events was
A)circular.
B)linear.
C)curvilinear.
D)constant.

Accepted Answer

Linton's study found that her rate of forgetting autobiographical events was linear, meaning that she forgot events at a consistent rate over time.

Question 6

Words at the __________ of a list in a free-recall task are most subject to proactive interference.
A)beginning
B)middle
C)end
D)beginning and end

Accepted Answer

The recency effect states that items at the end of a list are the most likely to be remembered due to their recent appearance in working memory. However, in a free-recall task, the items at the end of the list are also the most susceptible to proactive interference from earlier items, as they are more likely to be displaced or overwritten by information from earlier in the list. Therefore, option C - end - is the best choice.

Question 7

__________ memory refers to a memory of an event that is so emotionally powerful that the person remembers the event as vividly as if it were indelibly preserved on film.
A)Traumatic
B)Photographic
C)Flashbulb
D)Iconic

Accepted Answer

Flashbulb memory refers to the clear and vivid memories people have of emotionally significant events. These memories often feel as though they have been "burned" into a person's mind, much like an image captured by a camera's flashbulb. However, it is important to note that the accuracy of flashbulb memories has been called into question and they are subject to distortion over time.

Question 8

Jennifer cannot remember where she heard that pigs were very intelligent animals.Roger thinks he read in The Sunday Herald that Death Valley is the warmest spot in the United States;however,he really read about Death Valley in Outside Magazine.These memory lapses are examples of
A)suggestibility.
B)misattribution.
C)absent-mindedness.
D)persistence.

Accepted Answer

Misattribution refers to the phenomenon where a person remembers an event but attributes it to the wrong source. In Jennifer's case, she cannot remember where she heard the information about pigs being intelligent. In Roger's case, he remembers the fact about Death Valley being the warmest spot in the US but attributes it to the wrong source.

Question 9

Marianne took a chemistry course three years ago in high school and has not studied any chemistry since.She believes that the reason why she barely remembers any chemistry is because she has not used it.This explanation illustrates the __________ theory of forgetting.
A)interference
B)availability
C)interactive
D)decay

Accepted Answer

The decay theory of forgetting suggests that memories gradually fade away with time if they are not reinforced or used. In this scenario, Marianne has not used her chemistry knowledge since her high school class three years ago, leading to the decay of her memory.

Question 10

An example of this specific "sin" from Schacter's "seven memory sins" would be someone having information "on the tip of their tongue," but being unable to retrieve it:
A)transience.
B)bias.
C)persistence.
D)blocking.

Accepted Answer

Blocking refers to the temporary inability to retrieve a piece of information that one is sure exists in memory. This is commonly experienced as a tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon where the information feels just out of reach, even though one knows that they know it.

Question 11

Tony keeps mentally reliving the time that he was hit in the head with a Frisbee.This reoccurrence of this memory is an example of
A)transience.
B)misattribution.
C)persistence.
D)bias.

Accepted Answer

Persistence is the phenomenon of a disturbing memory or thought that haunts an individual. Tony's continuous recollection of the traumatic event suggests that he is experiencing persistence. Transience is the decay of memory over time, misattribution is the confusion of a memory with another, and bias is a preference for a particular viewpoint.

Question 12

Studies show that memory is not just __________,such that we use only what we have encountered to help us rebuild original remembered experience;it is also __________,in that our schemas for prior experience affect how we recall things.
A)retroactive;proactive
B)proactive;retroactive
C)constructive;reconstructive
D)reconstructive;constructive

Accepted Answer

Memory is reconstructive because we use past encounters to rebuild experiences, and it is constructive because our schemas influence recall.

Question 13

Enhanced vividness and perceptual detail of our recollections has been associated with
A)the person's metacognitive skills.
B)a memory's emotional intensity.
C)cognitive maturity.
D)activation of information in working memory.

Accepted Answer

Enhanced vividness and perceptual detail of our recollections has been associated with the memory's emotional intensity. Emotional memories may be more memorable and easily retrievable due to the amygdala's involvement in encoding and consolidation of emotional experiences.

Question 14

Many people believe that they remember with great detail and vividness the context in which they heard the news that the Challenger space shuttle had exploded.This is an example of a(n)__________ memory.
A)constructive
B)photographic
C)flashbulb
D)iconic

Accepted Answer

Flashbulb memory is a type of memory that is highly detailed and is often associated with emotionally significant events. The news of the Challenger shuttle explosion is a well-known example of a flashbulb memory, as many people claim to remember the event and the context in which they heard the news in great detail, even after many years have passed.

Question 15

Results from many studies suggest that the forgetting of information from short-term memory can largely be accounted for by
A)decay.
B)distortion.
C)interference.
D)transience.

Accepted Answer

Interference is a major reason for forgetting from short-term memory, as new information can disrupt the recall of previously learned information.

Question 16

After being given directions to get to the park,Galvin can remember only the last part of where he is to turn.This illustrates the __________ effect.
A)primacy
B)recency
C)finality
D)availability

Accepted Answer

The recency effect refers to the tendency for people to better remember information that was presented last, which is illustrated in this scenario where Galvin can only remember the last part of the directions. The other options (primacy, finality, and availability) do not accurately describe this phenomenon.

Question 17

The serial-position curve can be well explained in terms of the __________ theory of forgetting.
A)availability
B)decay
C)interaction
D)interference

Accepted Answer

The serial-position curve shows that people tend to remember the first and last items on a list better than the items in the middle. This pattern can be explained by interference theory, which suggests that information presented after or before a given item can interfere with the ability to remember that item. This interference can take the form of either proactive interference (prior learning interferes with the ability to remember new information) or retroactive interference (new learning interferes with the ability to remember old information).

Question 18

The difficulty in recalling information that one knows they should know.This is called
A)transience.
B)misattribution.
C)persistence.
D)blocking.

Accepted Answer

Blocking is the difficulty in recalling information, despite knowing that it is stored in memory. It is often characterized by the feeling of being on the "tip of the tongue" and is a common experience. Transience refers to the gradual loss of information over time, misattribution is the confusion of the source of a memory, and persistence is the unwanted and involuntary recall of unpleasant memories.

Question 19

Words at the __________ of a list in a free-recall task are most subject to retroactive interference.
A)beginning
B)middle
C)end
D)beginning and end

Accepted Answer

Words at the beginning of a list are most subject to retroactive interference because new information presented later can interfere with the recall of these earlier items.

Question 20

Words at the __________ of a list in a free-recall task are subject to both proactive and retroactive interference.
A)beginning
B)middle
C)end
D)beginning and end

Accepted Answer

Words in the middle of a list are subject to both proactive interference (from earlier items) and retroactive interference (from later items).

Quiz 6: Memory Processes

__________ occurs when simply the passage of time causes us to forget.

One of the sins of memory in which false information is thought to have occurred (e.g. ,seeing something that did not occur) .

Reyna won an Olympic gold medal many years ago.Yet,she can still recall with great detail and vividness standing on the podium,medal in hand.This is an example of a(n) __________ memory.

__________ theory asserts that information is forgotten because of the gradual disappearance of the memory trace.

Linton's self study of autobiographical memory found that her rate of forgetting events was

Words at the __________ of a list in a free-recall task are most subject to proactive interference.

__________ memory refers to a memory of an event that is so emotionally powerful that the person remembers the event as vividly as if it were indelibly preserved on film.

Jennifer cannot remember where she heard that pigs were very intelligent animals.Roger thinks he read in The Sunday Herald that Death Valley is the warmest spot in the United States;however,he really read about Death Valley in Outside Magazine.These memory lapses are examples of

Marianne took a chemistry course three years ago in high school and has not studied any chemistry since.She believes that the reason why she barely remembers any chemistry is because she has not used it.This explanation illustrates the __________ theory of forgetting.

An example of this specific "sin" from Schacter's "seven memory sins" would be someone having information "on the tip of their tongue," but being unable to retrieve it:

Tony keeps mentally reliving the time that he was hit in the head with a Frisbee.This reoccurrence of this memory is an example of

Studies show that memory is not just ,such that we use only what we have encountered to help us rebuild original remembered experience;it is also ,in that our schemas for prior experience affect how we recall things.

Enhanced vividness and perceptual detail of our recollections has been associated with

Many people believe that they remember with great detail and vividness the context in which they heard the news that the Challenger space shuttle had exploded.This is an example of a(n) __________ memory.

Results from many studies suggest that the forgetting of information from short-term memory can largely be accounted for by

After being given directions to get to the park,Galvin can remember only the last part of where he is to turn.This illustrates the __________ effect.

The serial-position curve can be well explained in terms of the __________ theory of forgetting.

The difficulty in recalling information that one knows they should know.This is called

Words at the __________ of a list in a free-recall task are most subject to retroactive interference.

Words at the __________ of a list in a free-recall task are subject to both proactive and retroactive interference.