Question 1

The system of memory that can hold approximately 7 "chunks" of information is called
A)long-term memory.
B)permastore memory.
C)sensory memory.
D)short-term memory.

Accepted Answer

The system of memory that can hold approximately 7 "chunks" of information is called short-term memory. This is also known as working memory, and its capacity is limited to around 7 chunks of information at a time.

Question 2

Chunking is a means of
A)immediately forgetting irrelevant details.
B)combining information into meaningful units.
C)arranging details into a hierarchy from most to least important.
D)storing long-term memories.

Accepted Answer

Chunking involves grouping or combining separate pieces of information into larger, more meaningful units. This can make it easier to remember and work with the information. It does not necessarily involve immediately forgetting irrelevant details, arranging details into a hierarchy, or storing long-term memories.

Question 3

Similar to chunking,the visuospatial process of combining visual features into a single unit is called
A)feature binding.
B)visual buffering.
C)voxel smoothing.
D)sketchpadding.

Accepted Answer

Feature binding is the process of combining visual features (such as color, shape, and location) into a single perceptual unit. This allows us to perceive complex visual scenes as a unified whole, rather than as a collection of individual elements. The other options (visual buffering, voxel smoothing, and sketchpadding) are not relevant to this process.

Question 4

Which fact does NOT support the idea that the amount of information that can be stored in short-term memory (STM)is determined by the number of chunks?
A)Organizing digits into larger numbers allows people to remember more digits at one time.
B)There is a limit to the number of units of information that can be stored in STM at one time.
C)Chunking can increase the amount of information people can place in STM.
D)Individuals can remember more words from a list of single-syllable words than they can from a list of four- or five-syllable words.

Accepted Answer

This fact suggests that the length of the word, rather than its organization into chunks, affects how many words can be remembered in STM. Therefore, it does not support the idea that the amount of information stored in STM is determined by the number of chunks.

Question 5

If research participants are not allowed to rehearse the information,about how long can they keep a meaningless trigram in phonological memory?
A)2 seconds
B)15 seconds
C)1 minute
D)20 minutes

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that without rehearsal, information can be kept in phonological memory for about 15 seconds before it begins to decay. This is particularly true for meaningless information such as trigrams, which do not have inherent meaning or associations to aid in their retention.

Question 6

Recent research suggests that working memory includes a(n)_______________,which acts as a storage component of working memory that combines the images and sounds from the other two components into coherent,story-like episodes.
A)phonological loop
B)central executive
C)episodic buffer
D)visuospatial sketchpad

Accepted Answer

According to recent research, working memory includes an episodic buffer, which combines the information from the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad into coherent episodes. Therefore, the correct choice is C, episodic buffer.

Question 7

When asked to recall single-digit numbers presented in various digit span sizes,the typical adult would probably start to encounter difficulty once they got past ________ digits.
A)3
B)4
C)5
D)7

Accepted Answer

The average adult can remember 7 plus or minus 2 pieces of information in their short-term memory, known as Miller's Law. Therefore, the typical adult would start to encounter difficulty once they got past 7 digits.

Question 8

Telo convinces a woman he finds attractive to give him her telephone number.Unfortunately,the number is ten digits long with the area code,and Telo cannot find a place to write it down.As he looks for a pen and paper,what can Telo do to help him remember the number?
A)Nothing will help because 10 digits is beyond short-term memory capability.
B)Thinking of something else will help Telo.
C)"Chunking" the numbers into fewer units will help Telo.
D)Using his sensory memory will help Telo

Accepted Answer

"Chunking" the numbers into fewer units, such as grouping the first three digits together, then the next three, and then the last four can help Telo remember the number more easily. Additionally, repeating the number to himself several times can aid in retention.

Question 9

Gillian is assembling a bookcase.She studies one of the diagrams in the instructions and then looks for the parts she needs and begins to put them together.According to the working memory model discussed in your textbook,which part of Gillian's memory remembers what the parts in the diagram looked like while she works?
A)the phonological loop
B)the central executive
C)the episodic buffer
D)the visuospatial sketchpad

Accepted Answer

The visuospatial sketchpad is responsible for working with visual information, such as mental images, and would be most involved in Gillian remembering what the parts in the diagram looked like as she works to put them together.

Question 10

The state psychology association has invited teams from all the colleges in the state to compete in a Psych Bowl.The teams will answer questions such as "Who founded the first psychology laboratory?" Where is this information stored?
A)long-term memory
B)short-term memory
C)conceptual memory
D)primary memory

Accepted Answer

Long-term memory is where stored information can be retrieved after some time has passed. In this case, knowledge about the founder of the first psychology laboratory would likely be stored in long-term memory as it is a relatively well-known and important fact in the field of psychology. Short-term memory is more transient and would not be appropriate for storing this type of information. Conceptual memory and primary memory are not commonly used terms in psychology.

Question 11

Which part of working memory does not actually store information,but instead guides attention and ensures that the other components are working on the appropriate task?
A)the phonological loop
B)the central executive
C)the episodic buffer
D)the visuospatial sketchpad

Accepted Answer

The central executive is responsible for directing attention and allocating resources to the other components of working memory. It does not store information itself but rather guides attention and makes sure the other components are working on the appropriate task. The phonological loop stores auditory information, the visuospatial sketchpad stores visual and spatial information, and the episodic buffer integrates information from both of those components and from long-term memory.

Question 12

In the Brown-Peterson test,subjects read a trigram (an unpronounceable series of three letters),and are then asked to count backwards by threes from a given number.What is the purpose of having the subjects count backward?
A)To test if the subject can multitask.
B)To test if they can remember how to subtract.
C)To interfere with the subject's ability to rehearse the trigram.
D)To determine if numerical and phonetic memories are stored in different areas of the brain.

Accepted Answer

The purpose of having the subjects count backwards by threes is to interfere with their ability to rehearse the trigram in short-term memory. This allows researchers to investigate the duration and capacity of short-term memory. The Brown-Peterson test is a classic task used to study the phonological loop, which is the part of working memory responsible for the temporary storage and processing of auditory information. The counting task interferes with rehearsal in the phonological loop, which should lead to rapid forgetting of the trigram.

Question 13

Visuospatial memory can accurately retain approximately ________ whole objects.
A)four
B)seven
C)ten
D)fifteen

Accepted Answer

According to research, visuospatial memory can accurately retain approximately four whole objects. This is known as the "magic number four" or Miller's Law.

Question 14

Most people cannot store the following list of letters in short-term memory. G O T O Y O U R B E D R O O M
However,if the letters are grouped meaningfully into words,they fit short-term's memory span: Go to your bedroom.This illustrates
A)chunking.
B)backward masking.
C)verbal coding.
D)selective attention.

Accepted Answer

Chunking is the process of breaking down information into smaller, more manageable units or chunks. In this example, the letters are grouped into meaningful units (words) which allows for easier encoding and retention in short-term memory.

Question 15

When an individual repeats a piece of information to themselves so they don't forget it,which part of working memory are they making use of?
A)the phonological loop
B)the central executive
C)the episodic buffer
D)the visuospatial sketchpad

Accepted Answer

The phonological loop is responsible for the storage of verbal and auditory information in working memory. Repeating information to oneself (also known as rehearsal) relies on the phonological loop to keep the information active in working memory.

Question 16

The Magical Number of short-term memory is
A)fifteen plus or minus two.
B)nine plus or minus two.
C)seven plus or minus three.
D)seven plus or minus two.

Accepted Answer

The research conducted by George Miller in 1956 suggests that the capacity of short-term memory is limited to holding seven (plus or minus two) pieces of information. Therefore, the best choice is D, which states seven plus or minus two.

Question 17

Loni is asked to memorize the letters I K T E A L N in no particular order.She memorizes them by reorganizing them into the words INK and LATE.This tactic is called
A)cueing.
B)shadowing.
C)rote rehearsal.
D)chunking.

Accepted Answer

Chunking is a memory technique where information is organized and grouped into smaller, more meaningful units. In this case, Loni chunked the letters into the words INK and LATE to better remember them.

Question 18

One way to store more information in short-term memory is called ____________,which involves organizing smaller units of information into larger,more meaningful units.
A)rehearsal
B)consolidation
C)chunking
D)dual coding

Accepted Answer

Chunking involves grouping separate pieces of information into larger, more manageable units. This can increase the amount of information that can be held in short-term memory at once.

Question 19

If one wants to increase the capacity of short-term memory,more items can be held through the process of
A)chunking.
B)decoding.
C)rote rehearsal.
D)data compression.

Accepted Answer

Chunking is the process of breaking down information into smaller, more meaningful units or chunks. By grouping related pieces of information together, more items can be held in short-term memory at once. For example, instead of trying to remember a random string of 10 letters (e.g. YWRTFGLJHB), chunking it into smaller units (e.g. YW-RT-FG-LJ-HB) can make it easier to remember. Rote rehearsal (C) involves repeating information over and over again, but this may not necessarily increase the capacity of short-term memory. Decoding (B) and data compression (D) are not relevant to the process of increasing short-term memory capacity.

Question 20

Maria finds that it is easier to remember her student ID number if she thinks of it in segments,such as the first three digits,then the next two,and then the final four.Each of these short segments of the number are called
A)codes.
B)cues.
C)chunks.
D)stores.

Accepted Answer

Chunks refer to breaking information into smaller, more manageable pieces in order to improve memory recall. In this case, Maria is segmenting her student ID number into three chunks (first three digits, next two, final four) to make it easier to remember.

Quiz 7: Memory

The system of memory that can hold approximately 7 "chunks" of information is called

Chunking is a means of

Similar to chunking,the visuospatial process of combining visual features into a single unit is called

Which fact does NOT support the idea that the amount of information that can be stored in short-term memory (STM) is determined by the number of chunks?

If research participants are not allowed to rehearse the information,about how long can they keep a meaningless trigram in phonological memory?

Recent research suggests that working memory includes a(n) _______________,which acts as a storage component of working memory that combines the images and sounds from the other two components into coherent,story-like episodes.

When asked to recall single-digit numbers presented in various digit span sizes,the typical adult would probably start to encounter difficulty once they got past ________ digits.

Telo convinces a woman he finds attractive to give him her telephone number.Unfortunately,the number is ten digits long with the area code,and Telo cannot find a place to write it down.As he looks for a pen and paper,what can Telo do to help him remember the number?

The state psychology association has invited teams from all the colleges in the state to compete in a Psych Bowl.The teams will answer questions such as "Who founded the first psychology laboratory?" Where is this information stored?

Which part of working memory does not actually store information,but instead guides attention and ensures that the other components are working on the appropriate task?

In the Brown-Peterson test,subjects read a trigram (an unpronounceable series of three letters) ,and are then asked to count backwards by threes from a given number.What is the purpose of having the subjects count backward?

Visuospatial memory can accurately retain approximately ________ whole objects.

Most people cannot store the following list of letters in short-term memory. G O T O Y O U R B E D R O O M However,if the letters are grouped meaningfully into words,they fit short-term's memory span: Go to your bedroom.This illustrates

When an individual repeats a piece of information to themselves so they don't forget it,which part of working memory are they making use of?

The Magical Number of short-term memory is

Loni is asked to memorize the letters I K T E A L N in no particular order.She memorizes them by reorganizing them into the words INK and LATE.This tactic is called

One way to store more information in short-term memory is called ____________,which involves organizing smaller units of information into larger,more meaningful units.

If one wants to increase the capacity of short-term memory,more items can be held through the process of

Maria finds that it is easier to remember her student ID number if she thinks of it in segments,such as the first three digits,then the next two,and then the final four.Each of these short segments of the number are called