Question 1

Which of the following facts most directly supports the notion that the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon is a failure of retrieval rather than of acquisition or storage?
A) It occurs when one is trying to recall not only unusual words, but also specific names.
B) An individual experiencing the phenomenon can recall material related to the word.
C) An individual experiencing the phenomenon can recognize the word he or she is trying to recall if it is presented in a list of alternatives.
D) The tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon occurs fairly rarely, considering how often one tries to recall words from memory.

Accepted Answer

The fact that an individual experiencing the phenomenon can recognize the word he or she is trying to recall if it is presented in a list of alternatives suggests that the word is stored in memory but is temporarily inaccessible, supporting the idea that the phenomenon is a failure of retrieval rather than of acquisition or storage.

Question 2

Mickey is about to take his psychology final, for which he has studied very hard. Just before the exam, the person sitting next to Mickey asks him the name of the physiologist who worked on classical conditioning. Mickey suddenly realizes that he cannot quite remember the name, but he knows that it starts with a P and is two syllables long. Mickey is experiencing __________.
A) repression (motivated forgetting)
B) fatigue from information overload
C) simple decay
D) the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon

Accepted Answer

The situation described is an example of the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon, where a person cannot immediately recall a word or name that they know, but have a sense that they will eventually remember it. This is different from repression, as repression involves actively forgetting or blocking out a memory due to its emotional content or significance. Fatigue from information overload and simple decay are also not applicable in this scenario, as Mickey had studied very hard for his exam and the information is still relatively fresh in his memory.

Question 3

If you "can't think of it now" but do remember it later, there was an initial failure of __________.
A) retrieval
B) retention
C) acquisition
D) recognition

Accepted Answer

Retrieval refers to the process of accessing stored information in memory, and if someone is unable to recall something at a particular moment, it implies a failure of retrieval. However, if they remember it later, it shows that the information was successfully retained in memory, but the access to that information was temporarily blocked.

Question 4

You need to locate a particular file on your computer's hard drive to complete an assignment. Which of the following situations is most nearly analogous to the concept of retrieval failure as it is defined in your textbook?
A) The file is no longer on your computer's hard drive.
B) You locate the file, but it will not open.
C) You open the file, but the text has been replaced by strange symbols and punctuation marks.
D) The file is somewhere on your computer's hard drive, but you cannot find it.

Accepted Answer

Retrieval failure occurs when information is stored in memory but cannot be accessed or retrieved. In this situation, the file is still on the computer's hard drive, but the person cannot find it. This is similar to when information is stored in long-term memory but cannot be retrieved due to interference or other factors.

Question 5

Melissa is going on a sea cruise for the first time in seven years. She cannot remember much about her first Caribbean voyage before setting sail on her new trip, but as soon as she feels the ship roll and she smells the salty air, she recalls several details about her original trip. The rolls and smells have acted as __________.
A) mnemonic devices
B) autonomic nervous system stimulants
C) retrieval cues
D) episodic memories

Accepted Answer

The rolls and smells have acted as retrieval cues, triggering Melissa's memory of her previous Caribbean voyage. Mnemonic devices are intentional strategies used to aid memory, while autonomic nervous system stimulants refer to physiological responses rather than memory retrieval. Episodic memories refer to specific personal experiences rather than the process of memory retrieval itself.

Question 6

Memory consolidation, the process through which memories get transformed from a transient to a more permanent state, can be disrupted by __________.
A) blocking protein synthesis
B) antidepressant usage
C) sleep deprivation
D) exercise

Accepted Answer

Blocking protein synthesis is known to disrupt memory consolidation. This is because new proteins play a crucial role in the strengthening of memory traces in the brain. Antidepressant usage, sleep deprivation, and exercise, on the other hand, may have some impact on memory function, but they are not commonly associated with disruption of memory consolidation.

Question 7

Paula received a severe blow to the head in a car accident. What is the most reasonable explanation for her amnesia of what led up to the accident?
A) The information was not yet consolidated in long-term memory.
B) Working memory interfered with the long-term memory storage.
C) Semantic memory has been disrupted.
D) She has lost the use of her hippocampus; that is, she is like H. M. but not as severely impaired.

Accepted Answer

Amnesia following a brain injury is often due to disruption of the consolidation process, meaning that the new memories were not yet fully processed and stored in long-term memory before the injury occurred. This is particularly common with retrograde amnesia, which is the inability to remember events that occurred before the injury. In Paula's case, she likely did not have enough time to consolidate the memory of what led up to the accident, which is why she cannot recall it.

Question 8

Dr. Deblanc is conducting an experiment. Two groups of participants study a word list in a psychology laboratory. Some time later, one group attempts to recall the words in the same laboratory; the other group tries to recall the words in a very different environment, a nearby city park. Dr. Deblanc is probably investigating the influence of __________ on memory.
A) maintenance rehearsal
B) retrieval cues
C) source confusion
D) schema intrusions

Accepted Answer

Dr. Deblanc is investigating the influence of retrieval cues on memory by having one group attempt to recall the words in the same laboratory (familiar environment) and the other group try to recall the words in a very different environment (unfamiliar environment) which is the city park. The context and environmental cues serve as retrieval cues, and this experiment examines how such cues influence memory retrieval.

Question 9

When a piece of information is "on the tip of your tongue," which of the following is true?
A) You are unable to recall anything about that piece of information.
B) That piece of information is irretrievably lost in long-term memory.
C) Some of the aspects of that information are accessible.
D) It has not been rehearsed effectively.

Accepted Answer

When a piece of information is "on the tip of your tongue," it means that some of the aspects of that information are accessible, but you are still unable to recall it completely or accurately.

Question 10

"I know it! It's um . . . um . . . It starts with 'G'," begins a trivia game contestant excitedly. The contestant is falling prey to the __________ effect.
A) tip-of-the-tongue
B) levels of processing
C) encoding specificity
D) flashbulb memory

Accepted Answer

The contestant is experiencing the tip-of-the-tongue effect, which is the feeling of knowing the answer to a question but being unable to recall it at the moment. This often involves having partial information about the answer, such as the first letter or sound.

Question 11

Chad is puzzling over a difficult question on a multiple-choice sociology test. He re-reads the question, scans the options beneath the question, and glances at other questions on the test. Most likely, Chad is looking for __________.
A) retrieval cues
B) flashbulb memories
C) mnemonics
D) a miracle

Accepted Answer

Chad is likely using retrieval cues to aid in his memory recall and help him choose the correct answer on the multiple-choice sociology test. By re-reading the question, scanning the answer options, and glancing at other questions on the test, he is looking for cues that will trigger his memory of the material he studied. Flashbulb memories and mnemonics are not relevant in this context, and a miracle is not a viable option for solving the problem.

Question 12

An "oldie" playing on the radio may remind you of events that occurred when the song was current. The song is acting as a(n) __________.
A) retrieval cue
B) mnemonic
C) flashbulb
D) schema

Accepted Answer

The song is acting as a retrieval cue, triggering memories of past events associated with the time period when the song was popular. Mnemonics are specific memory aids, flashbulb memories are vivid, detailed recollections of significant events, and a schema is a mental framework or concept that helps organize and interpret information.

Question 13

Phil cannot remember much about his camping trip to Vermont in the summer of 1989, but as soon as he smells the aroma of bacon and pine smoke, he recalls many details about the trip. The smells of the bacon and smoke acted as __________.
A) loci
B) mnemonics
C) primacy effects
D) retrieval cues

Accepted Answer

The smells of bacon and pine smoke are acting as retrieval cues, triggering Phil's memory of his camping trip to Vermont. Retrieval cues help individuals access and retrieve previously stored information. The other options are not relevant in this scenario. Loci refers to a memory technique where information is linked to specific locations, mnemonics are memory aids or tricks, and primacy effects refer to the tendency to remember items at the beginning of a list better than those in the middle or end.

Question 14

When a memory is presently inaccessible, it may sometimes be recalled by using an appropriate __________.
A) chunk
B) nonsense syllable
C) retrieval cue
D) mnemonic device

Accepted Answer

Retrieval cues are stimuli that help to bring a specific memory to mind. When a memory is inaccessible, a retrieval cue that is related to the memory can sometimes help to retrieve it. Mnemonic devices, chunks, and nonsense syllables are memory aids used to help encode information and improve memory, but they are not necessarily helpful for recalling inaccessible memories.

Question 15

A sudden blow to the head often causes forgetting of the events in the few seconds or minutes that preceded the blow. This finding is most consistent with which of the following ideas about memory?
A) New memory traces require consolidation.
B) Temporal contiguity is impressed upon the mind.
C) Memory often depends on organizational factors.
D) There is a limit of about seven items that can be held in working memory at one time.

Accepted Answer

New memory traces require consolidation, which means they need time to stabilize and become stored in long-term memory. A sudden blow to the head can disrupt this consolidation process, leading to the forgetting of events that occurred just before the injury.

Question 16

Returning home after many years causes memories to resurface. In this case, home serves as a(n) __________.
A) icon
B) retrieval cue
C) mnemonic device
D) memory chunk

Accepted Answer

Home serves as a retrieval cue, which triggers the recollection of memories associated with that specific environment.

Question 17

Which of the following is an effective way to get access to a forgotten memory?
A) a chunk
B) a retrieval cue
C) rehearsal
D) hypnosis

Accepted Answer

A retrieval cue is a prompt or clue that can help activate a memory that has been temporarily forgotten or lost. This can include things like seeing a familiar object or hearing a familiar song that can trigger the memory. Retrieval cues are often used in cognitive psychology experiments to test memory recall. While hypnosis has been used to help people recover memories, there is controversy over whether these memories are accurate or have been implanted by suggestion. Rehearsal is a technique that can help improve memory storage and retrieval, but it is not specifically effective for accessing forgotten memories. A chunk is a unit of information that can be stored in memory, but it is not a technique for accessing forgotten memories.

Question 18

Almost everybody has had the feeling of knowing the answer to a question, but not being quite able to say it. This is known as the "tip-of the-tongue" phenomenon and is a failure of __________.
A) retention
B) storage
C) retrieval
D) trace consolidation

Accepted Answer

The tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon occurs when a person is unable to retrieve a piece of information that they know but cannot quite access at the moment. This failure to retrieve the information is a problem with retrieval, not retention or storage. Trace consolidation refers to the process by which memory traces become strengthened and is not related to the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon.

Question 19

The physical setting can be crucial for memory. If you learn something in a noisy environment, it is best to recall it in a noisy environment. What is another research finding concerning context and memory?
A) If you simply think about the setting in which you learned something, your recall will be enhanced.
B) Context is more important for recall than is depth of processing.
C) Some contexts-especially those that are associated with strong emotional reactions from the past-actually interfere with recall.
D) Merely thinking about the learning context does little to enhance recall.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that thinking about the setting in which you learned something can enhance recall. This is called context-dependent memory.

Answer: C
 Some contexts can actually interfere with recall, especially those that are associated with strong emotional reactions from the past. This is called state-dependent memory.

Question 20

Attempting to recall an unusual word, Arturo experiences the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon. Which of the following statements is most likely FALSE regarding Arturo's experience?
A) He is able to recall information related to the word.
B) He knows what the word sounds like.
C) He would recognize the word if he saw it in a list of possibilities.
D) He does not know how many syllables the word contains.

Accepted Answer

The tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon involves the inability to retrieve a known word from memory, despite having partial retrieval of related information such as the word's meaning, sound, and context. Therefore, it is likely that Arturo knows the number of syllables the word contains, making statement D false.

Quiz 8: Memory

Which of the following facts most directly supports the notion that the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon is a failure of retrieval rather than of acquisition or storage?

If you "can't think of it now" but do remember it later, there was an initial failure of __________.

You need to locate a particular file on your computer's hard drive to complete an assignment. Which of the following situations is most nearly analogous to the concept of retrieval failure as it is defined in your textbook?

Memory consolidation, the process through which memories get transformed from a transient to a more permanent state, can be disrupted by __________.

Paula received a severe blow to the head in a car accident. What is the most reasonable explanation for her amnesia of what led up to the accident?

When a piece of information is "on the tip of your tongue," which of the following is true?

"I know it! It's um . . . um . . . It starts with 'G'," begins a trivia game contestant excitedly. The contestant is falling prey to the __________ effect.

Chad is puzzling over a difficult question on a multiple-choice sociology test. He re-reads the question, scans the options beneath the question, and glances at other questions on the test. Most likely, Chad is looking for __________.

An "oldie" playing on the radio may remind you of events that occurred when the song was current. The song is acting as a(n) __________.

Phil cannot remember much about his camping trip to Vermont in the summer of 1989, but as soon as he smells the aroma of bacon and pine smoke, he recalls many details about the trip. The smells of the bacon and smoke acted as __________.

When a memory is presently inaccessible, it may sometimes be recalled by using an appropriate __________.

A sudden blow to the head often causes forgetting of the events in the few seconds or minutes that preceded the blow. This finding is most consistent with which of the following ideas about memory?

Returning home after many years causes memories to resurface. In this case, home serves as a(n) __________.

Which of the following is an effective way to get access to a forgotten memory?

Almost everybody has had the feeling of knowing the answer to a question, but not being quite able to say it. This is known as the "tip-of the-tongue" phenomenon and is a failure of __________.

The physical setting can be crucial for memory. If you learn something in a noisy environment, it is best to recall it in a noisy environment. What is another research finding concerning context and memory?

Attempting to recall an unusual word, Arturo experiences the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon. Which of the following statements is most likely FALSE regarding Arturo's experience?