Question 1

Newman asks people to recall the name of their kindergarten teacher.Surprisingly,the majority of people correctly do this and comment,"Gee whiz,I haven't thought about that old bat [or old coot] in years!" Their ability to do so is a severe problem for which theory of forgetting?
A)interference theory
B)decay
C)encoding failure
D)retroactive interference

Accepted Answer

Their ability to do so is a severe problem for the decay theory of forgetting,because people are able to remember even when they haven't used that particular memory trace for a very long time.If decay was a constant process,that memory and all those from that time should be gone.However,we do have clear memories from long ago.

Question 2

Proactive interference as used in the study of memory refers to when _____________.
A)older information already in memory interferes with the retrieval of newer information
B)newer information interferes with the retrieval of older information
C)information is not attended to and fails to be encoded
D)information that is not accessed decays from the storage system over time

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference as used in the study of memory refers to when older information already in memory interferes with the retrieval of newer information.

Question 3

In the curve of forgetting developed by Ebbinghaus,the greatest amount of forgetting occurs _____________.
A)within the first hour after learning new material
B)within the first day after learning new material
C)near the end of the retrieval period
D)near the middle of the retrieval period

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the curve of forgetting developed by...

Question 4

This assumes that memories,if not used,fade with time and ultimately disappear entirely.
A)encoding failure
B)interference
C)consideration failure
D)decay theory

Accepted Answer

As the saying goes,"use it or lose it!" This is the essence of the decay theory.

Question 5

Many years ago Manny had surgery to remove a bit of the bone from his foot.Now he remembers being wheeled back to the operating room,but he has no memories of the morning spent waiting for his surgery to begin.What is the most likely explanation for this difference in his memories?
A)He is probably having a repressed memory of that morning,since he was likely to be terrified.
B)He probably experienced retrograde amnesia as a result of undergoing general anesthesia.
C)He probably experienced an increase of stress hormones right before he was taken to the operating room.
D)He probably experienced long-term potentiation immediately after he was taken back to the operating room.

Accepted Answer

Stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline can help us make and keep long-term memories.The stress probably increased as the surgery neared,which is why he can remember being taken to the operating room.

Question 6

The ability of neurons to change strength efficiently is referred to as:
A)neurogenesis.
B)synaptic plasticity.
C)dendritic pruning.
D)long-term potentiation.

Accepted Answer

Synaptic plasticity refers to the ability of neurons to change the strength of their connections (synapses) with other neurons. This is essential for tasks such as learning and memory. Neurogenesis refers to the process of generating new neurons, dendritic pruning refers to the process of eliminating unneeded dendritic connections, and long-term potentiation refers to a specific form of synaptic plasticity in which a persistent increase in synaptic strength occurs after a high-frequency stimulation.

Question 7

Why do you think it would be likely that women would have a better capacity for synaptic plasticity than men?
A)because women are predominantly left-brained,while men are predominantly right-brained
B)because women have been found to be less susceptible to transience
C)because women have an easier time with synaptic consolidation as opposed to systemic consolidation
D)because this skill is increased by the presence of estrogen in the blood

Accepted Answer

Research finds that estrogen is related to memory

Question 8

What type of stimuli did Hermann Ebbinghaus use in his memory experiments?
A)words
B)numbers
C)pictures
D)nonsense syllables

Accepted Answer

Hermann Ebbinghaus used nonsense syllables (such as "ZOF" and "CUJ") in his memory experiments. He used these syllables to eliminate the influence of prior knowledge or associations on memory performance, allowing him to study pure memory processes.

Question 9

Jessica took psychology in the fall semester and is now taking sociology.Several of the concepts are similar,and Jessica finds that she sometimes has trouble recalling some of the major psychological theorists.She keeps getting them confused with sociological theorists.Jessica's problem is most likely due to _______________.
A)decoding failure
B)retroactive interference
C)proactive interference
D)Toronto syndrome

Accepted Answer

In retroactive interference,new information interferes with older information.

Question 10

Retroactive interference as used in the study of memory refers to when _________.
A)older information already in memory interferes with the retrieval of newer information
B)newer information interferes with the retrieval of older information
C)information is not attended to and fails to be encoded
D)information that is not accessed decays from the storage system over time

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference refers to when newer information interferes with the retrieval of older information. This interference can occur when similar information is learned at a later time, making it difficult to recall the previously learned information.

Question 11

You are invited to take part in a study by a researcher trying to replicate the work of Hermann Ebbinghaus.What might this researcher ask you to do?
A)"Write down all the words you can remember."
B)"Read this poem and then interpret its meaning."
C)"Listen to me: BEC,DAX,FER,KOJ; now repeat what I said."
D)"Listen to these sounds and write down words that come to mind."

Accepted Answer

Ebbinghaus used nonsense syllables to avoid previous associative memory links with "real" forms of information.

Question 12

The fact that few people can accurately describe a penny even though they have handled thousands of them is an example of __________.
A)encoding failure
B)retroactive interference
C)proactive interference
D)elaboration failure

Accepted Answer

A lack of adequate attention at the time of encoding causes this phenomenon,called encoding failure.

Question 13

Which of the following would NOT be considered a stress hormone?
A)acetylcholine
B)cortisol
C)adrenaline
D)epinephrine

Accepted Answer

Acetylcholine is not a stress hormone, it is a neurotransmitter that is involved in the parasympathetic nervous system, which functions to slow down bodily processes, as opposed to the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the "fight or flight" response associated with stress. Cortisol, adrenaline (also known as epinephrine), and epinephrine (also known as norepinephrine) are all stress hormones.

Question 14

Which part of the brain is "awakened" by the release of stress hormones?
A)the diencephalon
B)the foramen magnum
C)the limbic system
D)the corpus callosum

Accepted Answer

The limbic system is responsible for our emotional responses and contains structures such as the amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus. The release of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline can activate the limbic system and trigger the fight or flight response.

Question 15

Passively reading your textbook without paying too much attention to it rather than actively focusing on the new material is apt to lead to __________.
A)proactive interference
B)decay
C)retrieval failure
D)encoding failure

Accepted Answer

Research finds that active processing of information leads to more adequate encoding,and reduces encoding failures.Passive learning,however,does not!

Question 16

_________________ is the tendency for older or previously learned material to interfere with the retrieval of newer,more recently learned material.
A)Cue-dependent forgetting
B)Proactive interference
C)Decay
D)Retroactive interference

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when previously learned information interferes with the recall of newly learned information. This is different from retroactive interference, which occurs when newly learned information interferes with the recall of previously learned information.

Question 17

When newer information interferes with the retrieval of older information,this is called ______________.
A)cue-dependent forgetting
B)proactive interference
C)decay
D)retroactive interference

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when new information interferes with the retrieval of old information. Proactive interference, on the other hand, occurs when old information interferes with the retrieval of new information. Decay refers to the fading of memories over time. Cue-dependent forgetting occurs when there is an inability to retrieve information due to a lack of appropriate retrieval cues.

Question 18

Shalissa has two exams today.One is in French and the other is in history.Last night she studied French before history.When she gets to her history test,all she can remember is French! Shalissa's memory is suffering from _____________.
A)cue-dependent forgetting
B)proactive interference
C)decay
D)retroactive interference

Accepted Answer

Shalissa's memory is suffering from proactive interference.

Question 19

Your teacher has given each student the name of a key figure in the history of psychology.The assignment is to describe at least one significant contribution made by this person.If your historical figure is Hermann Ebbinghaus,what contribution might you describe to the class?
A)He described the limits of sensory storage.
B)He discovered the parts of the brain responsible for processing memories.
C)He created nonsense syllables in order to study memory in a "pure" form.
D)He developed a series of memory aids that is still used by students today.

Accepted Answer

Ebbinghaus created nonsense syllables that were crucial to studying learning.

Question 20

Ebbinghaus found that information is forgotten ____________.
A)more rapidly as time goes by
B)gradually at first,then with increasing speed
C)rapidly at first,then gradually after that
D)most quickly one day after learning

Accepted Answer

Ebbinghaus found that information is forgotten rapidly at first, and then gradually after that. This is known as the "forgetting curve," which shows that the greatest amount of forgetting occurs in the first 24 hours after learning, with a steady decline in forgetting over time.

Quiz 6: Memory

Newman asks people to recall the name of their kindergarten teacher.Surprisingly,the majority of people correctly do this and comment,"Gee whiz,I haven't thought about that old bat [or old coot] in years!" Their ability to do so is a severe problem for which theory of forgetting?

Proactive interference as used in the study of memory refers to when _____________.

In the curve of forgetting developed by Ebbinghaus,the greatest amount of forgetting occurs _____________.

This assumes that memories,if not used,fade with time and ultimately disappear entirely.

Many years ago Manny had surgery to remove a bit of the bone from his foot.Now he remembers being wheeled back to the operating room,but he has no memories of the morning spent waiting for his surgery to begin.What is the most likely explanation for this difference in his memories?

The ability of neurons to change strength efficiently is referred to as:

Why do you think it would be likely that women would have a better capacity for synaptic plasticity than men?

What type of stimuli did Hermann Ebbinghaus use in his memory experiments?

Retroactive interference as used in the study of memory refers to when _________.

You are invited to take part in a study by a researcher trying to replicate the work of Hermann Ebbinghaus.What might this researcher ask you to do?

The fact that few people can accurately describe a penny even though they have handled thousands of them is an example of __________.

Which of the following would NOT be considered a stress hormone?

Which part of the brain is "awakened" by the release of stress hormones?

Passively reading your textbook without paying too much attention to it rather than actively focusing on the new material is apt to lead to __________.

_________________ is the tendency for older or previously learned material to interfere with the retrieval of newer,more recently learned material.

When newer information interferes with the retrieval of older information,this is called ______________.

Shalissa has two exams today.One is in French and the other is in history.Last night she studied French before history.When she gets to her history test,all she can remember is French! Shalissa's memory is suffering from _____________.

Your teacher has given each student the name of a key figure in the history of psychology.The assignment is to describe at least one significant contribution made by this person.If your historical figure is Hermann Ebbinghaus,what contribution might you describe to the class?

Ebbinghaus found that information is forgotten ____________.