Question 1

Irene swears that she was there the night her best friend got into a fight with her ex-boyfriend. It takes several of her friends to convince her that she was not. Which of the following likely made Irene's fake memory seem so real to her?
A) She had only heard the story of the fight a few times.
B) The fight occurred only a year ago.
C) Her memory contained only a few key details.
D) The fight was easy to imagine.

Accepted Answer

The fact that the fight was easy to imagine likely made it easier for Irene to create a false memory of being there.

Question 2

Which memory system has a limited capacity and stores items for about 30 seconds?
A) short-term memory
B) long-term memory
C) the sensory register
D) implicit memory

Accepted Answer

Short-term memory has a limited capacity and can only store items for about 30 seconds. The sensory register is an even more short-lived memory system, storing information for only a fraction of a second. Long-term memory and implicit memory, on the other hand, have no fixed capacity and can store information for a much longer period of time.

Question 3

According to the decay theory, forgetting occurs because:
A) new information is "recorded over" old information.
B) similar items of information interfere with one another.
C) memories simply fade with time if they are not accessed now and then.
D) the cues needed to recall the memory are not present.

Accepted Answer

According to decay theory, memories simply fade with time if they are not accessed now and then. This means that if a memory is not rehearsed or accessed over time, the strength of the memory trace weakens and eventually decays, making it more difficult to recall.

Question 4

In the 1930s, the research of the British psychologist Sir Frederic Bartlett provided evidence to support the view that memory is:
A) like a wax tablet.
B) like reading a journal or diary written in indelible ink.
C) like a journalist trying to reconstruct an interview from incomplete notes.
D) like painful mementos in a locked vault.

Accepted Answer

Bartlett's research showed that memory is not like a journal or diary written in indelible ink (choice B) or like painful mementos in a locked vault (choice D). Rather, he found that memory is like a journalist trying to reconstruct an interview from incomplete notes (choice C), meaning that our memories are not exact replicas of past events, but rather reconstructions based on the information we have available to us. Choice A is also not supported by Bartlett's research.

Question 5

Casey was visiting a friend in New York City on September 11, 2001, the day of the attack on the World Trade Center. To her, that day seems frozen in time. She remembers exactly where she was, what she was doing, and what she felt as the morning transpired. This vivid recollection is known as:
A) source misattribution.
B) a flashbulb memory.
C) a serial-position effect.
D) a frozen memory.

Accepted Answer

Casey's vivid and detailed memory of the events on September 11th is characteristic of a flashbulb memory. Flashbulb memories are highly detailed and enduring memories of unique and emotionally charged events, often linked to the circumstances in which they were formed.

Question 6

________ memory refers to a vivid, detailed recollection of an emotional event.
A) Semantic
B) Declarative
C) Flashbulb
D) Episodic

Accepted Answer

Flashbulb memory refers to a vivid, detailed recollection of an emotional event. It is a specific type of episodic memory where the event is so significant that the memory is easily recalled and seems to have photographic detail.

Question 7

________ is thought to be a biological mechanism of long-term memory.
A) Deep processing
B) Long-term potentiation
C) Priming
D) Temporary changes in the release of neurotransmitters

Accepted Answer

Long-term potentiation is a biological mechanism of long-term memory that involves a persistent strengthening of synapses in the brain. This strengthening is thought to be key in forming and maintaining long-term memories.

Question 8

According to Sir Frederic Bartlett:
A) memory is like a video camera recording an entire experience.
B) memory is largely a reconstructive process, like putting together a puzzle when you are missing some pieces.
C) memory for complex information is generally reproduced by rote.
D) emotional memories are especially vivid and detailed.

Accepted Answer

According to Sir Frederic Bartlett, memory is largely a reconstructive process, like putting together a puzzle when you are missing some pieces. Bartlett's view of memory as a reconstructive process highlights the fact that memory is not a passive storage system, but an active, dynamic process in which information is retrieved and reconstructed based on a variety of factors, such as previous experiences, expectations, and context.

Question 9

The inability to distinguish what you originally experienced from what you heard or were told later about an event is called:
A) semantic memory.
B) priming.
C) explicit memory.
D) source misattribution.

Accepted Answer

Source misattribution refers to the inability to determine the origin of a memory, leading to confusion between events that were experienced firsthand and those that were learned about through other sources, such as hearing about them from someone else. This can lead to false memories or misunderstandings of what actually occurred.

Question 10

________ is an especially vivid memory of an emotional event.
A) Reconstructive memory
B) A flashbulb memory
C) Semantic memory
D) Procedural memory

Accepted Answer

A flashbulb memory is an especially vivid memory of an emotional event. It is a specific type of autobiographical memory that is highly detailed and often includes information about the surroundings and the emotions experienced at the time of the event.

Question 11

Irene swears that she was there the night her best friend got into a fight with her ex-boyfriend. It takes several of her friends to convince her that she was not. Which of the following likely made Irene's fake memory seem so real to her?
A) She had only heard the story of the fight a few times.
B) The fight occurred only a year ago.
C) Her memory contained only a few key details.
D) The fight was easy to imagine.

Accepted Answer

The fact that the fight was easy to imagine likely made Irene's fake memory seem so real to her.

Question 12

The inability to distinguish an actual memory of an event from information you learned about the event elsewhere is called ________.
A) consolidation
B) source misattribution
C) priming
D) repression

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is called source misattribution, where a person confuses the source of the information and cannot differentiate between an actual memory of an event and information learned elsewhere. Consolidation refers to the process of stabilizing a memory after it is initially acquired. Priming refers to the phenomenon where exposure to a stimulus influences a person's response to a subsequent stimulus. Repression refers to the unconscious suppression of painful memories.

Question 13

Which of the following is considered to be an implicit memory?
A) procedural memory
B) semantic memory
C) episodic memory
D) declarative memory

Accepted Answer

Procedural memory is a type of implicit memory that involves the acquisition of skills through repetition and practice. It is often referred to as "muscle memory" and is responsible for the ability to perform actions without conscious thought or effort. Semantic memory, episodic memory, and declarative memory are types of explicit memory, which involve the conscious retrieval of specific information.

Question 14

Retrieving a memory is most like:
A) replaying a videotape of an event.
B) reading a short story that describes the characters in detail, but does not include the dialogue.
C) hearing the soundtrack of a story without access to the visual and other sensory images.
D) watching unconnected frames of a movie and figuring out what the rest of the scene was like.

Accepted Answer

Retrieving a memory is often a reconstructive process where the brain pieces together fragments of information to recreate a whole memory, similar to assembling unconnected frames to understand a movie scene. Unlike the passive act of replaying a videotape (A), memories are not stored as exact replicas of events. Choices B and C suggest partial sensory or narrative recall, but memory retrieval involves actively reconstructing and interpreting incomplete data, making D the most accurate comparison.

Question 15

Which of the following is a test for recall?
A) matching questions
B) true-false questions
C) multiple-choice questions
D) essay questions

Accepted Answer

Essay questions require the most recall as the answer cannot be guessed or selected from provided options. The student must recall the information from memory and communicate it effectively in writing. Matching questions, true-false questions, and multiple-choice questions all provide answer options that may jog the student's memory, making them less reliant on recall.

Question 16

Memory is critical to our lives because:
A) it confers a sense of personal identity, which enhances our sense of coherence.
B) without memory, we could not experience emotions.
C) it operates as a video camera would, automatically recording every moment of our lives.
D) each thing that happens to us, or impinges on our senses, is tucked away for later use.

Accepted Answer

Memory helps us form a sense of personal identity by holding onto our past experiences and allowing us to build upon them. This enhances our sense of coherence, or the feeling that our life story makes sense and has continuity. Memory also plays a role in emotions, but not having memory would not prevent us from experiencing emotions. Memory is not like a video camera, as we do not automatically record every moment of our lives. Lastly, not everything we experience is necessarily stored in memory for later use.

Question 17

The inability to distinguish an actual memory of an event from information you learned about the event elsewhere is called ________.
A) confabulation
B) source misattribution
C) priming
D) repression

Accepted Answer

Source misattribution refers to confusing the source of information, which can lead to attributing an externally acquired memory to one's own personal experience. Confabulation refers to the production of fabricated, distorted, or misinterpreted memories about oneself or the world. Priming is the activation of a specific concept or mental representation in memory, which can influence subsequent thought or behavior. Repression is the unconscious process of blocking certain memories or emotions to protect oneself from psychological harm.

Question 18

The ________ model represents the contents of memory as connections among a huge number of interacting processing units.
A) three-box
B) parallel distributed processing
C) serial processing
D) sequential processing

Accepted Answer

The parallel distributed processing model, also known as the connectionist model, views memory as interconnected nodes or processing units that work together in parallel to process information. This model emphasizes the importance of the simultaneous processing of information and the connections between nodes, rather than a linear and sequential processing of information like the serial or sequential processing model. The three-box model and serial processing models are both linear and do not account for the parallel processing of information that occurs in the brain.

Question 19

Given the current research on recovered memories, one should be skeptical if a person says that:
A) she cannot remember an event from when she was 2 years old.
B) she is frequently bothered by vivid memories of a traumatic event that she experienced.
C) she now has memories of her experiences as an infant, thanks to therapy.
D) her amnesia resulted from a blow to the head during a car accident.

Accepted Answer

Current research on recovered memories suggests that memories of events that occurred before the age of 3 are highly unreliable and should be viewed with skepticism. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that someone could recover memories from infancy through therapy.

Question 20

________ refers to the capacity to retain and retrieve information.
A) Recall
B) Memory
C) Priming
D) Recognition

Accepted Answer

The capacity to retain and retrieve information refers to memory. Recall, priming, and recognition are related to memory, but they specifically refer to different processes within memory.

Quiz 10: Memory

Irene swears that she was there the night her best friend got into a fight with her ex-boyfriend. It takes several of her friends to convince her that she was not. Which of the following likely made Irene's fake memory seem so real to her?

Which memory system has a limited capacity and stores items for about 30 seconds?

According to the decay theory, forgetting occurs because:

In the 1930s, the research of the British psychologist Sir Frederic Bartlett provided evidence to support the view that memory is:

Casey was visiting a friend in New York City on September 11, 2001, the day of the attack on the World Trade Center. To her, that day seems frozen in time. She remembers exactly where she was, what she was doing, and what she felt as the morning transpired. This vivid recollection is known as:

________ memory refers to a vivid, detailed recollection of an emotional event.

________ is thought to be a biological mechanism of long-term memory.

According to Sir Frederic Bartlett:

The inability to distinguish what you originally experienced from what you heard or were told later about an event is called:

________ is an especially vivid memory of an emotional event.

Irene swears that she was there the night her best friend got into a fight with her ex-boyfriend. It takes several of her friends to convince her that she was not. Which of the following likely made Irene's fake memory seem so real to her?

The inability to distinguish an actual memory of an event from information you learned about the event elsewhere is called ________.

Which of the following is considered to be an implicit memory?

Retrieving a memory is most like:

Which of the following is a test for recall?

Memory is critical to our lives because:

The inability to distinguish an actual memory of an event from information you learned about the event elsewhere is called ________.

The ________ model represents the contents of memory as connections among a huge number of interacting processing units.

Given the current research on recovered memories, one should be skeptical if a person says that:

________ refers to the capacity to retain and retrieve information.