Question 1

_____ refers to a situation in which material that was learned later disrupts the retrieval of information that was learned earlier.

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when new information interferes with the recall of previously learned information. This can happen when the new information is similar to the old information or when it overlaps with it in some way. This interference can make it harder to remember the earlier information, which can be frustrating and lead to forgetting.

Question 2

Charlie has opted for both Spanish and French in school this semester.As he studies the list of words for his French test,he realizes that he has forgotten the list of Spanish words he learnt the day before.In the context of retrieval failure,this is an example of _____.

Accepted Answer

This situation is an example of retroactive interference, where the new information (French words) interferes with the ability to retrieve previously learned information (Spanish words).

Question 3

Which of the following procedures,used by law enforcement officials,is most likely to reduce eyewitness errors?

Accepted Answer

Presenting suspects to the witness in a sequential fashion, one at a time, can reduce eyewitness errors by reducing the chances of witnesses being influenced by the presence of other suspects. This approach allows the witness to focus solely on the identification of each individual suspect. Encouraging witnesses to speak to each other before talking to the police (A) can lead to collaborative memory distortion or contamination. Double-blind procedures (B) are widely accepted as the best method for conducting eyewitness identifications. Giving witnesses background information on the suspect (D) can lead to unconscious suggestions or bias.

Question 4

Kyle was one of the eyewitnesses for a robbery that took place in a convenience store.When called in to the police headquarters to identify the suspect in a lineup,which of the following is most likely to elicit the most accurate response from Kyle?

Accepted Answer

Presenting the suspects to Kyle in a sequential fashion, one at a time, is most likely to elicit the most accurate response from Kyle. This is because presenting the suspects simultaneously in a lineup can result in a witness choosing the person who looks most like the perpetrator, rather than the actual perpetrator. Sequential presentation reduces the likelihood of this happening and increases the accuracy of eyewitness identification. Encouraging Kyle to discuss the event with other eyewitnesses, opposing the use of double-blind procedures, and letting Kyle know which suspect was identified by other eyewitnesses can all increase the potential for information to be influenced, leading to inaccurate identification.

Question 5

Belinda and John were best friends through their school years.Belinda now works in a café and has become good friends with her colleague,Jim.However,Belinda often finds herself referring to Jim as John,even though she has not spoken to John for at least four years.Belinda's confusion with these names may be attributed to the occurrence of _____.

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when old memories interfere with the recall of new information. Belinda's past association with John is interfering with her ability to remember Jim's name correctly.

Question 6

_____ was the first person to conduct scientific research on forgetting.

Accepted Answer

Hermann Ebbinghaus is recognized as the first person to conduct scientific research on forgetting. He is known for his famous "forgetting curve" experiment, in which he studied how quickly information is forgotten over time.

Question 7

In the context of retrieval failures,the decay theory states that memories fade because _____.

Accepted Answer

According to decay theory, memories fade or decay over time due to the disintegration of a neurochemical memory trace. This theory suggests that forgetting occurs due to the passage of time and the natural decay of the physical memory trace.

Question 8

According to Hermann Ebbinghaus's scientific research on forgetting,_____.

Accepted Answer

Hermann Ebbinghaus's research on forgetting showed that most forgetting takes place soon after an individual learns something. This is known as the forgetting curve, which illustrates how much information is typically retained over time.

Question 9

Motivated forgetting is usually associated with _____ memories.

Accepted Answer

Motivated forgetting is often linked with traumatic memories, where an individual actively tries to suppress or forget a painful or troubling event to alleviate distress or anxiety related to it. Prospective memories are related to planned actions in the future, semantic memories refer to factual knowledge, and implicit memories are those formed without conscious effort. While motivated forgetting can occur in any type of memory, its association with traumatic memories is most commonly studied.

Question 10

Yvette remembers the time that she and her brother got lost in the park.This is an example of _____ memory.

Accepted Answer

Retrospective memory refers to the ability to remember past events, experiences or information. Yvette is recalling a past event of getting lost in the park, which falls under retrospective memory. Prospective memory refers to remembering to do something in the future, procedural memory refers to memory of skills or actions, and semantic memory refers to general knowledge and facts.

Question 11

_____ can be considered a special case of motivated forgetting.

Accepted Answer

Repression involves the unconscious blocking of unpleasant memories or thoughts, which can be seen as a type of motivated forgetting. Tip-of-the-tongue refers to the feeling of momentarily forgetting a word or name, but the person is aware of what they are forgetting. Decay is the fading of memories due to the passage of time, and interference occurs when two or more memories overlap and affect each other.

Question 12

A store run by Mr.Mathers was robbed by three armed men.Mr.Mathers and his staff are waiting for the police to arrive.While doing so,they discuss the robbery and decide on a common story to tell the police.Which of the following is a likely outcome of this collaborative sharing of information by the eyewitnesses?

Accepted Answer

Collaborative sharing of information by eyewitnesses can lead to contamination of their memories, as they may unwittingly incorporate details shared by others into their own memories. This can make it difficult to accurately identify the perpetrator and can potentially harm the investigation. Therefore, it is generally recommended that eyewitnesses be interviewed separately to minimize the risk of contamination.

Question 13

_____ memory involves remembering information about doing something in the future.

Accepted Answer

Prospective memory involves remembering to do something in the future, such as remembering to take medication or attend an appointment. Flashbulb memory is related to significant and emotional events, retrospective memory involves remembering past events, and explicit memory involves intentionally trying to remember information.

Question 14

Rachel remembers that she has an important meeting with her advisor right after her English class on Tuesday.This is an example of _____ memory.

Accepted Answer

Prospective memory refers to the ability to remember to execute a planned action or intention in the future, such as remembering to attend a meeting or take medication at a specific time. In this case, Rachel remembers that she has an important meeting with her advisor after her English class on Tuesday, which is an example of prospective memory.

Question 15

According to the _____ theory,people forget not because memories are lost from storage but because other information gets in the way of what they want to remember.

Accepted Answer

The interference theory suggests that forgetting occurs due to interference from similar items in memory. This interference may be proactive, which occurs when old memories interfere with new ones, or retroactive, which occurs when new memories interfere with the retrieval of old ones. Hence, interference explains why people forget not because memories are lost from storage but because other information gets in the way of what they want to remember.

Question 16

Aaron is solving a crossword puzzle.The clue for a seven-letter word says "prose literature,not based on facts." Aaron is confident that he knows the word,but keeps coming up with other words like "faction," "friction," and "fraction." After saying these few words out loud,Aaron suddenly remembers the correct word: "fiction." In this scenario,Aaron has just experienced the _____.

Accepted Answer

The tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon is the feeling of knowing a word but not being able to retrieve it from memory. This is exactly what happened to Aaron as he was unable to immediately remember the word "fiction" but had a sense that he knew it.

Question 17

_____ refers to a situation in which material that was learned earlier disrupts the recall of material that was learned later.

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when previously learned information interferes with the ability to remember new information. This is in contrast to retroactive interference, which occurs when newly learned information interferes with the ability to remember old information. Priming refers to the phenomenon in which exposure to a stimulus influences a person's response to a subsequent stimulus. Repression is a defense mechanism in which the mind automatically banishes traumatic memories from conscious awareness.

Question 18

Encoding failure occurs when _____.

Accepted Answer

Encoding failure occurs when the information never enters the long-term memory. This can happen due to a lack of attention or failure to process the information deeply enough.

Question 19

Cathy,a fourteen-year-old girl,is one of the few survivors of a plane crash that killed 247 passengers.She survived with severe injuries that took almost six months to heal.Three years after the occurrence,Cathy remembers the details of the plane crash with alarming accuracy.This is most likely because her memory is _____.

Accepted Answer

Cathy's ability to remember the details of the plane crash with such accuracy is most likely due to the fact that it was a traumatic event. Traumatic events often leave a strong emotional impact on individuals, which can result in a vivid and long-lasting memory of the event.

Question 20

Jillian,a flight attendant,is fluent in Spanish.Ever since she has learnt French,however,Jillian finds it difficult to remember Spanish words and phrases.In this scenario,Jillian's failure to retrieve Spanish words and phrases is most likely caused by _____.

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when new information interferes with the ability to recall old information. In this scenario, learning French is interfering with Jillian's ability to recall Spanish words and phrases.

Quiz 7: Memory