Question 1

When new learning disrupts the ability to recall past, stored information, which of the following has occurred?
A)proactive interference
B)disinhibition
C)retrograde amnesia
D)retroactive interference

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when new information interferes with the ability to recall old information.

Question 2

In a classic experiment on forgetting, college students learned lists of nonsense syllables. After studying, students in one group slept for eight hours and then were tested for memory of the lists. A second group stayed awake for eight hours after studying the lists. The results of the experiment revealed that
A)the group that slept performed better on the memory test.
B)the group that stayed awake performed better on the memory test.
C)both groups performed equally well on the memory tests.
D)neither group could remember any of the nonsense syllables after eight hours.

Accepted Answer

Sleep enhances memory consolidation, so the group that slept after learning the nonsense syllables likely performed better on the memory test than the group that stayed awake.

Question 3

Kasey is having trouble learning French because she finds that having learned Spanish earlier makes it more difficult for her to now learn French. This is known as
A)proactive interference.
B)retroactive interference.
C)memory decay.
D)encoding failure.

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when older memories interfere with the acquisition of new memories. In Kasey's case, her knowledge of Spanish is making it harder for her to learn French, which is a classic example of proactive interference.

Question 4

Kim is having trouble remembering her old phone number even though she had that number for ten years. It seems that her current phone number that she has had for two years is keeping her from remembering her old phone number. This is called
A)proactive interference.
B)retroactive interference.
C)memory decay.
D)suppression.

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when new information interferes with the ability to remember old information, as seen in Kim's difficulty recalling her old phone number after acquiring a new one.

Question 5

When old information keeps you from learning new information, which of the following is occurring?
A)selective attention
B)proactive interference
C)repression
D)retroactive interference

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when old information interferes with the ability to learn or remember new information. It's a common phenomenon in memory studies where prior learning affects the recall of new information.

Question 6

In the classic experiment in which two groups of students studied lists of words with one group staying awake before the testing and the other group sleeping, the students who slept after studying the list remembered more because they experienced less
A)interference.
B)suppression.
C)encoding failure.
D)state-dependent learning.

Accepted Answer

Sleep helps in consolidating memories, reducing interference from other information that might be encountered when awake, thus improving recall.

Question 7

Which of the following refers to the tendency for new memories to impair the retrieval of older memories as well as the tendency for older memories to impair one's retrieval of new memories?
A)suppression
B)repression
C)interference
D)consolidation

Accepted Answer

Interference refers to the phenomenon where either new memories interfere with the ability to recall older memories (retroactive interference) or where old memories interfere with the ability to form or recall new memories (proactive interference).

Question 8

Research shows that people who learned a list of words while in a happy mood recalled them better when they were again happy. People who learned the list while sad remembered best when they were sad. This illustrates
A)state-dependent learning.
B)eidetic imagery.
C)suppression.
D)regressive imagery.

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as state-dependent learning, which suggests that memory retrieval is more effective when an individual's internal state at the time of retrieval matches their state during encoding.

Question 9

You and your family are leaving on a week-long vacation. As you leave your hometown behind, you begin to feel excited as you anticipate the adventures to come and start remembering other exciting vacations that you have taken over the years with your family. This suggests that your memory is
A)state-dependent.
B)eidetic.
C)proactive.
D)regressive.

Accepted Answer

This suggests state-dependent memory, where the excitement of going on vacation triggers memories of past vacations because the emotional or psychological state (excitement) is similar. Eidetic memory refers to the ability to recall images, sounds, or objects in memory with high precision for a few minutes without using mnemonics. Proactive interference is when older memories interfere with the recall of newer memories, and regressive memory is not a recognized term in this context.

Question 10

Susan has been using the new computer operating system for over six months. A friend who has an older version of the operating system calls Susan for help, since Susan used this older system for five years before getting the new one. As soon as Susan starts typing on her friend's computer, she realizes that she cannot remember specific details regarding this older operating system. Her inability to remember this older system is most likely due to
A)memory decay.
B)suppression.
C)retroactive interference.
D)proactive interference.

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when new information interferes with the ability to recall old information. Since Susan has been using a new operating system for over six months, her difficulty in remembering how to use the older version is likely due to the new information (the new operating system) interfering with her memory of the old system.

Question 11

When a person is sad and depressed, he or she has a tendency to remember more sad memories. This is referred to as
A)eidetic imagery.
B)state-dependent learning.
C)repression.
D)regressive imagery.

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as state-dependent learning, where an individual's current emotional or physical state can influence the recall of memories. When a person is sad, they are more likely to remember other times they were sad due to the similarity in emotional state.

Question 12

College students who memorized 20 lists of words (one list each day)recalled only 15 percent of the last list. Students who learned only one list recalled 80 percent of it. This is best explained by which theory of forgetting?
A)memory decay
B)interference
C)state-dependent learning
D)encoding failure

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon described is best explained by interference theory, which suggests that the ability to remember certain information is impaired by previously learned information (proactive interference) or by learning new information (retroactive interference). In this case, the memorization of multiple lists likely caused interference, making it harder for students to recall the last list compared to students who only learned one list and did not have their memory interfered with by additional lists.

Question 13

If you park your car in a different place every day, you may forget where you parked your car due to
A)memory decay.
B)interference.
C)suppression.
D)state-dependent learning.

Accepted Answer

Interference occurs when information or memories interfere with the recall of other information. In this case, parking your car in different places every day can lead to confusion and difficulty in remembering the specific location due to the overlapping of similar memories (where you parked each day).

Question 14

New memories either alter existing memory traces or make it harder to "locate" earlier memories, according to which explanation of forgetting?
A)interference
B)memory decay
C)eidetic imaging
D)encoding failure

Accepted Answer

Interference theory suggests that forgetting occurs because new memories interfere with the retrieval of old memories, either by altering existing memory traces (retroactive interference) or by making it harder to locate earlier memories due to the presence of newer information (proactive interference).

Question 15

According to the explanation of interference as a cause of forgetting, retention will be best when a study session is followed by
A)sleep.
B)light reading or watching TV.
C)studying similar subject matter.
D)studying different subject matter.

Accepted Answer

Interference theory suggests that forgetting occurs because memories interfere with and disrupt one another. Sleep minimizes exposure to new information that could interfere with the memories formed during the study session, thus enhancing retention.

Question 16

You are very thirsty. Suddenly you remember a time years ago when you became very thirsty while hiking. This suggests that your memory is
A)proactive.
B)state-dependent.
C)still not consolidated.
D)eidetic.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of state-dependent memory, where the physiological or emotional state at the time of encoding is similar to the state at retrieval, making the memory more accessible.

Question 17

You have just studied for a psychology test. Which of the following activities would be the LEAST likely to cause retroactive interference?
A)sleeping.
B)watching television.
C)writing a little on your English paper.
D)studying for an upcoming history test.

Accepted Answer

Sleeping is the least likely to cause retroactive interference because it does not involve any new information that could interfere with the memory of what was just studied.

Question 18

Regarding sleep, memory, and the interference theory of forgetting, which of the following statements is FALSE?
A)Sleeping after one studies can reduce the forgetting caused by interference.
B)REM sleep and dreaming appear to help us form certain types of memories.
C)Forgetting due to interference appears to apply only to sensory and short-term memory and not long-term memory.
D)It is not completely clear if new memories alter existing memory traces or if they make it harder to retrieve earlier memories.

Accepted Answer

Interference theory of forgetting applies to both short-term and long-term memory, suggesting that forgetting occurs because memories interfere with and disrupt each other, not just limited to sensory and short-term memory.

Question 19

Every time Darlene and Sam get into an argument, they tend to rehash old issues that come to mind. Which of the following best explains why the memories of previous arguments keep resurfacing?
A)eidetic imagery
B)state-dependent learning
C)repression
D)retroactive interference

Accepted Answer

State-dependent learning suggests that people are more likely to recall information or experiences when they are in the same state of consciousness as when the memory was formed. During arguments, the emotional state of Darlene and Sam likely mirrors the state they were in during past arguments, making those memories more accessible and likely to resurface.

Question 20

In the classic experiment in which two groups of students studied lists of words with one group staying awake before the testing and the other group sleeping, the students who slept after studying the list remembered more because which of the following was held to a minimum?
A)proactive interference
B)disinhibition
C)retrograde amnesia
D)retroactive interference

Accepted Answer

Sleeping minimizes retroactive interference, which occurs when newly learned information interferes with the recall of previously learned information. By sleeping, the students avoided new information that could interfere with their memory of the word list.

Quiz 7: Memory

When new learning disrupts the ability to recall past, stored information, which of the following has occurred?

Kasey is having trouble learning French because she finds that having learned Spanish earlier makes it more difficult for her to now learn French. This is known as

Kim is having trouble remembering her old phone number even though she had that number for ten years. It seems that her current phone number that she has had for two years is keeping her from remembering her old phone number. This is called

When old information keeps you from learning new information, which of the following is occurring?

In the classic experiment in which two groups of students studied lists of words with one group staying awake before the testing and the other group sleeping, the students who slept after studying the list remembered more because they experienced less

Which of the following refers to the tendency for new memories to impair the retrieval of older memories as well as the tendency for older memories to impair one's retrieval of new memories?

Research shows that people who learned a list of words while in a happy mood recalled them better when they were again happy. People who learned the list while sad remembered best when they were sad. This illustrates

You and your family are leaving on a week-long vacation. As you leave your hometown behind, you begin to feel excited as you anticipate the adventures to come and start remembering other exciting vacations that you have taken over the years with your family. This suggests that your memory is

When a person is sad and depressed, he or she has a tendency to remember more sad memories. This is referred to as

College students who memorized 20 lists of words (one list each day) recalled only 15 percent of the last list. Students who learned only one list recalled 80 percent of it. This is best explained by which theory of forgetting?

If you park your car in a different place every day, you may forget where you parked your car due to

New memories either alter existing memory traces or make it harder to "locate" earlier memories, according to which explanation of forgetting?

According to the explanation of interference as a cause of forgetting, retention will be best when a study session is followed by

You are very thirsty. Suddenly you remember a time years ago when you became very thirsty while hiking. This suggests that your memory is

You have just studied for a psychology test. Which of the following activities would be the LEAST likely to cause retroactive interference?

Regarding sleep, memory, and the interference theory of forgetting, which of the following statements is FALSE?

Every time Darlene and Sam get into an argument, they tend to rehash old issues that come to mind. Which of the following best explains why the memories of previous arguments keep resurfacing?

In the classic experiment in which two groups of students studied lists of words with one group staying awake before the testing and the other group sleeping, the students who slept after studying the list remembered more because which of the following was held to a minimum?