Question 1

Animal research shows that animals possess which of the following human-like skills?
A) STM
B) STM control processes
C) primacy effects
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

Animal research has shown that animals possess skills similar to humans, such as short term memory (STM) and control processes, as well as primacy effects. Therefore, the correct answer is D, all of the above.

Question 2

The ability to recall the answer choices in question 8.10 would most directly depend upon which of the following elements of Working Memory?
A) phonological loop
B) central executive
C) visuospatial sketchpad
D) sensory memory

Accepted Answer

The ability to recall options in a question requires the use of phonological loop in working memory, which is responsible for holding verbal and auditory information. The other options don't have a direct involvement in verbal memory tasks.

Question 3

Which of the following is not a component of Working Memory?
A) phonological loop
B) central executive
C) visuospatial sketchpad
D) sensory memory

Accepted Answer

Sensory memory is not a component of Working Memory. Sensory memory refers to the brief storage of sensory information (e.g. visual or auditory) before it is processed further. Working Memory, on the other hand, consists of the phonological loop, the visuospatial sketchpad, and the central executive, which work together to hold and manipulate information temporarily in the service of ongoing cognitive tasks.

Question 4

Joe is having a hard time taking notes in Professor Jones's class, because he can't repeat the professor's words fast enough to hold them in his mind and write them down. Joe's memory difficulty is most likely stemming from a difficulty within which working memory component?
A) phonological loop
B) central executive
C) visuospatial sketchpad
D) sensory memory

Accepted Answer

The phonological loop is responsible for holding verbal and auditory information in working memory. Joe's difficulty in repeating the professor's words fast enough suggests that he is struggling with this component of working memory.

Question 5

Mary is at a party, talking to Tom. However, in the middle of her conversation, she hears her name mentioned across the room, and almost immediately turns her attention to the place in the room from where she believes she heard her name. The element of Working Memory most responsible for this shifting of attention is most likely the:
A) phonological loop
B) central executive
C) visuospatial sketchpad
D) sensory memory

Accepted Answer

The central executive is responsible for directing attention and coordinating information from different sources, including shifting attention in response to hearing one's name.

Question 6

Professor Smith believes that one's immediate memory can hold a variety of pieces of information, from different domains, simultaneously. Such an ability would be possible only if which system functions properly?
A) Short-Term Memory
B) Long-Term Memory
C) Working Memory
D) Sensory Memory

Accepted Answer

Working memory, also known as "temporary memory," is responsible for holding, processing, and manipulating information over a short period of time. It allows individuals to hold different pieces of information in their minds simultaneously, even if they are from different domains, as Professor Smith believes. Sensory memory only stores information for a brief moment, and long-term memory stores information for extended periods, but neither system is designed for holding multiple pieces of information from different domains at once. Short-term memory is often used interchangeably with working memory, but some distinctions can be made between the two. Therefore, the correct answer is C, Working Memory.

Question 7

Mary suffered a stroke, the result of which damaged the Episodic Buffer of her Working Memory. As a result, Mary will likely have difficulty when she:
A) tries to connect the contents of Working Memory to Sensory Memory
B) attempts to retrieve data from Long Term Memory to use in Working Memory
C) retain visual images,
D) allocate her attentional skills across a variety of tasks

Accepted Answer

The episodic buffer in the working memory model is responsible for integrating information from different sources and linking it to long-term memory. If it's damaged, retrieving data from long-term memory to use in working memory would be impaired.

Question 8

While taking an exam, Monica is integrating all of the material she studied, along with the visual and phonological codes of this information, and in the process is able to recall massive chunks of information that each contain close to 20 individual pieces of data. Such an ability is most likely being mediated by which element of her working memory?
A) central executive
B) visuospatial sketchpad
C) phonological loop
D) episodic buffer

Accepted Answer

The episodic buffer in working memory integrates information from different sources (like visual and phonological codes) and links it to long-term memory, allowing for the recall of complex, multi-element information chunks, as described in the scenario.

Question 9

Which of the following statements best represents the consciousness binding problem?
A) "My research team is studying how memories are processed within individual neurons."
B) "The work that Dr. Smith engages in is focused on understanding why older people have difficulty making memories stay within their conscious awareness."
C) "Amanda is interested in studying how auditory and spatial information are integrated when trying to understand interpersonal communications."
D) "Scientists are attempting to understand how neurotransmitters bind to their receptor sites in the part of the brain responsible for consciousness."

Accepted Answer

The consciousness binding problem refers to the question of how different aspects of perception (such as sight, sound, and spatial awareness) are integrated and unified in the brain to produce a single, coherent experience of consciousness. Choice C, which discusses the integration of auditory and spatial information, directly addresses this issue of how different sensory inputs are combined to form a unified perception, making it the best representation of the consciousness binding problem.

Question 10

James is conducting an experiment that involves having subjects read a set of 3 words from a computer monitor, and then press the [SPACE BAR] key on the computer's keyboard once all three items have been read. Which of the following individuals is likely to show the slowest ability at completing this task?
A) an 80-year-old man
B) a 77-year-old woman
C) a 32-year-old man
D) a 50-year-old woman

Accepted Answer

Older age is associated with slower processing speed and decreased reaction time, so the 80-year-old man is likely to show the slowest ability at completing this task.

Question 11

Which of the following is associated with older, as opposed to younger adults?
A) inhibition of extraneous associations
B) low rates of cognitive dementia
C) quick and efficient cognitive processing
D) interference between target and irrelevant memories

Accepted Answer

Older adults often experience more interference between target and irrelevant memories compared to younger adults, which can affect their cognitive processing and memory retrieval efficiency.

Question 12

At the start of her calculus class, Professor Ann Siety tells her class that "while math majors do well in this class, non-science majors tend to earn very low grades." Steve, an English major who is already nervous about being in this class, remembers this statement all semester long, and during each exam, his anxiety becomes so overpowering that he forgets to answer many questions, and fails each one. His friend Jon, however, who is also an English major, missed the first class where the professor made her statement; he is nowhere near as nervous about the class as his friend. Steve's performance, relative to Jon's, can be seen as arising from:
A) dementia
B) proactive interference
C) a diminished memory span
D) stereotype threat

Accepted Answer

Steve's poor performance can be attributed to stereotype threat, which is the fear of confirming a negative stereotype about a group to which you belong. In this case, Professor Siety's statement created a negative stereotype about non-science majors, causing Steve to feel anxious and leading him to underperform on exams. Jon did not experience this stereotype threat as he was not present when the statement was made.

Question 13

Some people argue against two-store theories because:
A) dissociations between STM and LTM are common in brain damaged people
B) memory variables have been shown to have similar effects following short and long retention intervals
C) retroactive and proactive interference impair STM and LTM differently
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

Some people argue against two-store theories because memory variables have been shown to have similar effects following both short and long retention intervals, suggesting that STM and LTM may not be as distinct as the two-store model proposes.

Question 14

Jane has no LTM for any new information she encounters, although her STM seems relatively normal. Assuming her amnesia is a result of physical brain damage, a scan of Jane's brain is likely to find damage in which of the following areas?
A) temporal lobe
B) the border between the temporal and parietal lobes
C) the hippocampus AND amygdala
D) the left hemisphere

Accepted Answer

The answer of Jane has no LTM for any new...

Question 15

Impaired STM ability could stem from damage to:
A) the temporal lobe
B) the border between the temporal and parietal lobes
C) the hippocampus
D) the right hemisphere

Accepted Answer

The answer of Impaired STM ability could stem from damage...

Question 16

Single-store approaches to memory argue that all memories have similar activation levels at any point in time.

Accepted Answer

Single-store approaches to memory argue that memories are stored in one single location and are retrieved based on their activation level. This means that the activation level of a memory determines its accessibility at any given point in time. Thus, memories do not have similar activation levels, but rather vary based on how frequently they are used or rehearsed.

Question 17

The Memory Attribute Model of memory could best be described as a:
A) multiple- store approach to memory
B) a dual -store approach to memory
C) single-store approach to memory
D) none of the above

Accepted Answer

The Memory Attribute Model is best described as a single-store approach to memory, focusing on the attributes of memory rather than separate stores.

Question 18

Betty's grandmother died 10 years ago, and although Betty can remember what her grandmother looked like, she can no longer recall her grandmother's voice. This type of memory loss is consistent with which memory related theory?
A) Alzheimer's disease
B) proactive interference
C) anterograde amnesia
D) the memory attribute model

Accepted Answer

The memory attribute model explains how different aspects of a memory, such as visual appearance and sound, can be affected differently by memory loss. In this case, Betty's ability to remember her grandmother's appearance but not her voice illustrates how specific attributes of a memory can be retained or lost independently.

Question 19

The concept of one, as opposed to multiple, memory system responsible for the encoding, storage, and retrieval of information has been widely accepted by memory researchers.

Accepted Answer

The concept of one memory system has been largely abandoned in favor of multiple memory systems, each responsible for different types of information processing and storage.

Question 20

STM has been cited as being useful in playing a role in which of the following?
A) dysexecutive syndrome
B) language comprehension
C) problem-solving
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

STM has been shown to play a role in all of the listed functions, including dysexecutive syndrome (which involves deficits in working memory), language comprehension (as it facilitates the processing and retention of linguistic information), and problem-solving (as it allows for the manipulation and maintenance of information relevant to solving a task).

Quiz 8: Short-Term Retention

Animal research shows that animals possess which of the following human-like skills?

The ability to recall the answer choices in question 8.10 would most directly depend upon which of the following elements of Working Memory?

Which of the following is not a component of Working Memory?

Joe is having a hard time taking notes in Professor Jones's class, because he can't repeat the professor's words fast enough to hold them in his mind and write them down. Joe's memory difficulty is most likely stemming from a difficulty within which working memory component?

Professor Smith believes that one's immediate memory can hold a variety of pieces of information, from different domains, simultaneously. Such an ability would be possible only if which system functions properly?

Mary suffered a stroke, the result of which damaged the Episodic Buffer of her Working Memory. As a result, Mary will likely have difficulty when she:

Which of the following statements best represents the consciousness binding problem?

Which of the following is associated with older, as opposed to younger adults?

Some people argue against two-store theories because:

Jane has no LTM for any new information she encounters, although her STM seems relatively normal. Assuming her amnesia is a result of physical brain damage, a scan of Jane's brain is likely to find damage in which of the following areas?

Impaired STM ability could stem from damage to:

Single-store approaches to memory argue that all memories have similar activation levels at any point in time.

The Memory Attribute Model of memory could best be described as a:

Betty's grandmother died 10 years ago, and although Betty can remember what her grandmother looked like, she can no longer recall her grandmother's voice. This type of memory loss is consistent with which memory related theory?

The concept of one, as opposed to multiple, memory system responsible for the encoding, storage, and retrieval of information has been widely accepted by memory researchers.

STM has been cited as being useful in playing a role in which of the following?