Question 1

Ebbinghaus investigated the time course of forgetting.The best description of the typical pattern of forgetting that Ebbinghaus found would be:

Accepted Answer

Ebbinghaus found that forgetting occurred rapidly in the first few hours after learning new information, followed by a more gradual decline thereafter. This is known as the "forgetting curve." Thus, choice D ("a rapid early loss followed by a more gradual decline") is the best description of the typical pattern of forgetting that Ebbinghaus found.

Question 2

Psychologists suggest that the reminiscence bump may occur because during late adolescence and early adulthood:

Accepted Answer

Psychologists suggest that the reminiscence bump occurs during late adolescence and early adulthood because people experience a lot of firsts during this period. This includes novel experiences such as leaving home, starting college or a career, and forming new social relationships, which may leave a lasting impression on memory.

Question 3

Lionel is talking with his grandchildren about all the things he did in his early life.His grandchildren are really surprised because their grandfather often has difficulty remembering what he did last month or last week, but when he talks about his early adult years, all the memories seem to be crystal clear.Psychologists refer to this phenomenon as the:

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon referred to here is the "reminiscence bump," which is the tendency for people to have clearer and more vivid memories of events and experiences that occurred during their adolescence and early adulthood. This is likely due to the fact that these years are a time of significant change and development, and therefore elicit a greater emotional response and have more lasting significance in our memories.

Question 4

The theory that suggests that memories are forgotten or lost spontaneously with the passage of time is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Decay theory suggests that memories are forgotten over time due to disuse and fading of the physiological memory trace. This theory proposes that memories fade spontaneously with the passage of time, especially if they are not retrieved or rehearsed.

Question 5

The reminiscence bump refers to enhanced recall for events that happened:

Accepted Answer

The reminiscence bump refers to enhanced recall for events that happened between late adolescence and about age 30. This period of time is significant for individuals as it involves major life transitions and changes, leading to more vivid and detailed memories. Therefore, option D is the correct answer.

Question 6

Measuring how long it takes to relearn material after a time delay is known as:

Accepted Answer

The savings method of memory assessment involves measuring the amount of time it takes a person to relearn material after a period of time has passed. This method assesses how much information has been retained and is a measure of long-term memory.

Question 7

According to psychologists, the decay theory of forgetting suggests that:

Accepted Answer

The decay theory of forgetting suggests that memories are spontaneously forgotten or lost over time. This means that without rehearsal or retrieval, the memory trace will fade and eventually disappear.

Question 8

Angela was assigned code number 853271 by her bank when she first opened her account.Later, her bank changed its coding system, and Angela was assigned the new code number 469830.If Angela experienced retroactive interference when she was asked for her bank code number, you would predict that she will recall:

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when new information interferes with the ability to remember old information. Therefore, if Angela experiences retroactive interference, she would recall her new code number (469830), not the old one.

Question 9

Ebbinghaus investigated the time course of forgetting.In some of his studies, he forced himself to learn lists of nonsense syllables and then measured how long it took to relearn the same material after various delays.When he did this, Ebbinghaus found that:

Accepted Answer

Ebbinghaus found that the longer the delay, the more time it took to relearn the material. This is known as the forgetting curve, which shows that memory retention decreases over time if information is not rehearsed or reviewed.

Question 10

The savings method of assessing memory measures:

Accepted Answer

The savings method of assessing memory measures how much time it takes to relearn material after a period of time has elapsed. This assesses how much information has been retained in long-term memory without conscious effort or attention.

Answer: B 
 The savings method of assessing memory also measures how much information is stored implicitly in memory, such as skills or habits that are learned through repetition.

Options C and D are not relevant to the savings method of assessing memory.

Question 11

Jerod wakes up on Monday morning and spends an hour studying for his geography exam that afternoon.When he is done, he spends an hour studying for his sociology exam later that morning.When the geology exam is handed out, Jerod is confident he will do well, but during the exam he keeps recalling information from his sociology class, rather than the information he needs for his geology exam.In this example, Jerod's test performance has been affected by:

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when new information interferes with the ability to recall older information. In this case, Jerod's recall of information from his sociology class is interfering with his ability to recall information needed for his geology exam.

Question 12

According to psychologists, retroactive interference occurs when:

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when newly formed memories interfere with the retention of previously established memories. In other words, learning new information can cause forgetting of old information. This can happen, for example, when someone is trying to learn a new skill or new information, but their previous knowledge or habits interfere with their ability to do so.

Question 13

When the formation of new memories interferes with the retention of previously established memories, the process involved is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when new memories interfere with the retention of previously established memories. This can happen when new information makes it difficult to recall old information. For example, if you learn a new phone number and it interferes with your ability to remember your old phone number, this is an example of retroactive interference. Proactive interference, on the other hand, occurs when old information interferes with the retention of new information. Repression refers to the defense mechanism of unconsciously forgetting traumatic or unpleasant memories. Anterograde amnesia is a condition in which a person is unable to form new memories.

Question 14

Dr.Mavin learns the names of all the students enrolled in her calculus classes.Based on the results from Ebbinghaus' studies, which investigated the typical pattern of forgetting, if Dr.Mavin's memory for the names of the students is tested after the semester ends, you should predict that:

Accepted Answer

Ebbinghaus' forgetting curve shows that there is initially a rapid decline in memory retention, followed by a slower, more gradual decline over time. Therefore, it is likely that Dr. Mavin will forget most of the names early on, and then continue to experience a slow decline in her ability to recall the remaining names as time goes on.

Question 15

Ms.Jackson has been testing a new software package for her company for two months.However, the company recently decided not to switch to the new package, and Ms.Jackson has to go back to using the old software.She is having some problems in recalling how to do certain tasks with the old software, and she often finds herself trying to do things the way she did with software she tested.Based on what is known about memory failures, you should conclude that Ms.Jackson's problem results from:

Accepted Answer

Ms.Jackson's problem results from retroactive interference, which occurs when new information interferes with the recall of old information. In this case, her recent experience with the new software is interfering with her ability to recall how to do certain tasks with the old software.

Question 16

Mr.Dixon is filling in a credit application that requires him to list all his addresses and phone numbers for the past seven years.He is having trouble because he has moved four times in the past seven years, and he can't seem to recall the correct information for each place he has lived.Based on what is known about memory failures, you should conclude that Mr.Dixon's problem results from:

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference is the phenomenon where new information interferes with the recall of old information. In this case, Mr. Dixon's recent moves may make it difficult for him to remember all his past addresses and phone numbers, as the new information may interfere with his ability to recall the old information.

Question 17

Imagine that researchers find some memories are lost very quickly from memory while other memories are much longer lasting.This evidence would create the most problems for the theory of forgetting known as:

Accepted Answer

Decay theory suggests that forgetting occurs due to the fading or deterioration of memory traces over time. If some memories are found to be lost quickly while others last longer, it suggests that decay theory alone may not explain all instances of forgetting.

Question 18

Fletcher took 4 years of German in high school.However, Fletcher doesn't know anyone who speaks German, and he won't have any chance to practice his vocabulary now that he has finished school.Based on the results from Ebbinghaus' studies, which investigated the typical pattern of forgetting, if Fletcher's memory for German vocabulary is tested a number of times over the next few years, you should predict that:

Accepted Answer

Ebbinghaus' studies showed that the greatest amount of forgetting occurs shortly after learning, and then the rate of forgetting slows down over time. Since Fletcher has no opportunity to practice his German vocabulary, it is likely that most of the words will be forgotten early, and there will continue to be a slow decline in the number of words he is able to accurately recall. Therefore, option C is the best choice.

Question 19

Miriam is in her 90s and is preparing to write her autobiography.A friend who is a psychologist told her about the reminiscence bump.Based on this information, Miriam is expecting which of the following to occur as she sets out to write her book?

Accepted Answer

The reminiscence bump suggests that people tend to remember events that occurred in their late teens and early twenties better than events from other periods of their lives. Since Miriam is in her 90s, this would suggest that events from her youth are more likely to be part of her reminiscence bump and therefore more memorable.

Question 20

Nina learned to use sign language when she had a hearing-impaired roommate.Now her roommate has moved out, and Nina no longer practices signing.Based on the results from Ebbinghaus' studies, which investigated the typical pattern of forgetting, if Nina's memory for signs is tested several times over the next few years, you should predict that:

Accepted Answer

Ebbinghaus' research showed that forgetting is rapid in the initial stages and then gradually slows down over time. Since Nina has not been practicing sign language, it is likely that she will forget most of the signs she learned early on. However, since sign language was once a part of her memory, she may be able to retain some of the signs for a longer period of time, resulting in a slow decline in the number of signs she is able to use correctly over time. Therefore, most signs will be forgotten early, and there will continue to be a slow decline in the number of signs she is able to use correctly.

Quiz 8: Memory