Question 1

If we do not pay attention to sensory memories, they will most likely ____.
A) get transferred to short-term memory
B) be forgotten forever
C) be forgotten until you recall them at a later date
D) end up in explicit memory

Accepted Answer

If we do not pay attention to sensory memories, they will most likely be forgotten forever. Sensory memories have a very brief duration and unless we pay attention to them and transfer them to short-term memory, they fade away quickly. Therefore, if we do not pay attention to them, they are not likely to be stored in long-term memory or be recalled at a later date.

Question 2

In the 1950s, George Miller showed that the capacity of short-term memory is ____.
A) 7 ± 2 bits of information
B) 20 chunks of data
C) about 5 facts, 2 concepts, and 1 feeling
D) 15 items

Accepted Answer

George Miller's famous paper, "The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information," presented evidence that suggests the capacity of short-term memory is about 7 ± 2 chunks of information.

Question 3

Which statement is TRUE regarding chunking?
A) Chunking, if done effectively, can make the capacity of short-term memory virtually unlimited.
B) An average person can hold about 4 plus or minus 1 chunks in short-term memory.
C) Chunking can increase the capacity of short-term memory to an average of 16 bits of information.
D) Chunking makes it easier to remember seven bits of information in short-term memory, but it does not actually increase the original number of bits of information that can be stored effectively.

Accepted Answer

Chunking can improve the ability to remember information in short-term memory by grouping information into larger chunks. However, the capacity of short-term memory is still limited, and research suggests that the average person can hold about 4 plus or minus 1 chunks of information in short-term memory. Therefore, option B is the correct statement.

Question 4

The process that determines which memory information gets transferred from sensory memory to short-term memory is ____.
A) transduction
B) attention
C) bottom-up processing
D) capitulation

Accepted Answer

Attention is the process that determines which information from sensory memory is transferred to short-term memory. Attention filters out irrelevant information and focuses on important details, allowing them to be encoded into short-term memory. Transduction refers to the conversion of sensory stimuli into neural signals, which occurs at the sensory receptor level. Bottom-up processing is the analysis of sensory information beginning with smaller features and building up to a complete perception. Capitulation is not a relevant term in the context of memory processes.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a way that short-term memory can be encoded?
A) visually
B) haptically
C) semantically
D) acoustically

Accepted Answer

Haptic encoding refers to the encoding of information through touch, which is not typically associated with short-term memory. Encoding in short-term memory typically occurs visually, acoustically, or semantically.

Question 6

The limited capacity of short-term memory may be due to how neurons in the ____ code and store information.
A) corpus callosum
B) amygdala
C) hippocampus
D) reticular formation

Accepted Answer

The hippocampus is responsible for the formation and storage of new memories, including short-term memories. The limited capacity of short-term memory may be due to the finite number of neurons and connections within the hippocampus.

Question 7

You have the phone number of the local pizza parlor in your iconic memory right now. What do you have to do with this information to move it to short-term memory?
A) Write it down on a piece of paper.
B) Pay attention to it.
C) Associate it with something you already know.
D) Repeat it over and over.

Accepted Answer

To move information from iconic memory (a type of sensory memory for visual input) to short-term memory, you need to pay attention to it. This process allows the information to be transferred and retained for a longer period, albeit still temporarily, in short-term memory.

Question 8

Imagine that you are participating in a research study in which you are shown a list of numbers and then immediately afterward you are asked to recall as many of them as you can. Most likely, the researcher is studying the ____.
A) capacity of long-term memory
B) capacity of short-term memory
C) capacity of sensory memory
D) duration of long-term memory

Accepted Answer

This scenario describes a classic experiment used to study the capacity of short-term memory. Participants are typically shown a list of numbers or letters and asked to recall them immediately afterward, providing insight into the limited capacity of our short-term memory system.

Question 9

The phrase "7 ± 2 bits" describes the ____.
A) capacity of short-term memory
B) duration of short-term memory
C) capacity of sensory memory
D) duration of sensory memory

Accepted Answer

The phrase "7 ± 2 bits" refers to the capacity of short-term memory. This means that on average, people can remember 7 (plus or minus 2) pieces of information in their short-term memory at a time.

Question 10

When you attempt to remember the definition of implicit memory by repeating the definition over and over again, you are using ____ rehearsal.
A) elaborative
B) maintenance
C) reconstructive
D) repetitive

Accepted Answer

Maintenance rehearsal involves repeating information over and over in order to keep it in short-term memory. This is the type of rehearsal being used in the given scenario, as the person is simply trying to remember a definition through repetition. Elaborative rehearsal involves relating new information to existing knowledge and is often used to transfer information from short-term to long-term memory. Reconstructive rehearsal involves reconstructing memories based on available information and can lead to errors or distortions in memory. Repetitive rehearsal is another term for maintenance rehearsal.

Question 11

Which of the following is TRUE about short-term memory?
A) Memories stored in short-term memory are usually stored in long-term memory at the same time.
B) Short-term memories are coded to indicate both where the memory came from and where it is going.
C) The capacity of short-term memory is large and its duration is long.
D) Short-term memory uses multiple coding systems, including verbally, semantically, acoustically, and visually.

Accepted Answer

Short-term memory (STM) indeed utilizes multiple coding systems for processing information. This includes verbal (linguistic), semantic (meaning-based), acoustic (sound-based), and visual (image-based) codes, allowing for a diverse range of information to be temporarily held and manipulated.

Question 12

The duration and capacity of short-term memory are best described as ____.
A) large in capacity and long in duration
B) small in capacity and long in duration
C) small in capacity and short in duration
D) large in capacity and short in duration

Accepted Answer

Short-term memory has a limited capacity and can hold only a small amount of information for a brief period of time, typically around 20-30 seconds.

Question 13

If you look up a phone number to the local theater and are unable to write it down or rehearse it, how long do you have before this information fades from your short-term memory?
A) 60 seconds
B) 120 seconds
C) 30 seconds
D) 3 seconds

Accepted Answer

Short-term memory typically lasts around 20-30 seconds without rehearsal or encoding. So, if you are unable to write down or rehearse the phone number for the local theater, it will likely fade from your short-term memory within 30 seconds. Choice A and B are too long, and choice D is too short.

Question 14

You are watching a recording of your professor's lecture. The doorbell rings and you go to see who is there. Assuming that you don't pay further attention to the part of the lecture you were watching, what will likely happen to the information?
A) If you were moved by the lecture, it will stay for a short time in haptic sensory memory.
B) The words will fade away forever.
C) An auditory sensory impression of the lecture words will be recorded.
D) A visual sensory impression of the lecture will be made and stay in memory for a few minutes.

Accepted Answer

If you do not pay attention to the lecture, the information is not likely to be encoded into your memory and will fade away. Haptic sensory memory refers to touch memory and is not relevant in this scenario. Auditory and visual sensory impressions may be made, but if you are not actively processing the information, it is unlikely to be retained in your memory.

Question 15

If a new memory has made it to the short-term memory stage, it has definitely been ____.
A) either seen or heard
B) given at least a slight amount of attention
C) given a great amount of rehearsal
D) processed by the implicit memory system

Accepted Answer

In order for a new memory to reach the short-term memory stage, it must have received at least some attention or encoding. Therefore, choice B is the correct answer. Choices A, C, and D are not necessarily true for every new memory that reaches the short-term memory stage.

Question 16

Imagine that you are a subject in a study in which you are asked to remember a sequence of 20 letters of the alphabet dictated to you at the rate of one letter every two seconds. Immediately after the dictation, you are asked to recall the original sequence of letters. Most likely the researcher is studying what aspect of memory?
A) Capacity of echoic sensory memory
B) Capacity of long-term memory
C) Capacity of iconic sensory memory
D) Capacity of short-term memory

Accepted Answer

The researcher is most likely studying the capacity of short-term memory, as they are testing the participant's ability to immediately recall a sequence of 20 letters immediately after they were presented. This task is difficult to accomplish if the information is not maintained in short-term memory.

Question 17

Mila received a new DVD player that she is trying to connect to the back of her television by feel alone. The first stage of memorizing how to make the connection would be through ____.
A) iconic sensory memory
B) haptic sensory memory
C) short-term memory
D) long-term memory

Accepted Answer

Haptic sensory memory refers to the memory associated with touch and physical movement. In the scenario described, Mila is relying on touch to connect the DVD player to her television, making haptic sensory memory the most relevant type of memory for this task. Iconic sensory memory is associated with visual stimuli, short-term memory with working memory and attention, and long-term memory with the storage of information over an extended period.

Question 18

The duration of short-term memory is about ____.
A) 7 ± 2 seconds
B) 2 hours
C) 2 seconds
D) 30 seconds

Accepted Answer

Short-term memory typically lasts about 30 seconds without rehearsal or active maintenance.

Question 19

If you were trying to store a list of single-digit numbers in your short-term memory, about how many should you be able to store on average?
A) 15
B) 2
C) 7
D) 10

Accepted Answer

The average person can generally store 7 ± 2 pieces of information in their short-term memory, also known as Miller's Law, which applies to most humans regardless of age or culture. Therefore, the best choice is C, 7.

Question 20

When you use chunking to increase the capacity of short-term memory, ____.
A) you are able to hold an average of 7 plus or minus 2 chunks
B) neurons from the amygdala help those in the hippocampus to increase memory capacity
C) it comes at the expense of a corresponding decrease in the capacity of long-term memory.
D) it works best when units have a familiar sequence or inherent association.

Accepted Answer

Chunking works best when the units to be remembered have a familiar sequence or inherent association. Option A is incorrect because the average capacity of short-term memory is 7 plus or minus 2 chunks, regardless of whether chunking is used or not. Option B is incorrect because the amygdala is not involved in increasing memory capacity through chunking. Option C is incorrect because there is no evidence to suggest that using chunking to increase short-term memory capacity would result in a corresponding decrease in the capacity of long-term memory.

Quiz 7: Memory

If we do not pay attention to sensory memories, they will most likely ____.

In the 1950s, George Miller showed that the capacity of short-term memory is ____.

Which statement is TRUE regarding chunking?

The process that determines which memory information gets transferred from sensory memory to short-term memory is ____.

Which of the following is NOT a way that short-term memory can be encoded?

The limited capacity of short-term memory may be due to how neurons in the ____ code and store information.

You have the phone number of the local pizza parlor in your iconic memory right now. What do you have to do with this information to move it to short-term memory?

Imagine that you are participating in a research study in which you are shown a list of numbers and then immediately afterward you are asked to recall as many of them as you can. Most likely, the researcher is studying the ____.

The phrase "7 ± 2 bits" describes the ____.

When you attempt to remember the definition of implicit memory by repeating the definition over and over again, you are using ____ rehearsal.

Which of the following is TRUE about short-term memory?

The duration and capacity of short-term memory are best described as ____.

If you look up a phone number to the local theater and are unable to write it down or rehearse it, how long do you have before this information fades from your short-term memory?

You are watching a recording of your professor's lecture. The doorbell rings and you go to see who is there. Assuming that you don't pay further attention to the part of the lecture you were watching, what will likely happen to the information?

If a new memory has made it to the short-term memory stage, it has definitely been ____.

Mila received a new DVD player that she is trying to connect to the back of her television by feel alone. The first stage of memorizing how to make the connection would be through ____.

The duration of short-term memory is about ____.

If you were trying to store a list of single-digit numbers in your short-term memory, about how many should you be able to store on average?

When you use chunking to increase the capacity of short-term memory, ____.