Question 1

Which memory concept might argue that if you learned new material in your school library, then the best place for you to be tested on that material would also be the school library?
A) Encoding specificity principle
B) Implicit memory
C) Memory decay
D) Repression

Accepted Answer

The encoding specificity principle suggests that memory is encoded with contextual cues, and that retrieval of that memory is most effective if the contextual cues present during encoding are also present during retrieval. Therefore, if you learned new material in the school library, the contextual cues of the library environment would be encoded with that information, and the best place for you to be tested on that material would be in the school library where those contextual cues are present.

Question 2

Suppose that you are having a difficult time learning German because your previous exposure to French is getting in the way. What are you experiencing?
A) Cue-dependent forgetting
B) Proactive interference
C) Retroactive interference
D) Decay

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when previous learning interferes with the recall of new information. In this scenario, the knowledge of French is hindering the ability to learn German, which is a new language. Cue-dependent forgetting refers to the inability to retrieve information due to a lack of cues or prompts. Decay refers to the fading away of memories over time. Retroactive interference occurs when new learning interferes with the recall of old information.

Question 3

Jenny has recently married and taken her husband's last name. To her dismay, her friends from high school keep calling her by her maiden name despite her repeated requests to use her married name. Jenny's friends appear to be experiencing ____.
A) retroactive interference
B) proactive interference
C) repression
D) memory decay

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when previously learned information interferes with the ability to remember newly learned information. In this case, Jenny's friends' habit of using her maiden name is interfering with their ability to remember her new married name.

Question 4

Proactive interference ____ and retroactive interference ____ as we get older.
A) increases; increases
B) increases; decreases
C) decreases; increases
D) decreases; decreases

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference increases as we get older because older adults have more long-term memories that can interfere with new learning. Retroactive interference decreases as we get older because older adults have less new learning that can interfere with long-term memories.

Question 5

Benton is filling out an application for a mortgage. On the application, Benton is asked to give his former address. To Benton's surprise, he cannot recall his last address. The only address that comes to mind is his current one. Benton appears to be experiencing ____.
A) memory decay
B) retroactive interference
C) repression
D) proactive interference

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when new information interferes with the ability to remember old information. In this case, Benton's current address is interfering with his ability to recall his former address.

Question 6

Of all the theories attempting to explain why we forget, the one that is most controversial is ____.
A) interference
B) cue-dependent forgetting
C) decay theory
D) repression

Accepted Answer

Repression is the most controversial theory of forgetting because it suggests that memories can be actively pushed into the unconscious, where they are no longer accessible. This theory is controversial because it is difficult to measure or prove, and some critics argue that memories are more likely to be forgotten due to other processes such as interference or decay.

Question 7

Dr. Rogers meets one of his students at a local shopping mall and he cannot recall her name. However, when he sees her in class the next Monday morning, he immediately recalls that her name is Juanita. Which theory of forgetting best explains Dr. Roger's memory lapse?
A) Interference theory
B) Decay theory
C) Cue-dependent forgetting
D) Repression

Accepted Answer

Cue-dependent forgetting, sometimes known as retrieval failure, occurs when there is a lack of retrieval cues that can trigger the memory. In this case, seeing Juanita in a different context (the shopping mall) may have created a retrieval cue that was not present in the classroom setting, leading to forgetting until that cue was present again.

Question 8

Suppose you cannot remember the names of the teachers you had in junior high school because the teachers you have had since then are getting in the way. This is called ____.
A) repression
B) decay
C) retroactive interference
D) proactive interference

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when newly learned information interferes with the retrieval of old information. In this case, the names of the more recent teachers are interfering with remembering the names of the junior high school teachers. Repression involves unconsciously pushing traumatic memories out of conscious awareness, while decay refers to the fading of memories over time. Proactive interference occurs when old information interferes with the learning of new information.

Question 9

The fact that recalling a memory involves reconstructing the basic elements and constructing other elements to fill the gaps in our memories, suggests that human memory can be ____.
A) highly accurate
B) less accurate as we get older
C) more accurate as we get older
D) highly inaccurate

Accepted Answer

The fact that memory is reconstructed and incomplete suggests that it is highly inaccurate. Memories can be distorted or influenced by various factors, leading to errors and inconsistencies.

Question 10

When you cannot retrieve a memory because you are using the wrong probe, you are experiencing ____.
A) cue-dependent forgetting
B) asynchrony failure
C) probe misalignment
D) interference

Accepted Answer

Cue-dependent forgetting occurs when a person is unable to retrieve a memory because the cues or prompts used to recall the memory are not effective. This is different from interference, which occurs when other memories interfere with the retrieval of the target memory. Asynchrony failure and probe misalignment are not recognized concepts in memory psychology.

Question 11

Which term refers to how memory utilizes knowledge and expectations to fill in the missing details in retrieved memory traces?
A) Reconstructive
B) Constructive
C) Implicit
D) Explicit

Accepted Answer

The term "constructive" refers to the process by which memory utilizes prior knowledge and expectations to fill in missing details in retrieved memory traces, essentially constructing a coherent memory from incomplete information.

Question 12

One of the functions of the central executive component of memory is to ____.
A) suppress interfering memory traces
B) assure the proper encoding of environmental events in sensory memory
C) repress memories that are uncomfortable to face
D) send iconic memories to the occipital lobe of the brain

Accepted Answer

The central executive component of memory is responsible for regulating and coordinating cognitive processes, including attention, planning, and inhibiting interfering thoughts or memories. Therefore, one of its primary functions is to suppress interfering memory traces, allowing relevant information to be retrieved and processed efficiently.

Question 13

Sigmund Freud's theory of forgetting is called ____.
A) cue-dependent forgetting
B) decay
C) repression
D) interference

Accepted Answer

Freud's theory of forgetting is called repression, which refers to the process by which memories are pushed into the unconscious mind due to their emotional content. According to Freud, this process occurs unconsciously as a defense mechanism to prevent the individual from experiencing emotional pain or trauma associated with the memory.

Question 14

Which type of interference leads to difficulty remembering old information?
A) Retroactive
B) Cue-dependent
C) Repression
D) Proactive

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when new information interferes with the ability to remember old information. This can happen when there is an overlap in content between the old and new information, making it difficult to differentiate between the two. Consequently, retroactive interference can lead to difficulty recalling previously learned information. This is in contrast to proactive interference, where old information interferes with the ability to learn and remember new information. Cue-dependent interference refers to difficulty remembering information due to the absence of contextual cues that were present during learning, while repression refers to a controversial concept in psychoanalytic theory where traumatic or distressing memories are unconsciously blocked from conscious awareness.

Question 15

Your mother's apparently very vivid memory of where she was and what she was doing when she found out that the World Trade Center had been hit by an airplane is an example of a(n) ____.
A) memory highlight
B) fabricated memory
C) implicit memory
D) flashbulb memory

Accepted Answer

A flashbulb memory is a highly detailed, exceptionally vivid 'snapshot' of the moment and circumstances in which a piece of surprising and consequential (or emotionally arousing) news was heard. It is believed to be related to the amygdala and hippocampus, which are responsible for emotional processing and memory formation. Therefore, the mother's memory of where she was and what she was doing when she learned about the World Trade Center attacks fits the definition of a flashbulb memory.

Question 16

Which type of interference leads to difficulty remembering new information?
A) Retroactive
B) Proactive
C) Repression
D) Cue-dependent

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when previously learned information interferes with the ability to remember new information. This can lead to difficulty remembering new information because the old information is interfering with the process of encoding and retrieving new information.

Question 17

If you witness a very traumatic accident and experience a surge of stress hormones in your brain, these hormones will probably ____.
A) decrease your ability to retain information in sensory memory
B) block the formation of accurate memories for events occurring immediately before the accident
C) reduce your short-term memory capacity for a brief time after the accident has occurred
D) increase the likelihood that memory will contain elements that did not actually occur

Accepted Answer

Stress hormones can block the formation of accurate memories for events occurring immediately before the accident.

Question 18

According to the encoding specificity principle, you should ____.
A) take your exams in the same seat in which you listen to lectures
B) use maintenance rehearsal prior to an exam
C) use massed practice right before the exam
D) elaborate as much as you can the material you wish to learn

Accepted Answer

The encoding specificity principle suggests that information is better recalled when the context present during retrieval matches the context present during encoding. Taking exams in the same seat in which you listen to lectures creates a consistency in the context, which can enhance recall. Using maintenance rehearsal or massed practice is not specific to encoding context and may not necessarily enhance recall. Elaboration can be helpful, but it is not specific to encoding context either.

Question 19

Which statement is TRUE of flashbulb memories?
A) People usually have little confidence that their flashbulb memories are accurate.
B) Stress hormones may facilitate the storage of flashbulb memories.
C) Flashbulb memories usually are very accurate in the details.
D) Flashbulb memories are vague memories of emotionally charged events.

Accepted Answer

Flashbulb memories are vivid and detailed memories of highly emotional events. While some people may have little confidence in the accuracy of their flashbulb memories, research suggests that stress hormones may actually facilitate the storage of these memories. However, flashbulb memories are not always completely accurate in the details, and may be subject to distortions and inaccuracies over time. Therefore, answer choices A, C, and D are incorrect.

Question 20

The cue-dependent forgetting theory is part of the ____.
A) memory aggregation principle
B) probe specificity principle
C) memory synchrony principle
D) encoding specificity principle

Accepted Answer

The cue-dependent forgetting theory is a phenomenon that occurs due to the encoding specificity principle, which states that memory retrieval is more effective when the cues present at the time of encoding are also present at the time of retrieval. Therefore, the correct answer is D) encoding specificity principle.

Quiz 7: Memory

Which memory concept might argue that if you learned new material in your school library, then the best place for you to be tested on that material would also be the school library?

Suppose that you are having a difficult time learning German because your previous exposure to French is getting in the way. What are you experiencing?

Jenny has recently married and taken her husband's last name. To her dismay, her friends from high school keep calling her by her maiden name despite her repeated requests to use her married name. Jenny's friends appear to be experiencing ____.

Proactive interference and retroactive interference as we get older.

Benton is filling out an application for a mortgage. On the application, Benton is asked to give his former address. To Benton's surprise, he cannot recall his last address. The only address that comes to mind is his current one. Benton appears to be experiencing ____.

Of all the theories attempting to explain why we forget, the one that is most controversial is ____.

Dr. Rogers meets one of his students at a local shopping mall and he cannot recall her name. However, when he sees her in class the next Monday morning, he immediately recalls that her name is Juanita. Which theory of forgetting best explains Dr. Roger's memory lapse?

Suppose you cannot remember the names of the teachers you had in junior high school because the teachers you have had since then are getting in the way. This is called ____.

The fact that recalling a memory involves reconstructing the basic elements and constructing other elements to fill the gaps in our memories, suggests that human memory can be ____.

When you cannot retrieve a memory because you are using the wrong probe, you are experiencing ____.

Which term refers to how memory utilizes knowledge and expectations to fill in the missing details in retrieved memory traces?

One of the functions of the central executive component of memory is to ____.

Sigmund Freud's theory of forgetting is called ____.

Which type of interference leads to difficulty remembering old information?

Your mother's apparently very vivid memory of where she was and what she was doing when she found out that the World Trade Center had been hit by an airplane is an example of a(n) ____.

Which type of interference leads to difficulty remembering new information?

If you witness a very traumatic accident and experience a surge of stress hormones in your brain, these hormones will probably ____.

According to the encoding specificity principle, you should ____.

Which statement is TRUE of flashbulb memories?

The cue-dependent forgetting theory is part of the ____.