Question 1

Curtis has been testing a new software package for the past two months.He decides to go back to using his old software.He is now having some problems in recalling how to do certain tasks with the old software and finds himself trying to do things the way he did with the new software he was testing.What is illustrated by this example

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference is when new information interferes with the recall of old information. In this case, Curtis has been using the new software for the past two months and is now having trouble recalling how to do tasks with the old software. The new software is interfering with his ability to recall how to use the old software. This is a classic example of retroactive interference.

Question 2

What does the encoding specificity principle state

Accepted Answer

The encoding specificity principle states that forgetting is often due to a mismatch between retrieval cues and the memory code. This means that the more similar the cues at the time of retrieval are to those present during encoding, the better the retrieval will be. This principle highlights the importance of context and environmental cues in memory retrieval.

Question 3

Imagine that researchers find some memories are lost very quickly from memory,while other memories last much longer.Which theory would be most damaged by such evidence

Accepted Answer

The decay theory of forgetting suggests that memories fade over time due to lack of use or reinforcement. If some memories are found to be lost very quickly, it would contradict this theory and damage its validity.

Question 4

Allen was recently traded to a new team,and he is having a hard time remembering all the new plays because he keeps using the plays from his former team.What does this example illustrate

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when old information interferes with the ability to remember new information. In this case, Allen's old plays from his former team are interfering with his ability to remember the new plays from his current team.

Question 5

What type of memory plays an important role in everyday life because it requires people to remember to perform actions in the future

Accepted Answer

Prospective memory is the type of memory that involves remembering to perform actions in the future, such as remembering to attend a meeting or take medication at a certain time. It is an important aspect of everyday life and is necessary for completing daily tasks and responsibilities.

Question 6

What is proactive interference

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when older memories interfere with the acquisition of new memories, making it harder to remember new information because of the clutter of old information.

Question 7

Joel is asked to provide a description of his neighbour's car,after the car and the neighbour both disappear.He is surprised to find that he really can't accurately recall the make and model of the car,or any special details that might help in identifying the vehicle.What is Joel most likely experiencing in this case

Accepted Answer

Joel is likely experiencing pseudoforgetting, which occurs when information is not encoded into memory in the first place, often due to lack of attention or interest.

Question 8

Martin can't remember who invented flush toilets because he was flirting with a classmate when his history professor described this momentous event.What likely caused his memory failure

Accepted Answer

Ineffective encoding is the process in which the information does not enter the long-term memory storage due to lack of attention, rehearsal or other reasons. In this case, Martin's attention was distracted by flirting with his classmate, and he did not encode the information of who invented flush toilets into his long-term memory, resulting in memory failure.

Question 9

You move to a new house and memorize your new phone number.Now you can't remember your old phone number.What does this example illustrate

Accepted Answer

This example illustrates retroactive interference, which is when new learning interferes with the recall of old memories. The person's new phone number has interfered with the recall of their old phone number.

Question 10

Which of the following leads to pseudoforgetting

Accepted Answer

Pseudoforgetting occurs when information is not properly encoded into long-term memory due to a lack of attention, not due to any internal factors such as interference or damage to the hippocampus. Insufficient retrieval cues and interference effects can affect the ability to retrieve information from long-term memory, but they are not the cause of pseudoforgetting.

Question 11

Isabella spent one hour studying Canadian history prior to 1800,and then spent one hour studying European history prior to 1800.Victor spent one hour studying Canadian history prior to 1800,and then spent one hour studying calculus.What is likely to occur

Accepted Answer

The answer of Isabella spent one hour studying Canadian history...

Question 12

What occurs when new information impairs the retention of previously learned information

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when new information interferes with the retention of previously learned information. This can be seen, for example, when trying to remember an old phone number after learning a new one. The new information (the new phone number) interferes with the retention of the old information (the old phone number).

Question 13

What causes forgetting,according to decay theory

Accepted Answer

Decay theory suggests that forgetting occurs because memories fade or decay over time if they are not used or actively retrieved. This theory implies that forgetting occurs due to impermanent storage of memories, rather than interference effects, retrieval failure or ineffective encoding.

Question 14

Your friend recently got married and changed her last name.What will make it difficult for you to remember her new last name

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when prior learning interferes with the ability to learn new information. In this case, if you are used to referring to your friend by her previous last name, this could interfere with your ability to remember her new last name.

Question 15

What type of material is most likely to cause interference effects on retention

Accepted Answer

Interference effects on retention are most likely to occur when the new material is similar to the original material, as it can cause confusion and make it harder to distinguish between the two sets of information.

Question 16

When is a retrieval cue most effective,according to evidence from studies of transfer-appropriate processing

Accepted Answer

Transfer-appropriate processing suggests that the effectiveness of a retrieval cue depends on how closely it matches the original encoding of the material. Therefore, a cue that is congruent with the original encoding, as in option B, is most effective. Options A and C might provide some level of support for retrieval, but they are not as closely aligned with the encoding. Option D, while distinctive, may not necessarily be linked to the specific memory being retrieved.

Question 17

You meet a man at a party and carefully store his name along with an image of his face.The next day,he calls you on the phone,but you can't remember his name.Why can't you remember his name,according to the encoding specificity principle

Accepted Answer

The encoding specificity principle suggests that the most effective retrieval cue is one that was present at the time of encoding. In this case, the image of the man's face may not be enough to retrieve his name because it was not a strong enough association with his name. The sound of his voice, however, would have been present during the initial encoding and could serve as a stronger retrieval cue.

Question 18

What have researchers found regarding failure of long-term memory

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that the passage of time alone cannot explain the failure of long-term memory. What happens during the retention interval also plays a role. Factors such as interference, decay, and retrieval failure can all contribute to forgetting. Therefore, choice B is the best answer.

Question 19

Tara's bank assigned her a personal identification number (PIN)of 7321 when she was first issued her credit card.Recently,Tara was issued a new PIN of 0645.If Tara experiences retroactive interference when she enters her PIN,what digits would you expect her to enter

Accepted Answer

The answer of Tara's bank assigned her a personal identification...

Question 20

Ivan's bank assigned him a personal identification number (PIN)of 8624 when he was first issued his credit card.Last week Ivan was issued a new PIN of 9317.If Ivan experiences proactive interference when he enters his PIN,what digits should you expect him to enter

Accepted Answer

The answer of Ivan's bank assigned him a personal identification...

Quiz 7: A: Human Memory