Deck 6: Learning

Question 1

Psychologists use the word _____ to refer to the processes whereby the brain collects, stores, and retrieves information for later use.

A)memory
B)learning
C)intelligence
D)sensation

Answer 1

memory

Question 2

Amelia remarks that she needs to learn the text's section on the structures of the brain for an upcoming test. Brian responds that he couldn't remember the function of the hippocampus on a test the preceding day. Amelia is making reference to the memory process called _____. Brian is referring to the memory process called _____.

A)encoding; storage
B)retrieval; encoding
C)retrieval; storage
D)encoding; retrieval

Answer 2

encoding; retrieval

Question 3

Based on the textbook's discussion, memory competitors appear to differ from other people mainly in their:

A)overall intelligence.
B)brain structure.
C)neural processing speed.
D)memory strategies.

Answer 3

memory strategies.

Question 4

Which statement about the information processing model of memory is True?

A)Sensory memory is the last of the three stages in the model.
B)Short-term memory has the smallest capacity of the three stages.
C)The capacity of sensory memory is small.
D)Long-term memory has a limited capacity.

Question 5

Which sequence correctly arranges the information-processing stages of memory in order of increasing capacity?

A)sensory memory > short-term memory > long-term memory
B)short-term memory > long-term memory > sensory memory
C)sensory memory > long-term memory > short-term memory
D)short-term memory > sensory memory > long-term memory

Question 6

Which of the following sequences best reflects the order of stages in the information processing model of memory?

A)short-term memory > sensory memory > long-term memory
B)short-term memory > working memory > long-term memory
C)sensory memory > short-term memory > long-term memory
D)sensory memory > long-term memory > short-term memory

Question 7

Which stage in the information-processing model of memory has the smallest capacity?

A)sensory memory
B)echoic memory
C)short-term memory
D)long-term memory

Question 8

Which of the following sequences BEST reflects the order in which memory processes occur, from first to last?

A)storage, encoding, retrieval
B)storage, retrieval, encoding
C)encoding, retrieval, storage
D)encoding, storage, retrieval

Question 9

How does the brain's memory system differ from that of a computer?

A)The brain can only process one type of information at a time.
B)The brain's neurons communicate in a more complex manner than what occurs within electrical circuits.
C)The brain's storage capacity is more limited than that of a computer.
D)The brain preserves information exactly as it was encoded.

Question 10

Preserving information is to accessing information as _____ is to _____.

A)storage; encoding
B)storage; retrieval
C)encoding; retrieval
D)retrieval; storage

Question 11

Which of these is NOT one of the three general memory processes identified at the beginning of the chapter?

A)encoding
B)perception
C)storage
D)retrieval

Question 12

Clarice presses the Ctrl and S keys on her keyboard to save a document. A file is then created on her computer's hard drive. Clarice's action is MOST analogous to the memory activity of:

A)storage.
B)encoding.
C)retrieval.
D)interference.

Question 13

Almost everybody has had the feeling of knowing the answer to a question, but not being quite able to say it. This is called the "tip-of-the-tongue" phenomenon, and is a failure of: 

A)encoding.
B)retrieval.
C)storage.
D)rehearsal.

Question 14

"I know it! It's um . . . um . . . It starts with 'G'," begins a trivia game contestant excitedly. The contestant is falling prey to the _____ phenomenon.

A)tip-of-the-tongue
B)maintenance rehearsal
C)flashbulb memory
D)recency

Question 15

A "one-hit-wonder" song popular 5 years ago comes on the radio. "I used to love this song!" Clyde exclaims. "Who sang it?" "Oh! I know! It's . . . it's . . . Darn! It's on the tip of my tongue!" Ralph responds. Ralph is experiencing a failure of the memory process called:

A)encoding.
B)transfer.
C)storage.
D)retrieval.

Question 16

When answering such questions as "Who was your date to the junior prom?" or "What costume did you wear last Halloween?" a person is relying MOST explicitly on the memory process of: 

A)rehearsal.
B)encoding.
C)retrieval.
D)storage.

Question 17

When one uses the term "remembering" in day-to-day life, one is making reference to the memory process of:

A)rehearsal.
B)retrieval.
C)encoding.
D)storage.

Question 18

Dr. Handy is a psychologist who studies how the brain collects, stores, and retrieves information for later use. Which is the BEST term for Dr. Handy's area of interest?

A)intelligence
B)memory
C)cognition
D)learning

Question 19

While a computer's hard drive may be likened to the memory process of storage, its keyboard is analogous to the process of:

A)retrieval.
B)chunking.
C)encoding.
D)decay.

Question 20

The textbook describes the case of Clive Wearing, who suffered a brain infection called encephalitis. After the infection, Clive could not retain new information for more than a few seconds. His memory process of _____ was impaired.

A)encoding
B)storage
C)transfer
D)retrieval

Question 21

Information may last for _____ seconds in sensory memory, and the capacity of sensory memory is _____.

A)a few; small
B)a few; large
C)about 30; small
D)about 30; large

Question 22

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, psychologist George Sperling conducted important studies of _____ memory.

A)sensory
B)short-term
C)working
D)long-term

Question 23

Which of the following statements BEST describes the relationship between iconic and echoic memory on the one hand, and sensory memory on the other?

A)Iconic and echoic memory are components of sensory memory.
B)Iconic and echoic memory are types of memory, of which sensory memory is a part.
C)Iconic and echoic memory are different types of memory than sensory memory.
D)Iconic and echoic memory are different types of sensory memory.

Question 24

Using the partial report technique, George Sperling estimated that sensory memory stored at least _____% of the letters in a briefly-flashed array.

A)25
B)50
C)65
D)75

Question 25

The levels of processing framework:

A)assumes that the longer material is in short-term memory, the deeper its memory traces will be.
B)is primarily concerned with a type of memory called "procedural."
C)suggests that thinking about material leads to better memory than simply repeating the material to oneself.
D)holds that meaningless material produces greater depth of processing than does material that can be fitted into meaningful contexts.

Question 26

Psychologists use the term _____ memory to refer to photographic visual impressions that last less than a second.

A)echoic
B)iconic
C)eidetic
D)episodic

Question 27

In the information-processing model of memory, _____ memory can be described as "high capacity, long duration."

A)sensory
B)iconic
C)short-term
D)long-term

Question 28

The phenomenon of _____ imagery is fairly similar to what people commonly call "photographic memory."

A)eidetic
B)elaborative
C)echoic
D)engrammatic

Question 29

Research reviewed in the textbook suggests that practice tests:

A)decrease memory for material by increasing anxiety.
B)increase memory for material.
C)have little effect on memory for material.
D)have unpredictable effects on memory for material.

Question 30

A psychological scientist states that she is interested in a brief type of memory store she calls "olfactory memory," which is a type of _____ memory.

A)iconic
B)short-term
C)sensory
D)long-term

Question 31

The levels of processing framework proposes that the ease with which information is remembered may be traced to differences in the processing that occur during:

A)encoding.
B)storage.
C)retrieval.
D)any stage of the memory process.

Question 32

Iconic memory is to echoic memory as _____ is to _____.

A)10 seconds; 1 second
B)1 second; 10 seconds
C)accurate; inaccurate
D)inaccurate; accurate

Question 33

The study of sensory memory is associated with:

A)George Miller.
B)Elizabeth Loftus.
C)George Sperling.
D)Hermann Ebbinghaus.

Question 34

Compared to iconic memory, echoic memory:

A)does not last as long.
B)is less accurate.
C)lasts longer.
D)is more accurate.

Question 35

According to the levels of processing framework, which of the following study techniques would BEST enhance memory?

A)highlighting important passages in the text
B)reading aloud important passages in the text
C)focusing on the meaning of important passages in the text
D)visualizing pages from the text, then "reading" the material contained in them

Question 36

George Sperling conducted a study in which he varied the interval between the presentation of a letter matrix and an auditory recall cue. Sperling measured the proportion of letters participants could recall from the matrix. Which statement regarding this study is False?

A)A graph of the results of this study would show the accuracy of recall on the y-axis.
B)The interval between the matrix and the cue is a dependent variable.
C)The function relating the accuracy of recall to the interval between the matrix and the cue is a decreasing function, asymptoting at an interval of around 1 s.
D)All of these statements are True.

Question 37

Which statement describes a potential flaw of the information-processing model of memory?

A)Sensory memory may be an aspect of perception rather than one of memory.
B)No clear boundary may actually exist between short-term memory and long-term memory.
C)The model may be overly simplistic.
D)All these statements describe potential flaws of the information-processing model of memory.

Question 38

Dr. Fernald is conducting a memory experiment. One group of participants has to decide whether each of a list of words begins with the same letter as a target word; a second group has to determine whether each of a list of words rhymes with a target word; finally, a third group has to determine whether each of a list of words is a synonym or an antonym of a target word. Later, all participants are asked to recall the list words. According to the levels of processing framework, which group will perform the best and which group will perform the worst?

A)best - synonym/antonym group; worst - same letter group
B)best - same letter group; worst - synonym/antonym group
C)best - rhyme group; worst - same letter group
D)The theory suggests that the groups should perform equivalently.

Question 39

In one study described in the text, a sample of college students studied English-Swahili word pairs. Half the students took a practice test before studying the pairs a second time. The remaining students simply restudied the words. Lastly, all students' memory for the word pairs was assessed a week later on a final exam. In this study, the practice test group is the _____ group. Students' final exam memory score is the _____ variable.

A)control; dependent
B)control; independent
C)experimental; dependent
D)experimental; independent

Question 40

According to the levels of processing framework, which of the following students should retrieve information more successfully on classroom tests?

A)Grant, who attempts to memorize his notes
B)Irene, who attempts to relate her notes to information she has learned in other classes
C)Grant and Irene should retrieve information equally well on tests.
D)The levels of processing framework makes no prediction in this situation.

Question 41

Compared to alcohol intoxication, talking on a cell phone impairs driving to:

A)a much lesser extent.
B)a lesser extent.
C)about the same extent.
D)a greater extent.

Question 42

Junco and Cotten (2012) found a _____ correlation between college students' GPA and the amount of time they spend texting and using Facebook.

A)negative
B)minimal
C)positive
D)perfect

Question 43

In the words of George Miller, the capacity of short-term memory is the "magical number _____."

A)5, plus or minus 2
B)6, plus or minus 1
C)7, plus or minus 2
D)9, plus or minus 2

Question 44

Cissy looks up a number in the phone book, pushes the book away, and then dials the number. Why does she discourage any interruptions during this process?

A)Information lasts only 20-30 seconds in short-term memory.
B)Information lasts only 5-6 seconds in short-term memory.
C)Information can only last a minute or so in short-term memory.
D)Short-term memory can only hold one or two items.

Question 45

Grouping pieces of information together to expand the capacity of short-term memory is called:

A)chunking.
B)clumping.
C)consolidating.
D)compiling.

Question 46

"What's your social?" the insurance provider on the phone asks Renee. "One, six, four . . ." Renee begins. After a brief pause, she continues, "seventy-two . . . sixteen thirty-eight." To ease the burden on the insurance associate's short-term memory, Renee is giving the number in ______ rather than as individual digits.

A)nuggets
B)clumps
C)clusters
D)chunks

Question 47

In one study, Bowman et al. (2010) found that college students holding IM conversations while studying a textbook passage:

A)took longer to read the passage.
B)performed more poorly on a test of the material.
C)took longer to read the passage and also performed more poorly on a later test.
D)neither read the passage more slowly, nor performed more poorly on a later test.

Question 48

Match the psychologist(s) with the correct concept or theory.

A)Sperling - levels of processing framework
B)Tulving and Craik - information processing model
C)Baddeley and Hitch - working memory
D)Atkinson and Shiffrin - sensory memory

Question 49

Texting while driving increases the likelihood of an accident by a factor of:

A)nearly 2.
B)10.
C)15.
D)more than 20.

Question 50

On his computer desktop, Rodney can see several different files, each immediately accessible. Since he is actively working on them and can open them whenever he wants, these files are in fact very similar to the kind of information held in _____ memory.

A)long-term
B)sensory
C)working
D)procedural

Question 51

Which of the following expressions BEST reflects the capacity of short-term memory?

A)1 or 2 items
B)7, plus or minus 2 items
C)about a dozen items
D)unlimited

Question 52

The duration of short-term memory is about:

A)1 to 10 seconds.
B)20 to 30 seconds.
C)1 to 2 minutes.
D)20 to 30 minutes.

Question 53

Working memory is MOST nearly analogous to:

A)a Sticky Note on a person's computer screen where he or she constantly jots, updates, and erases temporary notes.
B)a Post-It note reminding someone of a future obligation.
C)a file on a computer hard drive.
D)a portrait hanging in a museum.

Question 54

Tommy is repeating a series of digits in the order in which he heard an experimenter read them. The experimenter is testing the capacity of Tommy's _____ memory. Tommy should be able to repeat about _____ digits correctly.

A)short-term; 4
B)short-term; 7
C)sensory; 4
D)sensory; 7

Question 55

The concept of working memory represents a contemporary conceptualization of _____ memory.

A)sensory
B)short-term
C)long-term
D)echoic.

Question 56

When Roy tells an acquaintance his telephone number, he does not recite the digits one by one at a constant rate, as in "3, 3, 7, 2, 3, 4, 8, 3, 9, 2." Instead, Roy might say, "3, 3, 7 . . . 2, 3, 4 . . . 83, 92." This exemplifies _____, a strategy to enhance _____ memory.

A)consolidation; sensory
B)consolidation; short-term
C)chunking; sensory
D)chunking; short-term

Question 57

"She did WHAT??" Sebastian's roommate exclaims as he relates an anecdote about a mutual friend. Sebastian's roommate processes the story using _____ memory.

A)working
B)sensory
C)semantic
D)long-term

Question 58

Which component of working memory is correctly matched with its description?

A)phonological loop - directs attention
B)visuospatial sketchpad - works with visual information
C)episodic buffer - works with verbal information
D)central executive - integrates information

Question 59

Process is to structure as _____ memory is to _____ memory.

A)short-term; working
B)short-term; sensory
C)working; short-term
D)long-term; working

Question 60

How does short-term memory differ from sensory memory?

A)Its capacity is larger than that of sensory memory.
B)Its duration is shorter than that of sensory memory.
C)Its capacity is smaller than that of sensory memory, and its duration is shorter.
D)Its duration is longer than that of sensory memory.

Question 61

Angel is considering how best to run several errands between his last class in the afternoon and the beginning of his shift at work 2 hours later. In his mind's eye, he sees a mental map of the town. This map helps Angel factor distances, traffic, and so on into his plans. This map is in his working memory component called the:

A)visuospatial sketchpad.
B)episodic buffer.
C)phonological loop.
D)central executive.

Question 62

As Rodolfo works on a complex multiplication problem in his head, the numbers he is manipulating are in his _____ memory, and the multiplication tables he is drawing upon are in his _____ memory.

A)working; long-term
B)working; sensory
C)long-term; working
D)sensory; working

Question 63

The method of loci connects new information to older memories-namely, locations along a familiar route. The method therefore encourages _____ rehearsal.

A)massed
B)elaborative
C)distributive
D)effortful

Question 64

Flashbulb memories:

A)typically concern major, unexpected public or personal events.
B)are remarkably accurate, even years after the initial event.
C)must be due to special encoding mechanisms for emotionally charged events.
D)are generally less accurate than memories for more mundane events, because of the emotion surrounding the original event.

Question 65

The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Princess Diana's death. The Sandy Hook school massacre. People's vivid memories for the moment in which they learned of these events are called _____ memories.

A)snapshot
B)flashbulb
C)photocopy
D)thumbnail

Question 66

Knowing how to serve a badminton birdie is an example of a(n) ________ memory.

A)episodic
B)semantic
C)procedural
D)explicit

Question 67

_____ devices are methods for improving memory.

A)Eidetic
B)Mnemonic
C)Rehearsal
D)Elaborative

Question 68

Memories of which a person is not consciously aware are called ______ memories.

A)internal
B)subliminal
C)subconscious
D)implicit

Question 69

Explicit memory is also called _____ memory.

A)declarative
B)procedural
C)semantic
D)episodic

Question 70

In working memory, visual and verbal information is integrated in the:

A)phonological loop.
B)sketchpad.
C)central executive.
D)episodic buffer.

Question 71

Because she drank too much alcohol, Deanna barely remembers her 21ˢᵗ birthday. That is, her _____ memory is sketchy.

A)procedural
B)semantic
C)working
D)episodic

Question 72

Which statement accurately captures the relationship among the types of long-term memory?

A)Episodic and semantic memory are both components of procedural memory.
B)Episodic and semantic memory are both components of explicit memory.
C)Explicit and semantic memory are both types of episodic memory.
D)Explicit and semantic memory are both types of procedural memory.

Question 73

Bower et al. (1969) asked some participants to learn hierarchically organized words. Other participants were asked to learn the same words arranged randomly. All participants were later required to recall the words. In this study, the group learning the organized words was the _____ group.

A)control
B)independent
C)experimental
D)dependent

Question 74

Janna is puzzling over a fill-in-the-blank question on a sociology test. Answering the question correctly requires Janna to use her _____ memory.

A)explicit
B)implicit
C)procedural
D)episodic

Question 75

Cory knows that the capital of Vermont is Montpelier, which is an example of a(n) _____ memory.

A)semantic
B)episodic
C)explicit
D)semantic and explicit

Question 76

The central executive is a component of _____ memory.

A)sensory
B)implicit
C)long-term
D)working

Question 77

Research has shown that flashbulb memories are often:

A)incomplete.
B)inaccurate.
C)complete and accurate.
D)incomplete and inaccurate.

Question 78

Which statement is the BEST reason for viewing classical conditioning as a type of implicit memory?

A)Classical conditioning occurs outside one's awareness.
B)Classical conditioning requires conscious awareness.
C)Classical conditioning is one mechanism whereby a person learns actions and skills.
D)Classical conditioning allows a person to learn from experience.

Question 79

Declarative memory is to nondeclarative memory as _____ memory is to _____ memory.

A)implicit; explicit
B)semantic; episodic
C)explicit; implicit
D)episodic; semantic

Question 80

Bower et al. (1969) asked some participants to learn hierarchically organized words. Other participants were asked to learn the same words arranged randomly. All participants were later required to recall the words. Word recall was the _____ variable in this study.

A)control
B)independent
C)experimental
D)dependent