Question 1

Eyewitness testimony is very convincing because people incorrectly assume that memory is like
A)a video camera.
B)a live journal.
C)an interactive Web site.
D)the evening news report.

Accepted Answer

People often believe that their memories are like a video camera and record events exactly as they happened. However, research has shown that memory is actually reconstructive and can be influenced by various factors such as suggestion, leading questions, and post-event information. Therefore, eyewitness testimony may not always be accurate even though it can be very convincing.

Question 2

Many people who have been convicted of crimes based on eyewitness testimony are later found, through DNA evidence, to be not guilty.Which of the following statements is a common reason for why eyewitness testimony may lead to false convictions?
A)Eyewitnesses tend to remember evidence that confirms their stereotypes.
B)Eyewitnesses are usually not questioned seriously enough by the defense.
C)Eyewitnesses frequently lie to make their stories more dramatic.
D)Judges instruct juries to prioritize eyewitness testimony over other evidence.

Accepted Answer

Eyewitnesses tend to remember evidence that confirms their stereotypes, which can lead them to misidentify individuals who fit their preconceptions rather than accurately identifying the culprit. This is known as confirmation bias.

Question 3

Laken takes a course in which her professor talks about Virginia Woolf's novel, To the Lighthouse.The next semester, Laken writes a paper for another class on Virginia Woolf.In her paper, Laken uses ideas that her earlier professor had presented, while believing that she has developed these ideas herself.Laken's behavior is and comes from .
A)plagiarism; absentmindedness
B)plagiarism; cryptomnesia
C)ethical; persistence
D)ethical; the sleeper effect

Accepted Answer

Laken's behavior is considered plagiarism because she is using ideas presented by her earlier professor without giving proper credit or citation. However, her behavior is also an example of cryptomnesia, which is when one genuinely believes that an idea is their own when it was actually heard or read elsewhere.

Question 4

When a person incorrectly remembers the time, place, person, or circumstances involved in a memory, she is experiencing
A)absentmindedness.
B)cryptomnesia.
C)source misattribution.
D)the sleeper effect.

Accepted Answer

Source misattribution occurs when a person incorrectly remembers information about the source of a memory, such as the time, place, person, or circumstances involved. Absentmindedness refers to forgetfulness due to a lack of attention, and the sleeper effect is when people become more likely to believe a message over time, even if the source is not credible. Cryptomnesia refers to mistaking one's own original idea for a new one when it has actually been encountered before.

Question 5

Your best friend's favorite hamster died while you and a new neighbor were there.The most vivid memory of the event will be because .
A)yours; you have the best perspective
B)the neighbor's; she was totally unbiased
C)your friend's; she was emotionally involved
D)the neighbor's; she was getting new information

Accepted Answer

Your friend's emotional involvement with the hamster makes her memory of the event more vivid and significant than anyone else's.

Question 6

Jacob has to write an essay for his college writing class and decides to write about a boy who makes a boat from Popsicle sticks and sails it every day.When his teacher reads the essay, she realizes that Jacob got the idea from a popular book.Jacob denies knowing about the story from a book and honestly believes he thought of it himself.He is most likely suffering from
A)a concussion.
B)cryptomnesia.
C)source amnesia.
D)memory decay.

Accepted Answer

Jacob's situation is an example of cryptomnesia, which is when someone unintentionally plagiarizes something they read or heard before, but believes they came up with the idea themselves. Source amnesia is the inability to remember where information was learned from, but in this case, Jacob denies knowing about the book. A concussion or memory decay do not seem to be relevant factors in this scenario.

Question 7

Which of the following is most likely to alter a person's recollection of an event?
A)the appearance of the interviewer
B)the wording of the questions
C)how much coffee the interviewee has consumed
D)the interviewer's voice

Accepted Answer

The wording of the questions can have a significant impact on a person's recollection of an event. Different wording can lead to different interpretations and memories of the same event. Therefore, it is important to use neutral and specific wording when interviewing individuals to minimize the chances of altering their recollection of an event. Other factors like the appearance of the interviewer, how much coffee the interviewee has consumed, and the interviewer's voice may have some impact but are less likely to significantly alter a person's recollection compared to the wording of the questions.

Question 8

Forgetting the store where you bought your blue sweater is analogous to .Thinking that the red sweater is yours when you actually borrowed it from your sister is analogous to .
A)source misattribution; absentmindedness
B)absentmindedness; source misattribution
C)the sleeper effect; cryptomnesia
D)cryptomnesia; the sleeper effect

Accepted Answer

Forgetting the store where you bought your blue sweater is an example of absentmindedness, while thinking that the red sweater is yours when you actually borrowed it from your sister is an example of source misattribution. Therefore, the correct answer is B, absentmindedness; source misattribution.

Question 9

Some people can vividly remember what they were doing when they heard about the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.What they remember is a memory and is therefore likely to be memory for ordinary events.
A)flashbulb; more accurate than
B)true; more accurate than
C)false; less accurate than
D)flashbulb; as accurate as

Accepted Answer

Flashbulb memories are vivid and detailed memories of significant events, but research shows they are not necessarily more accurate than ordinary memories.

Question 10

People often maintain stereotypes about groups even after they have met individuals who contradict the stereotype.Given the phenomenon of memory bias, what might one reason be that a stereotype does NOT change with new information?
A)The memory for the individual shifts in the direction of the stereotype.
B)Old memories of the individual are incorrectly combined into new ones.
C)Other people with similar beliefs give false information about the individual.
D)The person does not recognize the beliefs to be a stereotype.

Accepted Answer

Memory bias can cause individuals to shift their memories of individuals in the direction of the stereotype, which can prevent the stereotype from changing even with new information. This is known as confirmation bias.

Question 11

At a party, you get into an argument with someone after you've made an insulting remark.The next day, you remember the argument as being the other person's fault.You do not remember that you were actually to blame because of
A)alcohol blocking.
B)absentmindedness.
C)memory bias.
D)confabulation.

Accepted Answer

Memory bias refers to the selective retrieval and storage of information that reinforces our beliefs, attitudes, and expectations. In this scenario, the individual is likely experiencing a confirmation bias, where they are more likely to remember information that supports their own perspective and beliefs, leading them to remember the argument as the other person's fault.

Question 12

Anita started to talk at 9 months and was speaking fluently by the time she was 1 year old; she crawled at 13 months and was walking at 15 months.Xenia started to talk at 14 months and was speaking fluently just after her second birthday; she crawled at 10 months and was walking by her first birthday.One theory of childhood amnesia might predict that will have memories from an earlier age because of her .
A)Anita; better linguistic capacity
B)Anita; cognitive precocity
C)Xenia; increased capacity to explore
D)Xenia; higher level of motor skill

Accepted Answer

Anita's earlier development of language skills, as indicated by her speaking fluently by the age of 1, supports the theory that better linguistic capacity can lead to earlier formation and retention of memories.

Question 13

As you are telling a funny story, your boyfriend keeps interrupting you to say things like, "No, it was Sarah who said that, not LaToya." One of you either you or your boyfriend) is experiencing
A)absentmindedness.
B)cryptomnesia.
C)source misattribution.
D)the sleeper effect.

Accepted Answer

The boyfriend is experiencing source misattribution, which is when a person remembers a piece of information but cannot remember where or how they learned it. In this case, the boyfriend is incorrectly attributing who said something in the story.

Question 14

After a group project, the teacher asks each group member to rate the contribution of everyone in the group.All the group members have given their highest ratings to themselves.The teacher will be less puzzled by this outcome if she understands the concept of
A)alcohol blocking.
B)absentmindedness.
C)memory bias.
D)confabulation.

Accepted Answer

The situation described is a classic example of the self-serving bias, in which individuals tend to overestimate their own contributions and underestimate the contributions of others. This bias can be attributed to memory bias, as individuals may remember their own contributions more vividly or accurately than those of others. The other options (alcohol blocking, absentmindedness, and confabulation) do not accurately apply to this situation.

Question 15

Yu-Ting vividly remembers the day that her husband took her completely by surprise when he proposed to her.She believes that she remembers every detail of the proposal.The research suggests that this ________ memory is ordinary memories.
A)photographic; more accurate than
B)photographic; as accurate as
C)flashbulb; more accurate than
D)flashbulb; as accurate as

Accepted Answer

Flashbulb memories are highly vivid and usually related to emotionally significant events, but research has shown that they are not more accurate than ordinary memories. Therefore, option D correctly describes Yu-Ting's memory of the proposal as a flashbulb memory that is as accurate as ordinary memories. Option A is incorrect because photographic memories are not a scientifically proven phenomenon. Option B and C are incorrect because research has shown that flashbulb memories are not more accurate than ordinary memories.

Question 16

Laden has a memory of being given a wonderful teddy bear.She believes she is remembering her second birthday, but she cannot remember for sure.In fact, the earliest birthday she could be remembering is her because until that time her lobes were too immature.
A)third; frontal
B)third; temporal
C)fifth; frontal
D)fifth; temporal

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is A) third; frontal. This is because the frontal lobes, which are crucial for memory formation, are not fully developed until around the age of three. This makes it unlikely for Laden to have formed a reliable memory before this age.

Question 17

Javier convinces Suzanne to go with him to the sequel of a science fiction movie that he loved.Though Suzanne does not like science fiction, she agrees to go because Javier has been raving about the original movie for years.The sequel is terrible, but Javier sincerely praises it on the way home.Javier's response to the movie represents
A)false memory.
B)memory bias.
C)confabulation.
D)rationalization.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Javier convinces Suzanne to go with him...

Question 18

Roel watches a spoof of the news on The Daily Show.The next week, Roel might due to _.
A)tell his friends a joke from the spoof; absentmindedness
B)have forgotten about the spoof news story; cryptomnesia
C)do an impression of Jon Stewart from The Daily Show; suggestibility
D)describe the events in the spoof as having really happened; the sleeper effect

Accepted Answer

The sleeper effect is a psychological phenomenon where people remember the message but forget the source over time, leading them to potentially believe and even spread the information as if it were true, even if it was initially understood to be false or fictional, such as a spoof from The Daily Show.

Question 19

Having a memory for an event but not being able to remember where the information was encountered is referred to as
A)cryptomnesia.
B)source amnesia.
C)memory bias.
D)None of the answer options is correct.

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as source amnesia, which means that a person can have a memory for an event, but cannot recall where or how the information was learned or encountered. Cryptomnesia involves mistakenly thinking that one's own idea is original, when in fact it was previously encountered. Memory bias refers to the fact that memories can be influenced by pre-existing beliefs or attitudes. None of the answer options is an appropriate answer for this question.

Question 20

Raul saw a car crash on the way to campus.Yosep participated in a psychology experiment in which he saw a film of a car crash.How accurate would you expect these memories to be, given the research on event memory?
A)Yosep's memory will be more accurate than Raul's memory.
B)Raul's memory will be more accurate than Yosep's memory.
C)Raul and Yosep will have equally accurate memories.
D)Yosep's memory will be more accurate, but Raul's memory will be more vivid.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Raul saw a car crash on the...

Quiz 7: Memory

Eyewitness testimony is very convincing because people incorrectly assume that memory is like

Many people who have been convicted of crimes based on eyewitness testimony are later found, through DNA evidence, to be not guilty.Which of the following statements is a common reason for why eyewitness testimony may lead to false convictions?

When a person incorrectly remembers the time, place, person, or circumstances involved in a memory, she is experiencing

Your best friend's favorite hamster died while you and a new neighbor were there.The most vivid memory of the event will be because .

Which of the following is most likely to alter a person's recollection of an event?

Forgetting the store where you bought your blue sweater is analogous to .Thinking that the red sweater is yours when you actually borrowed it from your sister is analogous to .

Some people can vividly remember what they were doing when they heard about the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.What they remember is a memory and is therefore likely to be memory for ordinary events.

People often maintain stereotypes about groups even after they have met individuals who contradict the stereotype.Given the phenomenon of memory bias, what might one reason be that a stereotype does NOT change with new information?

At a party, you get into an argument with someone after you've made an insulting remark.The next day, you remember the argument as being the other person's fault.You do not remember that you were actually to blame because of

As you are telling a funny story, your boyfriend keeps interrupting you to say things like, "No, it was Sarah who said that, not LaToya." One of you either you or your boyfriend) is experiencing

After a group project, the teacher asks each group member to rate the contribution of everyone in the group.All the group members have given their highest ratings to themselves.The teacher will be less puzzled by this outcome if she understands the concept of

Yu-Ting vividly remembers the day that her husband took her completely by surprise when he proposed to her.She believes that she remembers every detail of the proposal.The research suggests that this ________ memory is ordinary memories.

Laden has a memory of being given a wonderful teddy bear.She believes she is remembering her second birthday, but she cannot remember for sure.In fact, the earliest birthday she could be remembering is her because until that time her lobes were too immature.

Roel watches a spoof of the news on The Daily Show.The next week, Roel might due to _.

Having a memory for an event but not being able to remember where the information was encountered is referred to as

Raul saw a car crash on the way to campus.Yosep participated in a psychology experiment in which he saw a film of a car crash.How accurate would you expect these memories to be, given the research on event memory?