Question 1

According to Sperling, what is the capacity of iconic memory?
A) Everything that can be seen at one time.
B) Everything that can be heard in one minute.
C) Everything that can be sensed in one second.
D) Everything that can be perceived in a lifetime.

Accepted Answer

Sperling's experiments showed that the capacity of iconic memory is limited to everything that can be seen at one time, or roughly 9 items.

Question 2

The information-processing of memory is one of the best-known models in all of psychology. Describe the three stages of memory and their characteristics. Explain how the three-stage model of memory might explain the famous serial position effect.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The information-processing of memory is one of...

Question 3

You are introduced to someone at a party. While talking with the person, you realize that you have already forgotten the person's name. What amount of time does it typically take before such information is lost from short-term memory?
A) approximately ¼ of a second
B) usually no more than 4 seconds
C) typically between 12 and 30 seconds
D) Short-term memories typically last a lifetime.

Accepted Answer

Short-term memory is typically limited to about 20 seconds without rehearsal or repetition. Therefore, it is usually no more than 4 seconds before information is lost from short-term memory.

Question 4

The steps to memory can best be described as follows:
A) finding it, using it, storing it, using it again.
B) putting it in, keeping it in, getting it out.
C) sensing it, perceiving it, remembering it, forgetting it.
D) a series of passive data files.

Accepted Answer

The steps to memory can best be described as putting it in (encoding), keeping it in (storage), and getting it out (retrieval). Option A doesn't include encoding, option C includes perceiving which is a separate process from memory and option D is not an accurate description.

Question 5

The other day, you had to remember some items for an important exam. You are sure you studied them and knew them before you entered the classroom. However, you drew a blank when you took the test. What happened? Why might you not have remembered them? What might you have done to avoid this?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The other day, you had to remember...

Question 6

Let's say you are a defense attorney and are defending a client on a murder charge. The victim was found in a dark alley. A witness had a glimpse of a shadowy figure standing over the body. The police thoroughly interrogate the witness and arrest a young man. The man has an alibi. There is no other evidence against him, except that of the witness. The witness is positive. What factors may lead you to doubt this strong testimony of the witness? Pretend you are the defense attorney and, with your knowledge of the problems with eyewitness testimony and memory, tell the jury why they should be doubtful of the witness.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Let's say you are a defense attorney...

Question 7

When creating a presentation, many public speaking instructors will tell you to develop a strong opening or attention getter to your presentation as well as a good summary and finish. What aspect of memory best explains these suggestions?
A) parallel distributing processing model of memory
B) chunking
C) elaborative rehearsal theory
D) serial position effect

Accepted Answer

The serial position effect refers to the tendency for people to remember the first and last items on a list better than items in the middle. This is why it is important to have a strong opening and finish to a presentation, as they are more likely to be remembered by the audience.

Question 8

__________ memory includes what people can do or demonstrate, whereas ______________ memory is about what people know and can report.
A) Nondeclarative; declarative
B) Declarative; nondeclarative
C) Semantic; implicit
D) Episodic; semantic

Accepted Answer

The answer of __________ memory includes what people can do...

Question 9

Early studies of the capacity of short-term memory suggested that most people could remember approximately ______________ bits of information.
A) two
B) three
C) seven
D) ten

Accepted Answer

Early studies by George Miller suggested that the capacity of short-term memory is around 7 ± 2 items, or roughly 7 bits of information. This became known as Miller's law or the "magic number 7."

Question 10

Your mother tells you to dress for success at your interview because it's all about "first impressions." In other words, she is telling you that people often remember what they see first. This belief is in line with what element of memory?
A) the primacy effect
B) the tip of the tongue phenomenon
C) the recency effect
D) the power of false positives

Accepted Answer

The primacy effect is the phenomenon where people tend to remember the first information they receive better than information they receive later. This is in line with the advice to dress for success because the interviewer's first impression of your appearance can have a lasting impact on their perception of you.

Question 11

What is meant by a flashbulb memory? Describe its characteristics. Give an example that is well-known. Some psychologists are not impressed by these well-known examples of this phenomenon. What are some of the criticisms of the idea of flashbulb memory?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is meant by a flashbulb memory?...

Question 12

Phineas walks out of his office and into the conference room. However, after he leaves his office, he forgets what he was coming into the conference room for. According to the encoding specificity hypothesis, what should Phineas do to regain his lost memory?
A) Phineas should return to his office to help him remember what he had forgotten.
B) Phineas should ask someone else, "What did I come in here for?"
C) Phineas should remain in the conference room and simply relax so that his memory should return.
D) Phineas should consider seeing a doctor, since such memory loss can be a sign of mental illness.

Accepted Answer

The encoding specificity hypothesis suggests that memory retrieval is most successful when the external cues and context present during encoding match those present during retrieval. Returning to the original context (Phineas's office) may therefore help him remember what he had forgotten.

Question 13

Which type of memory best explains the "What?" phenomenon?
A) iconic sensory memory
B) echoic sensory memory
C) short-term memory
D) tactile sensory memory

Accepted Answer

Echoic sensory memory is responsible for the "What?" phenomenon, where you can recall what someone said a few seconds after hearing it, even if you initially didn't process it consciously.

Question 14

The tendency of certain elements to enter long-term memory with little or no effort to encode and organize them is what defines
A) encoding specificity.
B) automatic encoding.
C) flashbulb memories.
D) eidetic imagery.

Accepted Answer

Automatic encoding refers to the ability of certain stimuli or information to enter long-term memory with little or no effort, without the need for deliberate or conscious encoding. This can include things like the time and place of personal events, important current events, and certain sensory experiences.

Question 15

Research by Elizabeth Loftus shows that eyewitness recognition - such as that which occurs in a police lineup - is very prone to what psychologists call
A) automatic encoding.
B) a false positive.
C) a flashbulb memory.
D) a recency effect.

Accepted Answer

Elizabeth Loftus's research suggests that eyewitness recognition is very susceptible to false positives, or identifying an innocent person as the perpetrator.

Question 16

For information to travel from sensory memory to short-term memory, it must first be ______________ and then encoded primarily into _______________ form.
A) unconsciously chosen; auditory
B) selectively attended to; visual
C) biologically chosen; visual
D) selectively attended to; auditory

Accepted Answer

For information to travel from sensory memory to short-term memory, it must first be selectively attended to and then encoded primarily into either auditory or visual form. Option D correctly states that information must be selectively attended to before being encoded, and specifies the two primary forms of encoding. Options A, B, and C are incorrect because they include irrelevant or inaccurate information.

Question 17

Mary has just met an attractive man named Austin at a party. She wants to make sure she remembers his name. What should she do?
A) Mary should repeat the name continuously so as to commit it to long-term memory.
B) Mary should chunk it by remembering the first three letters as a set and then remembering the remaining letters as a set.
C) Mary should make it more meaningful. For example, she might remind herself that Austin has the same name as the capital of Texas.
D) Mary should create a song to help her remember his name.

Accepted Answer

Making the name more meaningful by linking it to something else, like the capital of Texas, can help commit it to memory more effectively than simply repeating it or creating a song.

Question 18

What is iconic memory? Describe what it is and how it works. Be sure to include a description of Sperling's experiment, which was used to demonstrate and investigate iconic memory.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is iconic memory? Describe what it...

Question 19

The semantic network model of memory suggests that the ______ nodes you must pass through to access information, the longer it will take for you to recall information.
A) fewer
B) more
C) bigger the
D) more complex the

Accepted Answer

The semantic network model of memory suggests that the more nodes (or associations) you must pass through to access information, the longer it will take for you to recall information. This is because each node represents a potential point of interference or forgetting. Therefore, the correct choice is B - more.

Question 20

The ability to remember where you were and what you were doing when the United States was attacked on September 11, 2001, is an example of
A) eyewitness testimony.
B) encoding specificity hypothesis.
C) false-memory syndrome.
D) flashbulb memory.

Accepted Answer

Flashbulb memory refers to the vivid and detailed memories that people have of emotionally significant events, such as the 9/11 attacks. These memories are often accompanied by a sense of personal importance and strong emotional reactions, and may feel as though they were "frozen" in time like a photograph. Unlike ordinary memories, flashbulb memories are believed to be resistant to forgetting and distortion over time.

Quiz 6: Memory

According to Sperling, what is the capacity of iconic memory?

The information-processing of memory is one of the best-known models in all of psychology. Describe the three stages of memory and their characteristics. Explain how the three-stage model of memory might explain the famous serial position effect.

You are introduced to someone at a party. While talking with the person, you realize that you have already forgotten the person's name. What amount of time does it typically take before such information is lost from short-term memory?

The steps to memory can best be described as follows:

The other day, you had to remember some items for an important exam. You are sure you studied them and knew them before you entered the classroom. However, you drew a blank when you took the test. What happened? Why might you not have remembered them? What might you have done to avoid this?

When creating a presentation, many public speaking instructors will tell you to develop a strong opening or attention getter to your presentation as well as a good summary and finish. What aspect of memory best explains these suggestions?

memory includes what people can do or demonstrate, whereas ____ memory is about what people know and can report.

Early studies of the capacity of short-term memory suggested that most people could remember approximately ______________ bits of information.

Your mother tells you to dress for success at your interview because it's all about "first impressions." In other words, she is telling you that people often remember what they see first. This belief is in line with what element of memory?

What is meant by a flashbulb memory? Describe its characteristics. Give an example that is well-known. Some psychologists are not impressed by these well-known examples of this phenomenon. What are some of the criticisms of the idea of flashbulb memory?

Phineas walks out of his office and into the conference room. However, after he leaves his office, he forgets what he was coming into the conference room for. According to the encoding specificity hypothesis, what should Phineas do to regain his lost memory?

Which type of memory best explains the "What?" phenomenon?

The tendency of certain elements to enter long-term memory with little or no effort to encode and organize them is what defines

Research by Elizabeth Loftus shows that eyewitness recognition - such as that which occurs in a police lineup - is very prone to what psychologists call

For information to travel from sensory memory to short-term memory, it must first be and then encoded primarily into _ form.

Mary has just met an attractive man named Austin at a party. She wants to make sure she remembers his name. What should she do?

What is iconic memory? Describe what it is and how it works. Be sure to include a description of Sperling's experiment, which was used to demonstrate and investigate iconic memory.

The semantic network model of memory suggests that the ______ nodes you must pass through to access information, the longer it will take for you to recall information.

The ability to remember where you were and what you were doing when the United States was attacked on September 11, 2001, is an example of