Question 1

Participants viewed a series of slides depicting an automobile accident. Immediately afterward, half of the participants were asked, "How fast were the cars going when they hit each other?" The other participants were asked, "How fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?" One week later, all participants were asked more questions about the slides, including whether they had seen any broken glass in the slides. A comparison of the two groups of participants is likely to show that

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the misinformation effect, which occurs when the wording of a question or other information provided after an event influences a person's memory of that event. Research has shown that participants who were asked the "smashed" question gave higher estimates of speed and were more likely to remember seeing broken glass, even though there was no broken glass in the slides. This suggests that the wording of the question led participants to create a more dramatic memory of the event than they otherwise would have.

Question 2

The misinformation effect refers to the fact that false information, presented after a participant has encoded an event, can intrude into the participant's subsequent recall of the event. This "planting" of memories

Accepted Answer

The misinformation effect can occur outside of the laboratory, in real-life situations such as eyewitness testimony or media reporting. It can have significant implications for legal cases and other situations where accurate recall is important.

Question 3

Which of the following claims about memory accuracy is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

This claim is false because it is possible for participants to create entirely new false memories, not just be mistaken about minor details. A) is true, as participants can be confident in both true and false memories. B) is also true, as children's brains are still developing and are more susceptible to suggestion. C) is true as well, as participants respond quickly regardless of the accuracy of their memory.

Question 4

Researchers were interested in how "remember" and "know" judgments are related to memory accuracy. What did they find?

Accepted Answer

The researchers found that a feeling of "remembering" is more likely to be associated with correct memories than false memories.

Question 5

Which of the following statements about memory accuracy is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following statements about memory...

Question 6

An eyewitness to a crime is quite confident that his memory of the crime is correct. In evaluating the eyewitness's testimony, the jury should note that

Accepted Answer

Although the eyewitness may be confident in their memory, research has shown that memory confidence is a poor indicator of memory accuracy. Eyewitness memories can be influenced by a variety of factors, such as the wording of questions asked during interviews and the passage of time between the event and recalling the memory. Therefore, the jury should be cautious in relying solely on the eyewitness's confidence in their memory.

Question 7

Someone versed in memory research could plant false memories in his or her friends or family. Imagine you want to perform such an (unethical) act. Which technique is LEAST likely to be effective in planting the false memories?

Accepted Answer

Electrical shock is not a method commonly used in memory research for planting false memories and is highly unethical. It is unlikely to be effective and could cause harm to the individual. The other techniques listed are commonly used and have been shown to be effective in planting false memories in some individuals.

Question 8

What are the necessary circumstances to produce false memories in research participants?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the necessary circumstances to produce...

Question 9

Misleading questions asked after participants have witnessed an event influence their

Accepted Answer

Misleading questions asked after an event can influence both the immediate reports of the event and their recall of the event at a later time. The questions can plant false ideas or alter existing ones, leading to inaccurate reporting and memory recall.

Question 10

Barbara and Michael are presented words to remember for later. During the testing session, they are asked to respond "old" or "new" to a series of items. Barbara's answers can be judged to be more accurate than Michael's if

Accepted Answer

The answer of Barbara and Michael are presented words to...

Question 11

An expert is asked to comment on the confidence-accuracy relationship of an eyewitness's report. The expert will state that

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that confidence levels are a poor indicator of the accuracy of recall. Higher confidence does not necessarily mean a more accurate memory, as witnesses can be highly confident but still mistaken in their recall. Similarly, lower confidence does not necessarily mean a less accurate memory, as witnesses can be unsure of their memory but still recall the event accurately. Therefore, confidence levels should not be relied on as a sole indicator of the accuracy of an eyewitness's report.

Question 12

The creation of false memories in someone is possible

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that it is possible to create entirely false memories in individuals, even for large-scale events that never occurred. These false memories can be highly detailed and vivid, and may even include emotional details. Therefore, option D is the correct answer.

Question 13

Which of the following does NOT name a hypothesis concerning why we forget?

Accepted Answer

Hypermnesia is not a hypothesis concerning why we forget, it is actually the opposite - it refers to the ability to remember more information over time. Decay, interference, and retrieval failure are all commonly cited hypotheses for why we forget.

Question 14

Whitney witnesses a car accident and then discusses it with Ryan, a passenger in one of the cars. Ryan wants her to misremember a few critical details. Whitney is UNLIKELY to adopt Ryan's false memories if

Accepted Answer

The answer of Whitney witnesses a car accident and then...

Question 15

We cannot prevent memory errors, but can they be detected?

Accepted Answer

Currently, there is no reliable way to detect memory errors. However, confidence can be used as an indirect measure of accuracy, but it is not foolproof. Physiological measures of emotion may indicate that a memory is emotionally salient, but they cannot determine if the memory is accurate or not.

Question 16

By using leading questions and misinformation, researchers have been able to

Accepted Answer

The article states that by using leading questions and misinformation, researchers have been able to alter virtually any aspect of participants' memories and have even been able to create memories for entire events that never took place.

Question 17

Merlin learned a magic spell (to scare away a dragon) on January 10. He then used that spell on January 18. The 8-day period between these dates is called the

Accepted Answer

The retention interval refers to the amount of time between learning information and recalling it from memory. In this case, the retention interval is the 8-day period between learning the magic spell on January 10 and using it on January 18.

Question 18

Michael and Maria both witnessed an auto accident. Maria remembers watching the car race past a stop sign, but she hears Michael report to the police that the car raced past a yield sign. Based on the results of similar studies, Maria is likely to recall that she saw

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that individuals are likely to incorporate misinformation into their memory if they are presented with it after the event. Therefore, Maria is likely to recall seeing a yield sign, as she heard Michael report it, and incorporate it into her own recollection.

Question 19

A great deal of forgetting may reflect an (perhaps temporary) inability to locate the target information in storage. This sort of forgetting is called

Accepted Answer

Retrieval failure refers to the inability to access stored information, often due to the absence of cues or interference from other information. It is a common reason for forgetting and can usually be remedied by providing appropriate retrieval cues. Repression, interference, and state dependency are different types of forgetting mechanisms that do not specifically refer to retrieval failure.

Question 20

The misinformation effect is an example of

Accepted Answer

The misinformation effect occurs when a person's recall of episodic memories becomes less accurate because of post-event information. This post-event information can lead to confusion about the source of the memory, causing the person to have difficulty distinguishing between what was originally experienced and what was added after the fact. Therefore, the best choice is C, source confusion.

Quiz 8: Remembering Complex Events