Question 1

Which statement about iconic memory is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

Iconic memory refers to the very brief (about a fraction of a second) storage of visual information, acting as a buffer for stimuli received through the visual system before it is processed. It is not about retrieving information from long-term memory, which is what choice A incorrectly suggests. Choices B, C, and D accurately describe aspects of iconic memory.

Question 2

Based on findings from memory research, which student would you expect to MOST likely deliver the highest performance on an exam?

Accepted Answer

Distributed practice, which involves spreading out study sessions over time, is consistently found to be more effective for long-term retention and performance on exams compared to massed practice (studying a lot in a short period) or cramming.

Question 3

Vance has just learned some new material for an electrical engineering class he is taking. Based on memory research, what is the BEST advice for him to take in order to remember this new information?

Accepted Answer

Getting a good night's rest is crucial for memory consolidation, which helps in retaining new information learned.

Question 4

As a teenager, Valencia's family lost their entire home when their town was struck by a massive earthquake. It was a terrifying and devastating experience, but they managed to rebuild their lives after a few years. Valencia was not physically injured, but to this day she cannot recall any details of the natural disaster when it occurred. Valencia appears to be experiencing _____ amnesia.

Accepted Answer

Dissociative amnesia is characterized by an inability to recall important personal information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature, which is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness. Valencia's inability to remember the details of the earthquake, a traumatic event, aligns with this type of amnesia.

Question 5

People with schizophrenia typically show considerably low levels of _____ memory but normal levels of _____ memory.

Accepted Answer

People with schizophrenia often exhibit significantly reduced levels of episodic memory, which is the ability to recall specific events, situations, and experiences, but they tend to have normal levels of procedural memory, which is the ability to remember how to perform tasks or procedures.

Question 6

Retrograde amnesia relates to the inability to _____, whereas anterograde amnesia relates to the inability to _____.

Accepted Answer

Retrograde amnesia is characterized by the inability to recall information that was acquired before the onset of amnesia, while anterograde amnesia is the inability to form new memories after the onset of amnesia.

Question 7

"What are three states that border Colorado?" If this question were presented on a test with just three blanks for you to fill in, what type of retrieval would you have to rely on?

Accepted Answer

Recall requires you to retrieve information from your memory without the aid of cues, which is necessary when you're asked to fill in blanks with specific answers, such as naming states that border Colorado.

Question 8

Encoding specificity is most related to which concept?

Accepted Answer

Encoding specificity refers to the idea that memory is most effective when information available at encoding is also present at retrieval, similar to state-dependent learning where the state or context during learning matches the state or context during recall.

Question 9

_____ is correlated with enhanced memory, whereas _____ is correlated with forgetting.

Accepted Answer

Long-term potentiation (LTP) is associated with the strengthening of synapses, leading to enhanced memory. Conversely, long-term depression (LTD) involves the weakening of synapse strength, which is correlated with the process of forgetting.

Question 10

Contestants on the game show Jeopardy! are most successful when they have a strong memory for facts, figures, and other general information. In other words, the contestants with the strongest _____ memory tend to be the most successful.

Accepted Answer

Semantic memory is a type of long-term memory that involves the recall of facts, figures, and general knowledge, which aligns with the skills needed to be successful on Jeopardy!.

Question 11

The fading or loss of information from memory due to the passage of time is called:

Accepted Answer

Decay theory suggests that memory fades due to the mere passage of time. Information is lost from memory because of the gradual fading of the physical memory trace.

Question 12

Susan has been diagnosed with depression. She is presented with this long list of words: happy, sad, gloomy, sunny, bright, tearful, joyful, sorrow, radiant, dismal, buoyant, melancholy, heartbroken, and glee. According to research findings on depression and memory, which word is Susan LEAST likely to recall?

Accepted Answer

Research on depression and memory suggests that individuals with depression are more likely to remember negative or sad words due to a cognitive bias towards negative information. Therefore, Susan is least likely to recall a positive word like "sunny."

Question 13

Some early memory research found that most of us can hold seven plus or minus two items of information in our short-term memory. This concept is known as the:

Accepted Answer

The concept of being able to hold seven plus or minus two items of information in our short-term memory is known as the "magic number," a term popularized by psychologist George A. Miller in his 1956 paper.

Question 14

_____ involves many repetitions or short training sessions spread out over time, whereas _____ involves fewer but longer training sessions.

Accepted Answer

Distributed practice involves many repetitions or short training sessions spread out over time, whereas massed practice involves fewer but longer training sessions.

Question 15

James was playing flag football, but got tackled pretty badly. His teammates report having seen his head hit the ground hard. James's inability to remember anything that happened to him during the 3 weeks leading up to his head injury is MOST likely a form of _____ amnesia.

Accepted Answer

Retrograde amnesia is characterized by the loss of memory for events that occurred before the onset of the amnesia, which matches James's inability to remember the three weeks leading up to his injury.

Question 16

Based on our understanding of levels of processing, _____ processing tends to lead to rather speedy forgetting, whereas _____ processing tends to lead to longer-lasting memories.

Accepted Answer

Shallow processing (e.g., focusing on physical characteristics) leads to quicker forgetting, while deep processing (e.g., semantic understanding) results in more durable memory retention.

Question 17

____ memory consists of facts, figures, and other general information about the world, whereas _____ memory consists of personal information about oneself and firsthand experiences.

Accepted Answer

Semantic memory consists of general knowledge about the world, such as facts and concepts, that is not tied to personal experiences. Episodic memory, on the other hand, involves the recollection of personal experiences and specific events in time.

Question 18

Klaus is of European descent. Waiyin is of Asian descent. According to research on cultural influences on memory, which statement would Klaus be MORE likely than Waiyin to make when telling a story about the time their soccer team won the national championship?

Accepted Answer

Research on cultural influences on memory suggests that individuals from Western cultures (like Klaus, who is of European descent) are more likely to focus on individual experiences and personal achievements in their narratives. Choice C emphasizes Klaus's personal feelings and experiences, aligning with this tendency.

Question 19

In the information processing model, _____ is about holding onto information, whereas _____ is about getting information into our minds.

Accepted Answer

In the information processing model, storage is about holding onto information, whereas encoding is about getting information into our minds.

Question 20

Bethany read an article online about tips for improving memory, one of which was exercise. Intrigued, she started working out at the gym on a more regular basis and actually started to notice an improvement in her ability to remember information at school and at work. Bethany's result is consistent with research demonstrating that physical exercise helps:

Accepted Answer

Exercise has been shown to enhance long-term potentiation, which is a process that strengthens the connections between neurons in the brain, thereby improving memory and learning.

Quiz 5: Memory

Which statement about iconic memory is FALSE?

Based on findings from memory research, which student would you expect to MOST likely deliver the highest performance on an exam?

Vance has just learned some new material for an electrical engineering class he is taking. Based on memory research, what is the BEST advice for him to take in order to remember this new information?

People with schizophrenia typically show considerably low levels of _ memory but normal levels of _ memory.

Retrograde amnesia relates to the inability to _, whereas anterograde amnesia relates to the inability to _.

"What are three states that border Colorado?" If this question were presented on a test with just three blanks for you to fill in, what type of retrieval would you have to rely on?

Encoding specificity is most related to which concept?

_ is correlated with enhanced memory, whereas _ is correlated with forgetting.

Contestants on the game show Jeopardy! are most successful when they have a strong memory for facts, figures, and other general information. In other words, the contestants with the strongest _____ memory tend to be the most successful.

The fading or loss of information from memory due to the passage of time is called:

Some early memory research found that most of us can hold seven plus or minus two items of information in our short-term memory. This concept is known as the:

_ involves many repetitions or short training sessions spread out over time, whereas _ involves fewer but longer training sessions.

James was playing flag football, but got tackled pretty badly. His teammates report having seen his head hit the ground hard. James's inability to remember anything that happened to him during the 3 weeks leading up to his head injury is MOST likely a form of _____ amnesia.

Based on our understanding of levels of processing, _ processing tends to lead to rather speedy forgetting, whereas _ processing tends to lead to longer-lasting memories.

memory consists of facts, figures, and other general information about the world, whereas _ memory consists of personal information about oneself and firsthand experiences.

Klaus is of European descent. Waiyin is of Asian descent. According to research on cultural influences on memory, which statement would Klaus be MORE likely than Waiyin to make when telling a story about the time their soccer team won the national championship?

In the information processing model, _ is about holding onto information, whereas _ is about getting information into our minds.