Question 1

An experimental psychologist wants to study the effects of depth of processing controlling for the effects of other study strategies that the participants might use spontaneously if they know they are going to be tested on their memory. To do this, the experimenter tells the participants that they are going to be participating in a reaction time test to see how quickly they can make different kinds of judgments about each of a series of words that will be presented to them, and they are not told that they will be tested for memory of the words. These instructions to the subjects are called
A) a pilot test.
B) an orienting task.
C) intentional learning instructions.
D) priming.

Accepted Answer

The instructions given to the participants to focus their attention on a task unrelated to the actual objective of the study (in this case, memory recall) without informing them of the true purpose, is known as an orienting task. This method is used to control for variables by directing participants' attention away from the true study aim.

Question 2

In a free recall test, people are required to recall information in the order it was presented but in serial recall the order of recall is irrelevant.

Accepted Answer

In a free recall test, people can recall information in any order, whereas in serial recall, they must recall the information in the order it was presented.

Question 3

The levels of processing theory of memory has been criticized as being untestable because
A) there is no independent way of measuring depth of processing except for performance on a memory test.
B) the results of the experiments using college students have not generalized to subjects of different ages.
C) the effect of depth of processing on memory is very weak.
D) depth of processing can be measured only using incidental learning.

Accepted Answer

The levels of processing theory of memory suggests that memory recall is influenced by the depth of mental processing, which can range from shallow (e.g., focusing on physical features) to deep (e.g., focusing on meaning). Critics argue that this theory is untestable because the only way to measure the depth of processing is by looking at the performance on a memory test, which is circular reasoning. This means that there is no independent method to measure depth of processing outside of the memory performance itself, making it difficult to validate the theory empirically.

Question 4

Ebbinghaus used nonsense syllables as stimuli in his memory experiments to minimize trials to criterion and maximize savings.

Accepted Answer

Ebbinghaus used nonsense syllables to ensure that his memory experiments were not influenced by prior knowledge, making the learning material neutral and unfamiliar to all participants. Trials to criterion and savings were measures he used to assess memory, but the use of nonsense syllables was primarily to control for pre-existing associations, not to minimize or maximize these measures directly.

Question 5

Which of the following early researchers is credited with inventing the method of paired associates?
A) William James
B) Hermann Ebbinghaus
C) Mary Calkins
D) Endel Tulving

Accepted Answer

Mary Calkins is credited with inventing the method of paired associates, a technique used in memory research. This method involves presenting pairs of items (e.g., a word and a number) to participants, who later attempt to recall one member of the pair when presented with the other.

Question 6

In line with the levels of processing theory, Craik and Tulving (1975) found that recognition performance was best in the ______ condition, worst in the ______ condition, and intermediate in the ______ condition.
A) semantic; graphemic; phonemic
B) graphemic; phonemic; semantic
C) semantic; phonemic; graphemic
D) phonemic; graphemic; semantic

Accepted Answer

Craik and Tulving (1975) demonstrated that recognition performance was best in the semantic condition (deep processing), worst in the graphemic condition (shallow processing), and intermediate in the phonemic condition (middle-level processing), supporting the levels of processing theory.

Question 7

Ebbinghaus completed pioneering experiments on
A) animal learning.
B) human physiology.
C) human problem solving.
D) human learning and memory.

Accepted Answer

Ebbinghaus is best known for his work in the field of psychology, specifically his pioneering experiments on human learning and memory, including the forgetting curve and the spacing effect.

Question 8

In psychological research, scale attenuation refers to situations in which
A) a particular result will not generalize across several dimensions.
B) a measurement scale is too restricted to measure differences between conditions.
C) performance in two conditions is equivalent.
D) an independent variable has an effect that is the same at all levels of the second independent variable.

Accepted Answer

Scale attenuation occurs when a measurement scale does not have a wide enough range or is too restricted, which prevents it from accurately measuring differences between conditions or capturing the full extent of a variable's effects.

Question 9

Patients with a specific form of amnesia have been found to have poor explicit memory for newly presented material compared to a matched control group of participants with no memory disorders, but show implicit memory for the material that is comparable to that of the control group. Based on this finding, which of the following would be expected?
A) The patients will do as well as the control group on a test of free recall.
B) The patients will do better than the control group on a yes/no recognition test.
C) The patients will do as well as the control group on a word stem completion test.
D) The patients will do worse than the control group on a word stem completion test.

Accepted Answer

Implicit memory tasks, such as word stem completion, do not require conscious recollection of previous experiences. Patients with amnesia, despite having poor explicit memory, can perform similarly to controls on such tasks because implicit memory remains intact.

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of a multifactor experiment?
A) Performance on a list-learning task is compared for male and female participants.
B) Recall performance is measured for a 10 item list versus a 50 item list.
C) Amount of forgetting for a word list is measured as a function of number of presentations and word length.
D) Percent recall is compared between a group who studies a list for 20 minutes and a group who studies for only 10 minutes.

Accepted Answer

A multifactor experiment involves manipulating more than one independent variable to observe its effect on a dependent variable. Choice C involves two independent variables (number of presentations and word length) and their effect on the dependent variable (amount of forgetting), making it a multifactor experiment.

Question 11

Why are the results of Ebbinghaus's research still considered valid?
A) He was the only subject in his experiments.
B) His findings have been replicated many times.
C) People sometimes find meaning in nonsense syllables.
D) He believed that higher mental processes could be studied using the experimental method.

Accepted Answer

His findings have been replicated many times, which supports the validity of his research across different contexts and populations.

Question 12

Ebbinghaus' savings measure revealed that information can be learned more quickly if it has been learned on a previous occasion.

Accepted Answer

Ebbinghaus' savings measure demonstrated that relearning information takes less time than the initial learning, indicating that some memory of the information is retained even if it seems forgotten.

Question 13

When a researcher finds that the same instructions to the participants in a memory experiment have different effects on their memory depending on how they are tested,
A) there is a main effect for type of test.
B) there is a main effect for instructions given to the participants.
C) there is an interaction between instructions and type of test.
D) there is no effect of instructions.

Accepted Answer

This scenario describes an interaction effect between the instructions given to participants and the type of test used. An interaction occurs when the effect of one independent variable on the dependent variable changes depending on the level of another independent variable. In this case, the impact of instructions on memory performance varies depending on the type of test administered, indicating an interaction between these two factors.

Question 14

In order to avoid scale attenuation effects, a memory test should be constructed in which
A) pilot subjects score near the top of the scale when there is no experimental manipulation so that negative effects on scores can be observed.
B) pilot subjects score near the bottom of the scale when there is no experimental manipulation so that positive effects on scores can be observed.
C) pilot subjects score near the middle range of the scale when there is no experimental manipulation so that any effect on scores, whether positive or negative, can be observed.
D) pilot subjects are not aware of the experimental manipulation.

Accepted Answer

Pilot subjects scoring near the middle range of the scale allows for the observation of both positive and negative effects on scores, avoiding scale attenuation effects by not limiting the range of observable outcomes.

Question 15

In the paired-associate method,
A) participants memorize a list of nonsense syllables and must recall them in the same order as they appeared on the list.
B) participants must memorize a list of words and then recall them in whatever order they can.
C) participants are asked to generate a list of words associated with a word presented to them by the experimenter.
D) participants learn pairs of words (e.g., light - car) and are later asked to recall the second word of each pair (e.g., car) after being presented with the first word of the pair (e.g., light).

Accepted Answer

The paired-associate method involves learning pairs of items (e.g., words) and then recalling one item of the pair when presented with the other.

Question 16

According to the levels of processing approach to memory, deeper levels of processing during study leads to worse memory for the experience.

Accepted Answer

The levels of processing approach to memory suggests that deeper levels of processing, such as semantic processing, lead to better and longer-lasting memory retention compared to shallower levels of processing, like phonetic or structural processing.

Question 17

Ebbinghaus used savings as a dependent variable in his experiments because the number of trials to criterion was constant.

Accepted Answer

Ebbinghaus used savings as a dependent variable to measure memory retention, not because the number of trials to criterion was constant, but because it allowed him to quantify how much faster one could relearn material compared to the initial learning, thus indicating the amount of memory retained.

Question 18

Explicit measures of memory include such tests as
A) the savings method.
B) priming measures.
C) word fragment completion tasks .
D) serial recall.

Accepted Answer

Serial recall is an explicit measure of memory as it requires conscious recollection of information in a specific order.

Question 19

According to Jenkin's (1979) tetrahedral model of memory experiments, researchers make choices along _______ dimensions.
A) two
B) four
C) five
D) eight

Accepted Answer

Jenkin's tetrahedral model of memory experiments suggests that researchers make choices along four dimensions, as indicated by the term "tetrahedral" which refers to a shape with four faces.

Question 20

Based on Scarborough's (1972) results we can conclude that forgetting is greater for auditory than for visual presentation.

Accepted Answer

Scarborough's (1972) results actually showed that forgetting rates were similar for both auditory and visual presentations, challenging the idea that one modality inherently leads to greater forgetting than the other.

Quiz 10: Remembering and Forgetting

In a free recall test, people are required to recall information in the order it was presented but in serial recall the order of recall is irrelevant.

The levels of processing theory of memory has been criticized as being untestable because

Ebbinghaus used nonsense syllables as stimuli in his memory experiments to minimize trials to criterion and maximize savings.

Which of the following early researchers is credited with inventing the method of paired associates?

In line with the levels of processing theory, Craik and Tulving (1975) found that recognition performance was best in the condition, worst in the condition, and intermediate in the __ condition.

Ebbinghaus completed pioneering experiments on

In psychological research, scale attenuation refers to situations in which

Which of the following is an example of a multifactor experiment?

Why are the results of Ebbinghaus's research still considered valid?

Ebbinghaus' savings measure revealed that information can be learned more quickly if it has been learned on a previous occasion.

When a researcher finds that the same instructions to the participants in a memory experiment have different effects on their memory depending on how they are tested,

In order to avoid scale attenuation effects, a memory test should be constructed in which

In the paired-associate method,

According to the levels of processing approach to memory, deeper levels of processing during study leads to worse memory for the experience.

Ebbinghaus used savings as a dependent variable in his experiments because the number of trials to criterion was constant.

Explicit measures of memory include such tests as

According to Jenkin's (1979) tetrahedral model of memory experiments, researchers make choices along _______ dimensions.

Based on Scarborough's (1972) results we can conclude that forgetting is greater for auditory than for visual presentation.