Question 1

What factor most likely contributed to Lashley's inability to determine the location of the memory trace?

Accepted Answer

Lashley's focus on the cortex may have limited his understanding of memory, but it is not the primary factor that contributed to his inability to determine the location of the memory trace. Similarly, studying rats rather than humans may have limitations, but it is not the primary factor involved. Lashley's study of a simple measure of learning may have contributed to his inability to fully understand the complexity of memory, but it is also not the primary factor. The primary factor was likely the fact that even simple situations involve a variety of types of memory, which is why Lashley was unable to pinpoint a specific location for memory traces.

Question 2

Which statement about memory is founded on research?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that certain types of knowledge, such as language or motor skills, are localized in specific brain regions, like Broca's area for language or the motor cortex for movement.

Question 3

Robyn's grandfather seems particularly good at recalling many of the colors and smells associated with his childhood experiences.Which part of the brain is responsible for these memories?

Accepted Answer

The cerebral cortex is responsible for higher order processing including memory, and is divided into various regions including the temporal lobe where memories of sensory experiences such as colors and smells are stored. The cerebellum is responsible for motor coordination, the striatum for reward and reinforcement, and the amygdala for emotional processing.

Question 4

Which statement about post-event information and memory inaccuracy is true?

Accepted Answer

Post-event information and memory inaccuracy can happen whether the misinformation comes from a stranger or a friend. It is not dependent on the individual's level of accuracy or training, but rather on factors such as the source of the misinformation and the individual's level of motivation and personality characteristics.

Question 5

The textbook describes the case of Nick A.,a patient who was tragically injured by a fencing foil.What is one interesting aspect of his memory deficit?

Accepted Answer

Nick A.'s case demonstrated intact procedural memory despite severe memory deficits in other areas. He was able to learn new motor skills despite not being able to recall learning or any other declarative knowledge.

Question 6

In a study that is described in the textbook,amnesic and control individuals were tested for explicit and implicit memory ability.What did the results indicate?

Accepted Answer

The results indicated that amnesics perform as well as controls on tests of implicit memory, but significantly worse on tests of explicit memory. This suggests that implicit memory processes do not rely on the hippocampus and related structures, which are typically damaged in amnesics.

Question 7

Which of the following is a recent advance that is important to our understanding of Alzheimer's disease?

Accepted Answer

The manufacture of a radioactive marker that attaches itself to plaques is a recent advance that is important to our understanding of Alzheimer's disease. This marker allows for the visualization of plaques in the brain, aiding in diagnosis and potentially leading to new treatments.

Question 8

Both sensory memory and short-term memory have large capacity,but are limited by very short durations.

Accepted Answer

Sensory memory has a large capacity but very short duration, while short-term memory has a limited capacity and slightly longer duration.

Question 9

In a study by Elizabeth Loftus and her colleagues on eyewitness memory,participants were shown a film of a car accident.When tested a week later,what factor was found to influence the participant's memory of whether or not they had seen broken glass after the accident?

Accepted Answer

The words used to describe the impact of the two cars influenced the participant's memory of whether or not they had seen broken glass after the accident. In the original study, participants who were asked "Did you see any broken glass?" were more likely to report seeing broken glass compared to those who were asked "Did you see the broken glass?" or not asked about it at all. This suggests that the specific wording of questions can alter eyewitness memory.

Question 10

Using positron emission tomography to study episodic memory,what did Endel Tulving and his colleagues demonstrate?

Accepted Answer

Endel Tulving and his colleagues used positron emission tomography to study the brains of participants while they tried to recall specific episodes from their past. They found that the retrieval of episodic memories was associated with increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, while the encoding of these memories was linked to activity in the medial temporal lobe. This suggests that encoding and retrieval processes may be located in different areas of the brain.

Question 11

John and Jan have witnessed an accident.Afterwards,while discussing what was seen,John introduces some inaccurate information into his description of the events.If John and Jan are like many of the participants in research on eyewitness memory,what will likely happen if they are questionned at some future date?

Accepted Answer

Research on eyewitness memory has shown that inaccurate information introduced by others can influence an individual's memory of an event. This effect is known as the misinformation effect. Jan's memory may be affected by John's inaccurate description, leading to an inaccurate recollection of the events. Therefore, it is most likely that Jan's memory will be affected by John's inaccurate observations.

Question 12

After conducting many studies in search of the engram,what did Lashley conclude about the engram?

Accepted Answer

Lashley concluded that the engram, or the physical trace of memory, is not localized to a specific area but is instead widely distributed throughout the entire cortex.

Question 13

A study described in the textbook outlined how memory processes unfold over time.In this study,a team of researchers asked participants to retrieve autobiographical memories while undergoing fMRI scans.What did the researchers discover?

Accepted Answer

The researchers discovered that early in the memory retrieval process, before participants elaborated their memories, the hippocampus was active. This suggests that the hippocampus is involved in the initial process of accessing and retrieving memories.

Question 14

What can be concluded about eyewitnesses' memories from the influential studies carried out by Elizabeth Loftus and her colleagues?

Accepted Answer

The studies carried out by Elizabeth Loftus and her colleagues suggest that eyewitnesses' memories are vulnerable to post-event information, which can influence and distort their recollections of the original event. Therefore, it can be concluded that eyewitnesses' memories are not always reliable under all circumstances.

Question 15

Researchers have reported that iconic memory allows for very small amounts of information to be stored for brief durations.

Accepted Answer

Iconic memory allows for relatively large amounts of visual information to be stored for very brief durations, typically less than a second.

Question 16

For Karl Lashley,to what does the engram refer?

Accepted Answer

Karl Lashley's concept of the engram referred to a physical memory representation in the brain, specifically the idea that memories are stored in specific locations in the brain known as "engram cells."

Question 17

Which statement best characterizes Alzheimer's disease?

Accepted Answer

Alzheimer's disease typically begins with mild symptoms that gradually worsen over time, leading to steady cognitive and functional decline.

Question 18

Which brain structure is most closely associated with procedural memory,memories acquired by repetition,and classically conditioned responses?

Accepted Answer

Procedural memory, memories acquired by repetition, and classically conditioned responses are all associated with the cerebellum and striatum. The cerebellum is particularly important for motor learning and coordination, while the striatum is involved in habit formation and reward-based learning. The amygdala is more closely associated with emotional memory, while the hippocampus is important for declarative memory.

Question 19

When Sperling conducted his classic research on sensory memory,he found that participants using the partial-report method demonstrated better recall than participants using the whole-report recall method.

Accepted Answer

Sperling's research did find that participants using the partial-report method demonstrated better recall than those using the whole-report recall method.

Question 20

Eidetic imagery is the technical term for photographic memory.

Accepted Answer

Eidetic imagery is a term used to describe the ability to recall visual information with great detail and accuracy. This is commonly referred to as photographic memory. Therefore, the statement is true.

Quiz 8: A: Memory