Question 1

The misinformation effect is an example of

Accepted Answer

The misinformation effect refers to a phenomenon where a person's memory becomes inaccurate due to information introduced after the event has occurred. This information can cause source confusion, where the individual can no longer distinguish between what they originally experienced and what was introduced later. Therefore, choice C, source confusion, is the best answer.

Question 2

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 3

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

Accepted Answer

Currently, there is no reliable detector for memory errors. While confidence may be correlated with accuracy, it is not a reliable indicator on its own. Physiological measures of emotion may be useful in some contexts, but they do not necessarily detect memory errors.

Question 4

A great deal of forgetting may reflect a (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 retrieve information from long-term memory due to insufficient cues for retrieval. This type of forgetting is often temporary and can be remedied by providing appropriate cues for retrieval. Repression refers to the unconscious forgetting of traumatic or unpleasant experiences, interference occurs when newly learned information interferes with the ability to remember previously learned information, and state dependency refers to the phenomenon in which memory retrieval is better if the internal state during retrieval matches the internal state during encoding.

Question 5

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 people's memories can be influenced by misleading information provided by others. In this case, Maria is likely to incorporate Michael's report into her own recollection and remember seeing a yield sign instead of a stop sign. This is known as the misinformation effect.

Question 6

Which of the following claims about memory accuracy is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

This claim is not true. Research has shown that people can create entirely false memories, not just have inaccurate recollections of details of an event.

Question 7

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-world situations.

Question 8

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 9

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

Accepted Answer

Studies have consistently found that a feeling of "remembering" is more likely with correct memories than false memories. This phenomenon is known as the "remembering-knowing" paradigm, which demonstrates that subjective experience can be used to differentiate between true and false memories.

Question 10

Someone versed in memory research could plant false memories in their 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 technique for planting false memories and would likely lead to physical harm rather than psychological manipulation. A, C, and D are all techniques that have been shown to be effective in planting false memories in research studies.

Question 11

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. Participants who were asked the "smashed" question are more likely to give higher estimates of speed and remember seeing broken glass, even though there was no broken glass in the slides. This is because the word "smashed" suggests a more violent collision, leading participants to overestimate the speed and remember more details that are consistent with a more severe crash. Therefore, the best choice is A.

Question 12

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. Factors such as stress, suggestion, and the passage of time can all affect a witness's confidence in their testimony, even if the memory is inaccurate. Therefore, it is important to consider other factors (such as consistency of the testimony, corroborating evidence, etc.) in assessing the accuracy of an eyewitness report.

Question 13

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 time period between learning information and recalling or using it later. In this case, Merlin learned the magic spell on January 10 and used it on January 18, making the 8-day period between these dates the retention interval for that piece of information. The other options, such as retrieval path and memory span, do not accurately describe this time period or the process of learning and recalling information.

Question 14

Misleading questions asked after participants have witnessed an event influence their

Accepted Answer

Misleading questions can influence both immediate reports of an event and later recall of the event. This is because the questions can plant false ideas or suggest certain details that were not actually present, leading the participant to incorporate these details into their memory of the event.

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that leading questions and misinformation can significantly alter and even create new memories in participants, including memories of events that never actually took place. This phenomenon is known as the "misinformation effect."

Question 16

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

Research has shown that memory confidence is not a reliable indicator of memory accuracy, and eyewitness testimony is not always accurate. Therefore, the jury should be cautious in solely relying on the confidence of the eyewitness when evaluating their testimony.

Question 17

Whitney witnesses a car accident and then discusses it with Ryan, a passenger in of 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

Whitney is less likely to adopt false memories from Ryan if she is an adult and Ryan is a child, as adults are generally less susceptible to influence from children due to perceived credibility and authority differences.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

Hypermnesia is not a hypothesis concerning why we forget, but rather a rare phenomenon in which there is an increase in memory recall over time. Decay, interference, and retrieval failure all propose different explanations for why we forget information.

Question 19

The creation of false memories in someone is possible

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that it is possible to create entirely false memories of large-scale events through suggestion, manipulation, and misinformation. False memories can occur for both neutral and emotional events, and can even involve a person recalling a traumatic past that did not actually happen. However, it is important to note that false memories are generally created with some discrepancies and inconsistencies, and it may be difficult for a person to distinguish between what they believe to be a real memory and what is actually false.

Question 20

Which of the following statements about memory accuracy is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

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

Quiz 7: Remembering Complex Events