Question 1

According to Sir Frederic Bartlett:
A) memory is like a video camera recording an entire experience.
B) memory is largely a reconstructive process, like putting together a puzzle when you are missing some pieces.
C) memory for complex information is generally reproduced by rote.
D) emotional memories are especially vivid and detailed.

Accepted Answer

Sir Frederic Bartlett believed that memory is largely a reconstructive process, meaning that when we remember things, we piece together fragments of information based on our pre-existing schemas, experiences, and expectations. This can sometimes result in inaccuracies or distortions in our memories, as we may fill in gaps with information that was not actually present during the original experience.

Question 2

When six-year-old Sven's parents overhear him describing his third birthday party, they look at each other in surprise. Sven appears to remember that the birthday cake his father was baking burned and his aunt had to run out and buy one from a bakery, even though Sven was not present when those events occurred. Sven's memory illustrates the concept of _________.
A) priming
B) implicit memory
C) confabulation
D) decay

Accepted Answer

Sven's memory is an example of confabulation, which is the production of false, distorted, or misinterpreted memories. Sven has combined information he was told later with his own memories to create a false memory of the burned cake and store-bought cake. Priming is when exposure to a stimulus influences a response to a later stimulus, implicit memory is a type of non-conscious memory, and decay is the fading away of memories over time. None of these concepts apply to Sven's memory in this scenario.

Question 3

In the 1930s, the research of the British psychologist Sir Frederic Bartlett provided evidence to support the view that memory is:
A) like a wax tablet.
B) like reading a journal or diary written in indelible ink.
C) like a journalist trying to reconstruct an interview from incomplete notes.
D) like painful mementos in a locked vault.

Accepted Answer

Bartlett's research showed that memory is not like a wax tablet or indelible ink, but rather like a journalist trying to reconstruct an interview from incomplete notes. He found that people use past experiences and knowledge to fill in gaps in their memory, resulting in distorted and incomplete recollections. This process is called constructive memory. Bartlett's work challenged the traditional view of memory as a passive storage system, and instead emphasized the active role of the individual in shaping and reconstructing their memories.

Question 4

Memory is critical to our lives because:
A) it confers a sense of personal identity, which enhances our sense of coherence.
B) without memory, we could not experience emotions.
C) it operates as a video camera would, automatically recording every moment of our lives.
D) each thing that happens to us, or impinges on our senses, is tucked away for later use.

Accepted Answer

Memory plays a crucial role in shaping our personal identity by preserving our experiences and allowing us to build connections and coherence between them. It also helps us learn from past experiences and plan for the future. While memory can influence our emotions, it is not necessary for experiencing them. Memory is also selective and does not record every moment of our lives like a video camera.

Question 5

Research suggests that the best way to encourage truthful testimony by children is to:
A) reassure them that their friends have had the same experiences.
B) reward them when they tell you that something happened.
C) scold them if you believe that they are lying.
D) try to avoid asking the child leading questions.

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that avoiding leading questions is the best way to encourage truthful testimony by children. Leading questions can cause children to provide inaccurate or false information. It is also important to create a safe and supportive environment for the child to feel comfortable sharing their experiences. Rewarding or scolding the child based on their testimony can also lead to inaccurate information.

Question 6

________ memory refers to a vivid, detailed recollection of an emotional event.
A) Semantic
B) Declarative
C) Flashbulb
D) Episodic

Accepted Answer

Flashbulb memory refers to a highly detailed, exceptionally vivid 'snapshot' of the moment and circumstances in which a piece of surprising and consequential (or emotionally arousing) news was heard.

Question 7

Eyewitness testimonies by victims are most likely to contain errors when the suspect:
A) is of a different gender than the victim.
B) is significantly older than the victim.
C) is significantly younger than the victim.
D) is of a different ethnic background than the victim.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that people are generally better at recognizing faces of their own ethnic group compared to those of different ethnic groups, a phenomenon often referred to as the "cross-race effect" or "own-race bias." This can lead to higher rates of misidentification and errors in eyewitness testimonies when the suspect is of a different ethnic background than the victim.

Question 8

Chad remembers the feeling of excitement in his house when his mother stepped through the door with his new baby sister. He can still picture the tiny little baby with a stocking cap on her head! His parents can't convince him that he actually stayed with his grandparents for two weeks after his sister was born and that his memory never happened! Chad's memory is an example of:
A) anterograde amnesia.
B) confabulation.
C) psychogenic amnesia.
D) repression.

Accepted Answer

Chad's memory is an example of confabulation, which is the creation of false memories or the mixing of real memories with fictional elements. Chad's memory of being present when his sister was born is likely a mixture of memories and imagination.

Question 9

Which of the following is a test for recall?
A) matching questions
B) true-false questions
C) multiple-choice questions
D) essay questions

Accepted Answer

Essay questions require students to recall information from memory without any prompts or options to choose from. Other types of questions, such as matching, true-false, and multiple-choice, offer some level of assistance or can involve recognition rather than recall.

Question 10

________ is an especially vivid memory of an emotional event.
A) Reconstructive memory
B) A flashbulb memory
C) Semantic memory
D) Procedural memory

Accepted Answer

A flashbulb memory is an especially vivid and detailed memory of an emotionally significant event or situation. These memories are often sudden and last for a long time.

Question 11

Casey was visiting a friend in New York City on September 11, 2001, the day of the attack on the World Trade Center. To her, that day seems frozen in time. She remembers exactly where she was, what she was doing, and what she felt as the morning transpired. This vivid recollection is known as:
A) source misattribution.
B) a flashbulb memory.
C) a serial-position effect.
D) a frozen memory.

Accepted Answer

Casey's recollection of the events of September 11, 2001, is a perfect example of a flashbulb memory. Flashbulb memories are highly detailed, exceptionally vivid 'snapshots' of the moment and circumstances in which one learns of a powerful, emotionally arousing event.

Question 12

The inability to distinguish an actual memory of an event from information you learned about the event elsewhere is called ________.
A) consolidation
B) source misattribution
C) priming
D) repression

Accepted Answer

Source misattribution is the inability to distinguish the source of information accurately. It is a type of memory error where a person remembers an event or piece of information correctly, but they cannot recall the origin or source of that information accurately. This can lead to confusion and the formation of false memories. Consolidation is the process by which memories are stored in the brain, and repression is a defense mechanism where a person unconsciously blocks out painful or traumatic memories. Priming refers to the phenomenon where exposure to a stimulus influences a person's response to a subsequent stimulus.

Question 13

________ refers to the capacity to retain and retrieve information.
A) Recall
B) Memory
C) Priming
D) Recognition

Accepted Answer

The term in question refers to the ability to remember and retrieve information, which is the primary function of memory. The other answer choices are related to specific types of memory retrieval, but memory as a whole encompasses both recall, recognition, and priming.

Question 14

Which of the following examples is a question that would most likely reduce the chance of false reporting by a child?
A) "Everyone else saw it happen. You did too, right?"
B) "Where were you when the teacher pushed him?"
C) "Can you tell me the reason you came to talk to me today?"
D) "Let's 'pretend' that he touched you. What would you say happened next?"

Accepted Answer

Option C, "Can you tell me the reason you came to talk to me today?" is the most neutral and open-ended question that does not suggest a specific answer or lead the child towards a particular narrative, thereby reducing the chance of false reporting.

Question 15

Retrieving a memory is most like:
A) replaying a videotape of an event.
B) reading a short story that describes the characters in detail, but does not include the dialogue.
C) hearing the soundtrack of a story without access to the visual and other sensory images.
D) watching unconnected frames of a movie and figuring out what the rest of the scene was like.

Accepted Answer

Retrieving a memory is often a reconstructive process where the brain pieces together fragments of information to form a coherent memory. This process is similar to watching unconnected frames of a movie and then trying to figure out what the rest of the scene was like, rather than replaying a precise recording of the event.

Question 16

The inability to distinguish what you originally experienced from what you heard or were told about an event later is called:
A) semantic memory.
B) priming.
C) explicit memory.
D) source misattribution.

Accepted Answer

The inability to distinguish what you originally experienced from what you heard or were told about an event later is called source misattribution. It involves attributing a memory to the wrong source, such as remembering a dream as a real-life event or mixing up details you heard from someone else with your own experience.

Question 17

Conscious, intentional recollection of an event or of an item of information is called:
A) explicit memory.
B) implicit memory.
C) autobiographical memory.
D) procedural memory.

Accepted Answer

Explicit memory refers to the conscious, intentional recollection of a specific event or information. It involves the conscious retrieval of facts and experiences that we actively try to remember.

Question 18

In addressing the debate regarding children's memories of sexual abuse, it has become clear that:
A) children's memories cannot ever be trusted because children will always say whatever adults expect.
B) it is important to repeatedly question a child who denies sexual abuse, because there is a good chance they have repressed the event.
C) preschoolers are more vulnerable to suggestive questions than are school-aged children.
D) children do not lie about or misremember traumatic experiences, such as sexual abuse.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that preschoolers are indeed more susceptible to suggestion and leading questions than older children, making them more vulnerable to providing inaccurate information if not questioned carefully.

Question 19

Irene swears that she was there the night her best friend got into a fight with her ex-boyfriend. It takes several of her friends to convince her that she was not. Which of the following likely made Irene's fake memory seem so real to her?
A) She had only heard the story of the fight a few times.
B) The fight occurred only a year ago.
C) Her memory contained only a few key details.
D) The fight was easy to imagine.

Accepted Answer

The fight being easy to imagine could have made Irene's fake memory seem real to her. It is easier for our brains to create false memories when they are based on plausible events that could have realistically occurred.

Question 20

Confusion of an event that happened to someone else with one that happened to you, or a belief that you remember something when it never actually happened, is called ________.
A) confabulation
B) priming
C) flashbulb memory
D) repression

Accepted Answer

Confabulation is a memory error that involves confusing an event that happened to someone else with one that happened to you, or having a strong belief that you remember something when it never actually happened. It is a common symptom of certain brain injuries and disorders. Priming refers to the phenomenon of a previous stimulus influencing the processing of a subsequent stimulus, and flashbulb memory refers to highly detailed, vivid recollections of emotionally significant events. Repression involves blocking out or forgetting a traumatic event.

Quiz 10: Memory

According to Sir Frederic Bartlett:

In the 1930s, the research of the British psychologist Sir Frederic Bartlett provided evidence to support the view that memory is:

Memory is critical to our lives because:

Research suggests that the best way to encourage truthful testimony by children is to:

________ memory refers to a vivid, detailed recollection of an emotional event.

Eyewitness testimonies by victims are most likely to contain errors when the suspect:

Which of the following is a test for recall?

________ is an especially vivid memory of an emotional event.

Casey was visiting a friend in New York City on September 11, 2001, the day of the attack on the World Trade Center. To her, that day seems frozen in time. She remembers exactly where she was, what she was doing, and what she felt as the morning transpired. This vivid recollection is known as:

The inability to distinguish an actual memory of an event from information you learned about the event elsewhere is called ________.

________ refers to the capacity to retain and retrieve information.

Which of the following examples is a question that would most likely reduce the chance of false reporting by a child?

Retrieving a memory is most like:

The inability to distinguish what you originally experienced from what you heard or were told about an event later is called:

Conscious, intentional recollection of an event or of an item of information is called:

In addressing the debate regarding children's memories of sexual abuse, it has become clear that:

Irene swears that she was there the night her best friend got into a fight with her ex-boyfriend. It takes several of her friends to convince her that she was not. Which of the following likely made Irene's fake memory seem so real to her?

Confusion of an event that happened to someone else with one that happened to you, or a belief that you remember something when it never actually happened, is called ________.