As Tim does his homework while on the phone with his friend Sue,his pencil breaks.He goes to get a new pencil from the basement where his family keeps all their school supplies.He goes to the basement and returns to his room without retrieving the pencil.He realizes it after a few minutes.Which factor MOST likely caused this?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Absentmindedness is the most likely factor as Tim went to the basement to get a new pencil but did not retrieve one, indicating that he was not paying full attention or was distracted while in the basement. Memory misattribution involves attributing a memory to the wrong source, blocking involves temporarily forgetting information, and retrieval-induced forgetting involves being unable to recall information because other similar information interferes with it. None of these seem to be the cause of Tim's behavior in this scenario.

As Tim Does His Homework While on the Phone with His