The fact that few people can accurately describe a penny even though they have handled thousands of them is an example of__________
A) encoding failure.
B) retroactive interference.
C) proactive interference.
D) elaboration failure.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Encoding failure refers to the brain's inability to properly process or store information, resulting in a failure to remember or recall that information. In the case of the penny, people may have seen and handled many pennies before, but their brain did not encode the details of its design and therefore they cannot accurately describe it.

The Fact That Few People Can Accurately Describe a Penny