Question 1

Passing an electric current through the brain during electroconvulsive therapy is most likely to disrupt ________ memory.

Accepted Answer

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is most likely to disrupt short-term memory, as it can cause temporary memory loss and confusion immediately following the treatment.

Question 2

Jamille is taking French in school. She gets her best grades on vocabulary tests if she studies for 15 minutes every day for 8 days than if she crams for 2 hours the night before the test. This illustrates what is known as

Accepted Answer

The spacing effect refers to the fact that people tend to retain information better when they space their studying out over a longer period of time, rather than cramming it all in at once. Jamille's experience of getting better grades when she studies for 15 minutes every day for 8 days instead of cramming for 2 hours the night before the test is a good example of this effect. The spacing effect refers to the phenomenon where distributed practice (studying over multiple sessions with breaks in between) leads to better long-term retention and recall of information compared to massed practice (cramming all at once). Jamille's experience of getting better grades on vocabulary tests when studying for 15 minutes every day for 8 days is an example of the spacing effect in action.

Question 3

Long-term potentiation is believed to be

Accepted Answer

Long-term potentiation is a phenomenon in which repeated stimulation of certain neurons leads to the strengthening of the connections between them, resulting in more efficient neural communication. This is believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory. Choices A, B, and C are not related to long-term potentiation. Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a process of strengthening neural connections, mainly in the hippocampus, which is believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory. It involves the enhancement of synaptic transmission between neurons, leading to an increased likelihood of their firing together in the future. The other options (A, B, and C) are unrelated to LTP.

Question 4

People should avoid back-to-back study times for learning Spanish and French vocabulary in order to minimize

Accepted Answer

Back-to-back study times for learning Spanish and French vocabulary can lead to interference, where the learning of one language interferes with the learning of the other language. By spacing out the study times or alternating between the two languages, interference can be minimized. Back-to-back study sessions for two similar subjects can lead to interference in memory consolidation, where the information of one subject blocks the recall of the information of the other. This interference can hamper the ability to learn and retain information accurately. Therefore, people should avoid back-to-back study times for learning Spanish and French vocabulary to minimize interference. Choices A, B, and C are not related to the given scenario.

Question 5

Karl and Dee had a joyful wedding ceremony. After their painful divorce, however, they began to remember the wedding as a somewhat hectic and unpleasant event. Their recollections best illustrate the nature of

Accepted Answer

This scenario best illustrates memory construction, as the individuals' current emotional state and experiences are influencing their recollection of the past event. This highlights the malleability and subjectivity of memory. Proactive interference refers to when old information interferes with new information, the spacing effect relates to the idea that information is better retained when it is spaced out over time, while the serial position effect refers to the tendency to remember items at the beginning and end of a list better than those in the middle. None of these concepts apply directly to the scenario presented. The phenomenon being described is memory construction, where the retrieval of a memory is influenced by our current beliefs, attitudes, and expectations. Karl and Dee's negative experience with their divorce colored their recollection of their wedding, leading them to remember it differently from how it actually occurred. Proactive interference occurs when previously learned information interferes with the learning of new information. The spacing effect refers to the fact that spaced repetition or learning helps with memory retention. The serial position effect describes the tendency to better remember items at the beginning and end of a list, while forgetting items in the middle. None of these phenomena are directly relevant to the scenario described in the question.

Question 6

Mood-congruent memory best illustrates that the emotions we experienced while learning something become

Accepted Answer

Mood-congruent memory refers to the phenomenon where we are more likely to remember information that is congruent with our current emotional state. This is often because our current emotional state serves as a retrieval cue, making it easier to recall memories that share the same emotional tone. Therefore, the emotions we experienced while learning something become retrieval cues. Mood-congruent memory refers to the phenomenon where the emotions we experience while learning something act as retrieval cues for that information later on. In other words, our current mood can influence what memories we are able to access, as we are more likely to remember events or information that align with our current emotional state. This suggests that emotions serve as important cues for memory retrieval.

Question 7

Instead of simply repeating a series of numbers he wants to remember, David mentally associates the numbers with meaningful dates such as his friends' birthdays. This best illustrates

Accepted Answer

David is engaging in deep processing by associating the numbers with meaningful dates. This type of processing involves encoding information in a way that connects it to existing knowledge or experiences, making it more likely to be remembered. The other options do not accurately describe this process. The serial position effect refers to the tendency to remember items at the beginning or end of a list better than those in the middle, and is not applicable to this scenario. Automatic processing is a type of unconscious encoding that occurs without effort, and is not relevant to David's deliberate use of memory strategies. Procedural memory refers to the memory of how to perform certain actions or skills, such as riding a bike or tying shoelaces, and is not applicable to this situation. David's use of meaningful associations indicates that he is engaging in deep processing of the information, which involves connecting new information to prior knowledge and creating associations that facilitate retrieval. The serial position effect refers to the tendency to remember items at the beginning and end of a list better than items in the middle. Automatic processing refers to the unconscious encoding of information without effort, such as remembering someone's face without consciously trying to do so. Procedural memory refers to the memory of how to perform certain skills or tasks, such as riding a bike or typing on a keyboard.

Question 8

Our assumptions about the past often influence the manner in which information is retrieved from long-term memory. This fact is most relevant to appreciating the importance of

Accepted Answer

The assumptions about the past can impact the way memories are reconstructed, leading to potential distortions or inaccuracies. This highlights the importance of memory construction in understanding long-term memory retrieval.

Question 9

In the study led by Elizabeth Loftus, two groups of observers were asked how fast two cars had been going in a filmed traffic accident. Observers who heard the vividly descriptive word "smashed" in relation to the accident later recalled

Accepted Answer

The study found that observers who heard the word "smashed" were more likely to falsely recall broken glass at the scene of the accident, suggesting that the use of vivid language can distort memory. The study did not provide evidence that observers recalled the gender of the drivers or the details of the accident with vivid accuracy. The observers who heard the word "smashed" were more likely to recall broken glass at the scene of the accident. This demonstrates the power of suggestion in shaping memory recall.

Question 10

Memory reconsolidation involves the modification of stored memories during the process of

Accepted Answer

Memory reconsolidation occurs during the process of retrieving a memory. During this process, the memory can be modified or updated based on new information or experiences. This can lead to changes in the strength and content of the memory. Therefore, choice C is the best option. Memory reconsolidation occurs during the process of retrieval, where the previously stored memory is activated and brought to consciousness, allowing for modification or updating of the memory. This process is different from repression, source amnesia, and déjà vu.

Question 11

In Alan Baddeley's model of working memory, the hypothetical central executive engages in

Accepted Answer

In Alan Baddeley's model of working memory, the central executive is responsible for focusing attention, controlling and coordinating cognitive processes, and allocating resources to different tasks or subsystems. The central executive is like the "boss" of working memory, directing the flow of information and resources as needed to accomplish tasks. Repression, automatic processing, and long-term potentiation are not functions of the central executive in this model.

Question 12

In one experiment, participants primed with words related to ________ were less likely to help another person who asked for their help.

Accepted Answer

Participants primed with words related to money were less likely to help another person who asked for their help. This is because money is associated with selfishness and materialism, which can decrease feelings of empathy and altruism.

Question 13

Joshua vividly recalls his feelings and what he was doing at the exact moment when he heard of his grandfather's unexpected death. This best illustrates ________ memory.

Accepted Answer

The scenario best illustrates flashbulb memory, which involves the recall of highly emotional and vividly remembered events.

Question 14

Our inability to remember information presented in the seconds just before we fall asleep is most likely due to

Accepted Answer

Our inability to remember information presented in the seconds just before we fall asleep is known as the "sleep onset latency". This is due to the fact that the brain is transitioning from wakefulness to sleep, and there is a decrease in attention and processing of external stimuli. As a result, the information has not been encoded properly and therefore cannot be retrieved later. This is known as encoding failure. Our inability to remember information presented in the seconds just before we fall asleep is due to encoding failure. When we are drowsy and about to fall asleep, our brain is not fully attentive and alert, making it difficult for the brain to transfer information from short-term memory to long-term memory. As a result, the information is not encoded properly and is lost from memory.

Question 15

Karl Lashley trained rats to solve a maze and then removed pieces of their cortexes. He observed that storage of their maze memories

Accepted Answer

Lashley concluded that memory is not localized to specific regions of the cortex, but rather distributed throughout the cortex. He found that even when large areas of the cortex were removed, the rats still retained some memory of the maze. Lashley's research led him to believe that memory is not localized to specific regions of the cortex, but rather distributed throughout the brain. He called this the principle of mass action.

Question 16

Judy is embarrassed because she momentarily fails to remember a good friend's name. Judy's poor memory most likely results from a failure in

Accepted Answer

Retrieval refers to the process of accessing stored information from memory, so Judy's struggle to remember her friend's name indicates a failure in retrieval. Retrieval is the process of accessing information from memory. In this case, Judy knows that she knows her friend's name but is having difficulty retrieving it at the moment. Storage, encoding, and rehearsal are processes related to the initial learning and encoding of information into memory, and are not directly related to the temporary failure in retrieval that Judy is experiencing.

Question 17

Implicit memory is to explicit memory as ________ is to ________.

Accepted Answer

Implicit memory refers to memories that are unconsciously stored and retrieved, whereas explicit memory refers to memories that require conscious effort to retrieve. Similarly, automatic processing involves the unconscious encoding of information, whereas effortful processing requires conscious attention and effort. Therefore, B is the correct choice as it provides a parallel relationship between implicit and explicit memory with automatic and effortful processing. Implicit memory refers to the unconscious retention of information, while explicit memory involves conscious and intentional recall. Automatic processing is a type of unconscious encoding that results in implicit memory, whereas effortful processing is required for explicit memory retrieval. Context-dependent memory and state-dependent memory both relate to the environmental or physiological context in which memories were encoded and retrieved, respectively, but are not directly related to implicit and explicit memory. Similarly, proactive and retroactive interference refer to the disruptive effects of prior and subsequent learning on memory, respectively, but are not directly related to implicit and explicit memory.

Question 18

Memories are primed by

Accepted Answer

Memories are primed by retrieval cues, which are reminders or prompts that facilitate the recall of information from long-term memory. These cues can be sensory, situational, or emotional, and can help activate the relevant associations and connections between different pieces of stored information.

Question 19

Incest survivors who lack conscious memories of their sexual abuse may be told they are repressing the memory. This explanation for their lack of abuse memories emphasizes

Accepted Answer

Retrieval failure. The explanation suggests that the memories of sexual abuse are still stored in the survivor's memory but cannot be retrieved due to some kind of blockage or interference. This is a classic case of retrieval failure, where memories cannot be accessed despite being stored in long-term memory. The explanation for the lack of abuse memories is retrieval failure, which suggests that the memories are in fact stored in the person's mind but currently inaccessible. This is often referred to as memory repression or suppression. Implicit memory (A) refers to unconscious memories that are expressed through behavior rather than conscious recollection, and encoding failure (B) and the spacing effect (C) refer to methods of improving memory formation rather than explaining why memories cannot be retrieved.

Question 20

Memory of your familiar old e-mail password may block the recall of your new password. This illustrates

Accepted Answer

The answer of Memory of your familiar old e-mail password...

Quiz 8: Learning