Question 1

You are surprised by the fact that you cannot remember if Abraham Lincoln's head faces the left or the right on a penny. This is all the more surprising given the fact that you work with money at your job on nearly a daily basis. What would best explain such an inability to recall this information?
A) encoding failure
B) decay theory
C) interference theory
D) distributed practice effect

Accepted Answer

Encoding failure is the most likely explanation here. If the information was not properly encoded when first encountered, it will not be easily retrieved from memory later on. It is possible that the individual simply never paid close attention to the direction of Lincoln's head on the penny and therefore did not encode that information in their memory.

Question 2

Henry Gustav Molaison, widely known as H.M., was unable to form new declarative memories. He suffered from what psychologists call __________ amnesia.
A) anterograde
B) psychogenic
C) retrograde
D) retroactive

Accepted Answer

H.M. was unable to form new memories after his surgery and could only remember events from his past. This is characteristic of anterograde amnesia, which is the inability to form new memories after a traumatic event or brain injury. Psychogenic amnesia refers to memory loss caused by psychological trauma, while retrograde amnesia is the inability to remember events that occurred before the traumatic event or brain injury. Retroactive amnesia refers to the inability to remember events that occurred after a traumatic event or brain injury.

Question 3

Your English instructor has given you an assignment to write down your favorite memory from when you were 12 months old. What might you tell him?
A) Students will probably not be able to recall events from such an early age.
B) Memories from this time are exceptionally vivid because of the exciting nature of childhood.
C) Students will not be able to recall such memories if they had yet to develop the ability to talk by age 1.
D) Students' memories are detailed but often inaccurate.

Accepted Answer

It is highly unlikely that a person will have any memories from when they were 12 months old as this is before most people develop the ability to form long-term memories.

Quiz 6: Memory

You are surprised by the fact that you cannot remember if Abraham Lincoln's head faces the left or the right on a penny. This is all the more surprising given the fact that you work with money at your job on nearly a daily basis. What would best explain such an inability to recall this information?

Henry Gustav Molaison, widely known as H.M., was unable to form new declarative memories. He suffered from what psychologists call __________ amnesia.

Your English instructor has given you an assignment to write down your favorite memory from when you were 12 months old. What might you tell him?