Question 1

Keppel and Underwood (1962)showed that proactive interference can operate in the forgetting of material stored in the
A)short-term store.
B)long-term store,in general.
C)long-term store,but only with semantic information.
D)both short- and long-term stores.

Accepted Answer

Keppel and Underwood (1962) demonstrated that proactive interference, which is when previously learned information interferes with the recall of new information, affects the forgetting of material specifically in the short-term memory store.

Question 2

Superior recall of words at and near the end of a list is referred to as a(n)__________ effect.
A)primacy
B)recency
C)finality
D)availability

Accepted Answer

The recency effect refers to the phenomenon where individuals have better recall for items at the end of a list, while the primacy effect refers to better recall for items at the beginning of a list. Finality and availability are not terms commonly used to refer to memory effects.

Question 3

According to the __________ theory of forgetting,forgetting occurs because new information ultimately displaces old information in the short-term store.
A)decay
B)availability
C)accessibility
D)interference

Accepted Answer

The theory of interference suggests that forgetting occurs when old memories are disrupted by the presence of new information. The theory of decay proposes that memories become gradually weaker over time. The availability theory suggests that memories exist, but cannot be retrieved due to encoding or retrieval failure. The accessibility theory suggests that memories exist but cannot be retrieved due to lack of attention or motivation.

Question 4

Proactive interference occurs when the interfering material occurs __________ rather than __________ learning of the to-be-remembered material.
A)after;before
B)after;during
C)before;during
D)before;after

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference happens when old information hinders the recall of newly learned information, meaning the interference occurs before, not after, the learning of new material.

Question 5

__________ interference occurs when the interfering material occurs before,rather than after,learning of the to-be-remembered material.
A)Retroactive
B)Proactive
C)Decay
D)Reconstructive

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when previously learned information interferes with the ability to learn new information. In this case, the interfering material occurs before the to-be-remembered material. Retroactive interference, on the other hand, occurs when newly learned information interferes with the ability to recall previously learned information. Decay refers to the natural fading of memory over time, and reconstructive interference occurs when additional, irrelevant information is incorporated into a memory, leading to inaccuracies or distortions in recall.

Question 6

__________ refers to the idea that particular information has been permanently stored in long-term memory and,hence,can be retrieved.
A)Constancy
B)Retroactivity
C)Availability
D)Accessibility

Accepted Answer

Availability refers to the idea that information is stored in long-term memory and can be retrieved.

Question 7

Stephanie has been studying for two exams scheduled on the same day,one for her Spanish class and the other for French.While taking the Spanish exam,she remembers more French than Spanish.Stephanie is most likely to be experiencing
A)decay.
B)interference.
C)reconstructive interference.
D)unlearning.

Accepted Answer

Stephanie is experiencing interference, which occurs when memories of similar information interfere with each other, making it difficult to recall one or both sets of information. In this case, her memories of French are interfering with her ability to recall Spanish.

Question 8

Superior recall of words at and near the beginning of a list is referred to as a(n)__________ effect.
A)primacy
B)primary
C)recency
D)availability

Accepted Answer

The primacy effect refers to the superior recall of words at the beginning of a list, while the recency effect refers to the superior recall of words at the end of a list. The term primary is not typically used in this context, and availability is a term used to describe the ease with which information can be retrieved from memory.

Question 9

A typical serial position curve shows that recall of words in a list is best for items __________ of the list and poorest for items __________.
A)at and near the end;in the middle
B)at and near the end;near the beginning
C)near the beginning;in the middle
D)near the beginning;at and near the end

Accepted Answer

The serial position curve demonstrates the primacy effect, where items at the beginning of a list are remembered well, and the recency effect, where items at the end are also remembered well. Items in the middle are typically recalled the least.

Question 10

Seth participated in a memory experiment.He has been instructed to count backwards between the last presentation of a stimulus and recall of the stimulus.This procedure was probably designed to
A)prevent subjects from rehearsing.
B)disorient subjects about the purpose of the experiment.
C)allow some decay to occur.
D)increase depth of processing.

Accepted Answer

The counting backwards task is a common technique used to prevent rehearsal, which can interfere with the measurement of memory retention by keeping the participant's attention away from the stimulus.

Question 11

The serial-position curve represents the probability of recall of
A)a given word,given its semantic relationship to other words in a list.
B)groups of words,given their relative order of presentation in a list.
C)a given word,given its order of presentation in a list.
D)groups of words,given their semantic relationship.

Accepted Answer

The serial-position curve represents the probability of recall of a given word, given its order of presentation in a list. This means that the graph plots the likelihood of a person recalling a particular word when it was presented at a particular position in a list. The curve typically shows a U-shaped pattern with high recall for words presented at the beginning and end of the list, and lower recall for words presented in the middle.

Question 12

__________ occurs when competing information causes us to forget something.
A)Decay
B)Reconstructive interference
C)Unlearning
D)Interference

Accepted Answer

Interference occurs when competing information interferes with the ability to remember something, resulting in forgetting. Reconstructive interference is a type of interference, but it specifically refers to when new and old information mix together and change our memory of an event. Decay refers to the fading of memories over time, and unlearning refers to intentionally forgetting previously learned information.

Question 13

Counting backwards immediately after the last presentation of a stimulus and before recall of the stimulus is an example of a task designed to
A)prevent participants from rehearsing.
B)deceive participants about the purpose of the experiment.
C)allow some decay to occur.
D)facilitate recall.

Accepted Answer

Counting backwards is a distractor task, which prevents participants from rehearsing the stimulus information in their working memory. This increases the likelihood of recalling the information from long-term memory, rather than just reciting it from the short-term memory.

Question 14

In general,as the amount of learning prior to recall increases,__________ increases.
A)availability
B)decay
C)interference
D)constructive memory

Accepted Answer

As the amount of learning prior to recall increases, interference increases because new information can disrupt the ability to recall older information. This is known as interference theory, where either proactive or retroactive interference affects memory recall.

Question 15

At a party,Hoshiko was introduced to Steve just as she arrived.Hoshiko then went off to speak with a different group and was introduced to each of them as well.After hearing the new names,Hoshiko could not remember Steve's name.This description illustrates
A)retroactive interference.
B)proactive interference.
C)decay.
D)reconstructive forgetting.

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when new information interferes with the ability to remember older information. In this case, the names Hoshiko learned after meeting Steve interfered with her ability to remember Steve's name.

Question 16

Sandra has just come from studying with some classmates to whom she has just been introduced.She then runs into a good friend who introduces her to David.As Sandra walks away,she realizes that she can't remember David's name.This description illustrates
A)decay.
B)reconstructive forgetting.
C)retroactive interference.
D)proactive interference.

Accepted Answer

This scenario is an example of proactive interference, which occurs when previously learned information interferes with new information. Sandra's recent introduction to her classmates may have interfered with her ability to remember David's name.

Question 17

After being given directions to get to the theater,Kurt can remember only the first part of where to turn.This illustrates the __________ effect.
A)primacy
B)recency
C)initial
D)availability

Accepted Answer

The primacy effect is a cognitive bias that results in a person remembering items or information presented at the beginning of a list better than material in the middle or end. In this scenario, Kurt's ability to remember only the first part of the directions is an example of the primacy effect, where the initial information is more easily recalled than information presented later.

Question 18

Retroactive interference is caused by activity occurring __________ we learn something and __________ we are asked to recall that thing.
A)after;after
B)after;before
C)after;while
D)before;after

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when new learning interferes with the recall of previously learned information. It occurs when learning occurs after the material to be learned, and before the recall of the material. This corresponds with option B - after learning but before recall.

Question 19

In memory studies,the retention interval refers to the time
A)the participant needs to encode sensory input into the short-term store.
B)the participant needs to retain new information in the long-term store.
C)between the presentation of the last stimulus and the start of the recall phase of the experimental trial.
D)between the presentation of the first and last stimuli within a trial.

Accepted Answer

The retention interval refers to the time between the presentation of the last stimulus and the start of the recall phase of the experimental trial. This is the time during which the participant is expected to retain the information and recall it later. Choices A and B are related to encoding and storage processes, while choice D refers to the duration of a trial.

Question 20

__________ interference is caused by an activity occurring after we learn something,but before we are asked to recall that thing.
A)Decay
B)Proactive
C)Retroactive
D)Reconstructive

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when newly learned information disrupts the recall of previously learned information. This occurs when an activity occurs after learning but before recall, causing interference with the earlier memories.

Quiz 6: Memory Processes

Keppel and Underwood (1962) showed that proactive interference can operate in the forgetting of material stored in the

Superior recall of words at and near the end of a list is referred to as a(n) __________ effect.

According to the __________ theory of forgetting,forgetting occurs because new information ultimately displaces old information in the short-term store.

Proactive interference occurs when the interfering material occurs rather than learning of the to-be-remembered material.

__________ interference occurs when the interfering material occurs before,rather than after,learning of the to-be-remembered material.

__________ refers to the idea that particular information has been permanently stored in long-term memory and,hence,can be retrieved.

Stephanie has been studying for two exams scheduled on the same day,one for her Spanish class and the other for French.While taking the Spanish exam,she remembers more French than Spanish.Stephanie is most likely to be experiencing

Superior recall of words at and near the beginning of a list is referred to as a(n) __________ effect.

A typical serial position curve shows that recall of words in a list is best for items of the list and poorest for items .

Seth participated in a memory experiment.He has been instructed to count backwards between the last presentation of a stimulus and recall of the stimulus.This procedure was probably designed to

The serial-position curve represents the probability of recall of

__________ occurs when competing information causes us to forget something.

Counting backwards immediately after the last presentation of a stimulus and before recall of the stimulus is an example of a task designed to

In general,as the amount of learning prior to recall increases,__________ increases.

At a party,Hoshiko was introduced to Steve just as she arrived.Hoshiko then went off to speak with a different group and was introduced to each of them as well.After hearing the new names,Hoshiko could not remember Steve's name.This description illustrates

Sandra has just come from studying with some classmates to whom she has just been introduced.She then runs into a good friend who introduces her to David.As Sandra walks away,she realizes that she can't remember David's name.This description illustrates

After being given directions to get to the theater,Kurt can remember only the first part of where to turn.This illustrates the __________ effect.

Retroactive interference is caused by activity occurring we learn something and we are asked to recall that thing.

In memory studies,the retention interval refers to the time

__________ interference is caused by an activity occurring after we learn something,but before we are asked to recall that thing.