Question 1

Which method of attention assessment is a history teacher using when he asks his students to state from memory the categories defined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms??

Accepted Answer

The teacher is using the recall method, as he is asking students to retrieve information from memory without any cues or hints.

Question 2

With which method of measuring forgetting are savings scores associated?

Accepted Answer

Savings scores are associated with the relearning method of measuring forgetting. This method involves having the participant relearn previously learned material and then comparing how much faster they are able to relearn it compared to their initial learning. The amount of time saved in relearning is the savings score, which is used to measure forgetting.

Question 3

As Camilla tries to play a piece of music from memory, she forgets a lot of notes and in some cases lapses into playing another song that she knows better. She finds this frustrating because she has remembered this piece perfectly in the past. In this example, what seems to be the cause of forgetting?

Accepted Answer

Interference is a type of forgetting that occurs when previously learned information interferes with the retention of new information. Camilla's memory of another song is interfering with her ability to play the current piece of music from memory. This is supported by the fact that she has remembered this piece perfectly in the past, suggesting that it is not due to storage failure or decay, and ineffective encoding is unlikely if she has previously memorized the piece successfully.

Question 4

We may forget information because of experiences we have either before or after learning the information. Which of the following is consistent with this statement?

Accepted Answer

Interference theory suggests that forgetting is caused by interference from other information. This interference can come from either information that was learned prior to the information being forgotten (proactive interference) or information learned after the information being forgotten (retroactive interference). Therefore, interference theory is consistent with the statement that experiences before or after learning can cause forgetting. Retrieval failure (B) suggests that forgetting is due to the inability to retrieve information from memory, while ineffective encoding (C) suggests that forgetting is due to the information not being properly encoded in the first place. Decay theory (D) explains forgetting as a result of the gradual decay of memory over time. While all of these theories may play a role in forgetting, interference theory is the most relevant to the statement made.

Question 5

Intervening material is most likely to cause an increase in forgetting when the intervening material is very similar to the information that is to be remembered. What is this called?

Accepted Answer

This is called interference, specifically proactive interference when previously learned information interferes with new information, or retroactive interference when newly learned information interferes with previously learned information. Similar intervening material can lead to more interference and thus greater difficulty in remembering the original information.

Question 6

Multiple-choice exams such as this one primarily measure retention by using which method?

Accepted Answer

Multiple-choice exams primarily measure retention through recognition, which involves identifying the correct answer among a list of options. This is in contrast to recall, which would require the test-taker to retrieve information from memory without any cues or prompts. Recitation and relearning can also be used to assess retention but are less commonly evaluated through multiple-choice exams.

Question 7

Poor memory for information often occurs when the information receives only a shallow level of processing. In this case, what leads to memory failure?

Accepted Answer

In this case, memory failure is due to ineffective encoding, meaning that the information was not processed deeply or meaningfully enough to be encoded and stored in long-term memory.

Question 8

According to Ebbinghaus's research, what is the pattern in which memory for meaningless information is forgotten?

Accepted Answer

According to Ebbinghaus's research, memory for meaningless information is forgotten very rapidly in the first few hours after learning. This pattern is known as the forgetting curve.

Question 9

Which theory of forgetting would best explain why Emma was unable to remember her Grade 2 teacher's name yesterday, but can remember it today?

Accepted Answer

The theory of retrieval failure suggests that forgetting occurs when there is a failure to retrieve a memory that is stored in the long-term memory. In Emma's case, she was unable to remember her Grade 2 teacher's name yesterday, but can remember it today, which could be due to a retrieval failure. This means that while the memory was still stored in her long-term memory, she was unable to access it until today.

Question 10

Elaine has a tendency to tell the same stories over and over again. She can't seem to remember who has heard the story and who has not. Which type of errors does Elaine make?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Elaine has a tendency to tell the...

Question 11

What method measures retention by requiring an individual to memorize information a second time to determine how much time or effort is saved?

Accepted Answer

Relearning measures retention by having an individual memorize information a second time. This method can determine how much time or effort is saved, indicating how much information was retained from the original learning experience. Recitation, recall, and recognition do not involve memorizing information a second time.

Question 12

Aras took three years of French in high school before switching to studying German in college. He has noticed that he has forgotten a lot of his French vocabulary. Which of the following is most likely responsible for his loss of French?

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when new information (German) interferes with the ability to recall older information (French).

Question 13

Joshua has been trying unsuccessfully for days to remember the name of a song that was popular when he was in Grade 10. The "oldies" radio station just played the song, and after hearing only the first few seconds, the name of the song "popped into his head." What was provided by the opening seconds of the song?

Accepted Answer

The opening seconds of the song served as retrieval cues, triggering Joshua's memory and allowing him to recall the name of the song he had been struggling to remember.

Question 14

On your midterm exam, if you are given a list of brain regions and asked to write those regions into the correct places on a diagram of the brain, what sort of measure of retention is being used?

Accepted Answer

The answer of On your midterm exam, if you are...

Question 15

If, on a midterm exam, you were asked to list all the lobes of the brain, what kind of measure of retention is that question?

Accepted Answer

The question is asking the student to recall information about the different lobes of the brain, so the measure of retention being tested is recall.

Question 16

As you are reading an exam question, you cannot think of the correct term and you say to yourself, "I can't believe I forgot this." In reality, you never knew the answer in the first place. What does this example illustrate?

Accepted Answer

Pseudoforgetting occurs when someone believes they have forgotten something they actually never learned. In this scenario, the individual thinks they forgot the answer, but in reality, they never knew it, which is a classic example of pseudoforgetting.

Question 17

According to decay theory, why does forgetting occur?

Accepted Answer

Decay theory suggests that forgetting occurs because memories fade or decay over time if they are not accessed or reinforced.

Question 18

At the beginning of January every year, people typically write or say the previous year when they are asked to indicate the current date. Which of the following explains this type of error?

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when old information interferes with the ability to recall new information, such as writing the previous year instead of the current year.

Question 19

Why do most students find recognition tests easier than recall tests?

Accepted Answer

Recognition tests provide retrieval cues, making it easier for students to recognize the correct answer from a set of options. In contrast, recall tests require students to retrieve information from memory without any cues, which can be more challenging for many people.

Question 20

Joseph can't recall his old phone number now that he has learned his new phone number. What leads to this type of forgetting?

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when new information interferes with the ability to recall old information. In this scenario, Joseph's new phone number may be interfering with his ability to recall his old phone number.

Quiz 7: B: Human Memory