Question 1

Mike has just remembered where he left his keys. What pattern of neural activation should Mike be experiencing according to a parallel distributed processing model of memory?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Mike has just remembered where he left...

Question 2

What is the term for a system where nodes representing concepts are joined together by pathways that link related concepts?

Accepted Answer

The term for a system where nodes representing concepts are joined together by pathways that link related concepts is called a semantic network. A semantic network is a graphical representation of knowledge that depicts relationships between different concepts through interconnected nodes. Other options, such as organizational schema, lexical ordering, and clustering hierarchy, do not accurately describe this type of system.

Question 3

How is a piece of knowledge represented within a connectionist model like parallel distributed processing?

Accepted Answer

In connectionist models like parallel distributed processing, a piece of knowledge is represented by a pattern of activation across an entire network, rather than by a single engram or neuron firing. The activation of multiple neurons and connections within the network creates a distributed representation of the knowledge, allowing for flexibility and generalization in learning and processing.

Question 4

Which of the following operates in the same way as the nodes in a parallel distributed processing system?

Accepted Answer

Neurons operate in a similar way to the nodes in a parallel distributed processing system. Both process information in a decentralized manner, with each element handling a small part of the task simultaneously. Computer chips also operate in parallel, but they are not directly comparable to the nodes in a distributed system. Wheels on a car and chromosomes are not relevant to this analogy.

Question 5

Ten-year-old Kylee is trying to remember the capital of Alberta during a game of "Where Are You?" Her father tells her to think of the letter "E," and she quickly comes up with Edmonton. In this case, what did Kylee's dad use to help her?

Accepted Answer

Kylee's dad used an effective retrieval cue, which is a prompt or clue that helps a person remember information stored in memory. In this case, the letter "E" was a retrieval cue that helped Kylee recall the capital of Alberta, Edmonton.

Question 6

Archie attended his high school graduation over 20 years ago. He is now trying to recall as much as possible about the graduation ceremonies. Which of the following would be the best retrieval cue?

Accepted Answer

The featured speaker is likely to be a distinctive and memorable aspect of the graduation ceremony that Archie is more likely to remember, compared to the year or number of students who graduated which may not be as memorable. The time of day may also not be a very distinct retrieval cue.

Question 7

Which pair of words should be linked most closely, according to the notion of semantic networks?

Accepted Answer

Tree and bird are both natural objects that are often found together in nature. In a semantic network, they would be linked more closely than the other options which do not have as strong of a connection. Feel and feed, car and elbow, and boat and goat do not have as strong of a connection in terms of shared characteristics or frequent co-occurrence.

Question 8

Investigators were asking employees at a construction site what they were doing last Tuesday, at 10:00 A.M.. Some of the workers were having a difficult time remembering details until the foreman reminded them that the foundations for the building were poured that morning. If the workers are now able to recall details of their actions, what has the foreman done?

Accepted Answer

The foreman successfully reinstated the context by reminding the workers about the foundations being poured that morning, which helped the workers remember details of their actions at that time. This is a type of context-dependent memory that relies on environmental cues to activate memory traces.

Question 9

What are you experiencing if you try to remember something, but cannot, when you know the information is in memory?

Accepted Answer

The tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon is when a person is unable to recall a word or name from memory, even though they know the information is stored in their memory. They may feel like the information is "on the tip of their tongue."

Question 10

What has been demonstrated by Loftus's work on eyewitness testimony?

Accepted Answer

Loftus's work has demonstrated that information given after an event can alter an eyewitness's memory of the event. This phenomenon is known as the misinformation effect.

Question 11

What do connectionist models of memory tend to be based on?

Accepted Answer

Connectionist models of memory tend to be based on how neural networks handle information, which is why they are also known as neural network models of memory. They aim to explain how the brain processes and stores information through the use of interconnected nodes, or neurons, which work together to make associations and retrieve memories.

Question 12

Sometimes when you think about a word, it triggers your recall of related words. What is this tendency called?

Accepted Answer

This tendency is called spreading activation in a semantic network. It occurs when the activation of one concept in our memory leads to the activation of related concepts, creating a network of associations.

Question 13

What is the "tip of the tongue" phenomenon?

Accepted Answer

The "tip of the tongue" phenomenon refers to the feeling of knowing something but being unable to recall it at a given moment, often accompanied by a sense that the information is just out of reach.

Question 14

Adnan has been trying to recall the name of the musical artist who released the song that was #1 when he was 14. Adnan feels somewhat frustrated because he is certain he knows the artist's name, but he just can't seem to recall it at this moment. What is Adnan experiencing?

Accepted Answer

Adnan is experiencing the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon, which is the feeling of knowing the information but being unable to recall it at that moment. Retrograde amnesia is the loss of memories before a traumatic event or brain injury, proactive interference is when old memories interfere with new ones, and source-monitoring error is when a person has difficulty distinguishing between the source of a memory and a new piece of information.

Question 15

Researchers like Bartlett and Loftus have investigated errors in memory, in order to understand how memory works. How would they describe memory?

Accepted Answer

Bartlett and Loftus both suggest that memory is not like a literal record of events, but rather a reconstruction of events or materials. This means that memory is not always accurate, and can be influenced by factors such as context, expectations, and prior knowledge. Therefore, their research focuses on understanding how these factors can lead to errors or distortions in memory.

Question 16

Which of the following statements regarding the role of context in memory is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

Research has consistently shown that context cues can significantly facilitate the retrieval of information. This is known as the context-dependent memory effect, where recalling information is enhanced when the context at retrieval is similar to that at encoding. Context cues can include environmental stimuli (such as location or background noise) or internal states (such as mood or emotional state).

Question 17

In which type of memory test are you most likely to see state-dependent memory effects?

Accepted Answer

State-dependent memory effects occur when a person can remember information better if their internal state during recall matches their internal state during encoding. Free-recall tests allow for a greater range of personal associations and connections to be made, which increases the likelihood of state-dependent memory effects.

Question 18

Three friends are having a discussion about taxes, but the conversation is soon sidetracked as different statements bring up related ideas. The conversation drifts from taxes, to politicians, to the election, to fund-raising. Which Collins and Loftus theory is this shift in the focus of the conversation consistent with?

Accepted Answer

The shift in the focus of the conversation from taxes to politicians, election, and fundraising is consistent with spreading activation within a semantic network. This theory suggests that related ideas and concepts are connected in our minds and activation of one concept can trigger activation of related concepts. In this conversation, the initial topic of taxes triggered related ideas about politics, elections, and fundraising.

Question 19

Mrs. Wilkie is 82 years old. She recently moved into a nursing home after living in the same house for over 40 years. She started having trouble with her episodic memory not long after she moved. What is the most likely explanation for her recent memory problems?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Mrs. Wilkie is 82 years old. She...

Question 20

What is a retrieval cue?

Accepted Answer

A retrieval cue is a stimulus that is associated with a memory and can be used to locate or retrieve that memory from long-term storage. Examples of retrieval cues include specific words, smells, sounds, or images that were present during the initial encoding of the memory. By providing the right retrieval cues, we can improve our ability to remember information that we might otherwise have difficulty recalling. The other options do not accurately describe what a retrieval cue is.

Quiz 7: A: Human Memory