Question 1

According to the ________ theory of forgetting, information in memory eventually disappears if it is not accessed.

Accepted Answer

The decay theory of forgetting proposes that memories decay or fade away over time if they are not used or accessed, resulting in the loss of the memory trace. This theory suggests that forgetting occurs due to the passage of time and the natural decay of the memory trace.

Question 2

If you are trying to retrieve a memory, you will be better able to do so if:

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that people are more likely to recall memories if their current mood matches the mood they were in when the memory was encoded. This is known as mood congruence. Therefore, if you are trying to retrieve a memory, it may be helpful to try to recreate the emotional state you were in when the memory was formed.

Question 3

Déjà vu occurs when:

Accepted Answer

Déjà vu occurs when cues in the present context overlap with those from the past, causing a feeling of familiarity and an eerie experience of having been there before.

Question 4

According to the ________ theory of forgetting, information may get into memory, but it becomes confused with other information.

Accepted Answer

The interference theory of forgetting suggests that information may become confused or disrupted by other information in memory, leading to difficulty in retrieval. This interference can occur either from previously learned information (proactive interference) or from new information (retroactive interference). Decay theory suggests that memories fade over time, replacement theory suggests that new information replaces old information, and cue-dependent theory suggests that forgetting occurs when there is a lack of retrieval cues to access the information in memory.

Question 5

________ is defined as forgetting that occurs when recently learned material interferes with the ability to remember similar material stored previously.

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference is when new information interferes with the retrieval of previously stored information. This is different from proactive interference, which is when previously learned information interferes with the retrieval of newly learned information. Decay refers to the fading or weakening of a memory over time, and cue-dependent forgetting occurs when there is a lack of retrieval cues to access a memory.

Question 6

In order to help her music students learn the lines of the treble clef in musical notation, the teacher has them learn the sentence "Every Good Boy Does Fine." This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

The teacher is using a mnemonic strategy to help her students remember the lines of the treble clef. Mnemonics are memory aids that use techniques like acronyms or sentences to help people remember information.

Question 7

After befriending a drunken millionaire, Charlie Chaplin is surprised when the man doesn't recognize him the next day. In the evening, as the millionaire begins drinking again, Charlie is greeted as a pal. This episode from City Lights was used in the text to illustrate:

Accepted Answer

The episode from City Lights illustrates state-dependent memory, where a person's ability to recall information depends on the state they were in when the information was encoded. The drunken millionaire remembered Charlie when he was drunk again because his brain was in a similar state as the one during their previous encounter.

Question 8

According to the ________ theory of forgetting, we may feel as if we are lost among the stacks in the mind's library.

Accepted Answer

The cue-dependent theory of forgetting suggests that we may feel lost among the stacks in the mind's library because we lack the necessary cues to retrieve the information.

Question 9

Proactive interference refers to situations in which:

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when previously learned information interferes with the ability to learn and remember new information. This occurs because the older information continues to be active in memory and interferes with the formation of new memory traces. Examples of proactive interference include having difficulty remembering a new phone number because of previously learned similar numbers or experiencing difficulty learning new vocabulary because of previously learned definitions.

Question 10

Our authors suggest that in long-term memory, ________ may be the most common type of memory failure.

Accepted Answer

Cue-dependent forgetting is often considered the most common type of memory failure in long-term memory, as it occurs when there are insufficient retrieval cues to trigger the memory.

Question 11

In order to help her Introductory Psychology students learn the colours of the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, the professor has them learn ROY G BIV (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

The use of ROY G BIV as a tool to help remember the colours of the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is an example of mnemonics. Mnemonics are memory aids that help individuals remember information through the use of patterns, abbreviations, or acronyms. In this case, ROY G BIV is an acronym that stands for the colours of the visible light spectrum in order, which helps the students remember the sequence of colours.

Question 12

Decay theory has a difficult time explaining three of the statements below. Which statement CAN be explained from the perspective of decay theory?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Decay theory has a difficult time explaining...

Question 13

Alexander Luria told of the journalist, S., who could remember the exact circumstances under which he learned memory after memory. From the story of S. we can conclude that a near-perfect memory:

Accepted Answer

The story of S. highlights the negative aspects of having a near-perfect memory, such as being burdened with the memories of painful or traumatic events. It is ultimately suggested that having such a memory capability can be a curse as well as a blessing.

Question 14

Zeke finds that he performs better on the exams that are given in his regular psychology classroom than he does in the large lecture room that is used to give midterms and finals to several sections at once. Zeke's experience illustrates the:

Accepted Answer

Zeke's experience illustrates the importance of retrieval cues in memory, as being in the same environment where he learned the material (his regular classroom) helps him recall information better than in a different setting (the large lecture room).

Question 15

________ is defined as forgetting that occurs when previously stored material interferes with the ability to remember similar, more recently stored, material.

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when older memories interfere with the retrieval of newer information.

Question 16

Mr. Ward is finding that his grade-3 students often misspell the words "receive," "piece," and "neighbour." He teaches them the mnemonic, "I before E, except after C, or when sounded like A, as in neighbour or weigh." Mr. Ward is hoping that when his students write stories, they will:

Accepted Answer

The mnemonic is intended to be retrieved from long-term memory into short-term memory to help students correctly spell words temporarily as they write.

Question 17

According to the ________ theory of forgetting, one's original perception can be erased by new and misleading information.

Accepted Answer

The replacement theory of forgetting suggests that new and misleading information can overwrite or replace the original memory, leading to forgetting.

Question 18

Which of the following is the most common cause of forgetting?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is the most...

Question 19

Professor Ichthyop, who specializes in the study of the Lost River sucker fish, complains that each semester whenever he learns the name of a new student, he forgets the name of a fish. He is complaining about the problem of ________ in memory.

Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when new information interferes with the ability to recall old information. In this case, learning a new student's name causes Professor Ichthyop to forget a fish's name.

Question 20

Bob is moving and has been assigned a new phone number. His old phone number was 469-8301, while his new phone number has been changed to 840-5327. If Bob experiences proactive interference when asked for his new phone number, you would predict he would recall:

Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when old information interferes with the recall of new information, so Bob is likely to recall his old phone number, 469-8301.

Quiz 10: Memory