Question 1

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

Different types of memory are stored in different areas of the brain. For example, the hippocampus is important for forming and retrieving declarative memories (facts and events) while the cerebellum is important for forming and retrieving procedural memories (skills and habits). The amygdala is important for emotional memories. Therefore, different parts of the brain are specialized for the storage of memories.

Question 2

Many middle-aged adults can vividly recall where they were and what they were doing the day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated, although they cannot remember what they were doing the day before he was assassinated. This is an example of a(n)

Accepted Answer

This is an example of a flashbulb memory, a highly detailed, exceptionally vivid 'snapshot' of the moment and circumstances in which a piece of surprising and consequential (or emotionally arousing) news was heard.

Question 3

If ________is like losing a document in the computer because of a power loss, ________ is like pushing the "save" key and having the document disappear instead of being stored.

Accepted Answer

Retrograde amnesia is like losing a document in the computer because of a power loss, while anterograde amnesia is like pushing the "save" key and having the document disappear instead of being stored.

Question 4

Which of the following is true of flashbulb memories?

Accepted Answer

Flashbulb memories involve unusual events, have strong emotional associations, and usually consist of some personal involvement. However, they are not necessarily more accurate than everyday memories.

Question 5

How do retrieval cues help you to remember?

Accepted Answer

Retrieval cues act as triggers that activate specific information stored in our long-term memory. These cues are usually related to the information we are trying to remember and help us access it more easily. Think of it as a mental "search bar" that directs us to the relevant file in our memory.

Question 6

Recent neuroscientific research suggests that the amygdala plays an especially important role in

Accepted Answer

Recent research supports the idea that the amygdala plays a key role in creating and storing memories with strong emotional associations. This is supported by studies on the encoding and consolidation of memories with emotional content, as well as studies on the impact of amygdala damage on memory processes.

Question 7

Mateo is 70 years old and had a stroke last year. He is now unable to remember how to get to and return from his new doctors office using a specific route. What brain structure was potentially damaged by Mateo's stroke?

Accepted Answer

The hippocampus is responsible for the formation and recall of new memories, particularly spatial memories like navigating through a route to a specific location. Damage to the hippocampus can result in difficulty creating new memories or recalling old ones, particularly involving spatial navigation.

Question 8

Retrograde amnesia involves ________ and can be caused by ________.

Accepted Answer

Retrograde amnesia involves the loss of prior memory traces, meaning the person cannot recall memories from before the onset of amnesia. Head trauma is one of the common causes of retrograde amnesia, as it can disrupt the brain's ability to store and retrieve memories.

Question 9

Your ability to remember where you were the morning of September 11, 2001, is an example of a(n)

Accepted Answer

Flashbulb memories are vivid and detailed recollections of significant events, often involving an emotional response, like the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Therefore, the ability to remember where you were on that morning is an example of a flashbulb memory.

Question 10

Flashbulb memories

Accepted Answer

Flashbulb memories usually concern events that are emotionally charged, such as a wedding, a birth, or a traumatic event like the 9/11 attacks. These memories are vivid and detailed, but their accuracy can vary. While the emotions associated with the event can strengthen the memory, it can also lead to distortions or errors in recall.

Question 11

Memories that concern events that are highly significant and are vividly remembered are called

Accepted Answer

Flashbulb memories are memories that concern events that are highly significant and are vividly remembered. They are often associated with strong emotions and can be recalled in great detail even years after the event occurred. Examples of flashbulb memories include where and what someone was doing when they heard about the 9/11 attacks or the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Question 12

If I asked you what you ate for dinner on Saturday, it might be a difficult task. However, if I reminded you that you went to Outback Steakhouse with your mother and aunt, it may be easier to remember. Why is that?

Accepted Answer

Retrieval cues are stimuli that help evoke memories by providing a link between the information being retrieved and related information already in memory. In this case, the reminder of going to Outback Steakhouse serves as a retrieval cue to help the person remember what they ate for dinner on Saturday.

Question 13

An emotionally arousing event will cause

Accepted Answer

An emotionally arousing event can enhance memory and increase the likelihood of remembering the details of the event. This is because emotional arousal can activate the amygdala, which plays a critical role in the consolidation of emotional memories. Additionally, the release of stress hormones, like adrenaline and cortisol, can strengthen the connections between neurons, leading to an increase in long-term potentiation and improved memory consolidation.

Question 14

________ refers to the inability to form new memories.

Accepted Answer

Anterograde amnesia is the inability to form new memories, whereas retrograde amnesia is the inability to recall old memories. Retroactive interference and proactive interference refer to situations where new or old memories interfere with the ability to recall other memories. Repression refers to the unconscious blocking of memories that are too painful or threatening to be remembered consciously.

Question 15

________ memory is an unconscious form of memory that can alter behavior.

Accepted Answer

Implicit memory is an unconscious form of memory that can alter behavior. It refers to the ability to use information or experiences that are not consciously recalled. It includes skills and habits.

Question 16

When asked to recall the date of John Kennedy's assassination, Peter draws a blank; however, when asked whether it was October 24, 1962, November 22, 1963, or February 1, 1965, he correctly answers with the second of the choices. This example most clearly demonstrates the value of

Accepted Answer

This situation demonstrates the value of retrieval cues, which are stimuli or hints that help trigger information stored in long-term memory. In this case, the three possible dates provided serve as retrieval cues that helped Peter access and retrieve the correct information about the date of John Kennedy's assassination from his long-term memory.

Question 17

We are always aware of ________ memory whereas ________ memory may be incidentally learned.

Accepted Answer

Explicit memory refers to intentional or conscious memory, such as recalling specific events or facts, and we are usually aware of this type of memory. Implicit memory, on the other hand, refers to non-conscious memory, such as motor skills or conditioned responses, which can be learned incidentally without awareness. Therefore, the best choice here is D, where explicit memory is the first blank and implicit memory is the second blank.

Question 18

Which of the following statements about flashbulb memories is true?

Accepted Answer

Flashbulb memories tend to be as accurate as other memories. However, like other memories, they can also be influenced by various factors, such as personal biases and beliefs, and can change over time.

Question 19

Someone asks you to name the twenty-second president of the United States, but you can't remember. To aid your memory, the person then tells you that the president's name is the same as that of a large city on Lake Erie. Upon hearing the hint, you instantly realize that Grover Cleveland is the answer. In this situation, the hint acted as a(n)

Accepted Answer

The hint provided acts as a retrieval cue, triggering the recall of the previously learned information about Grover Cleveland being the twenty-second president of the United States.

Question 20

Your memory for the moment you heard about the planes crashing into the World Trade Towers in New York would be most appropriately termed a(n) ________ memory.

Accepted Answer

A flashbulb memory is a highly detailed and vivid memory of an emotionally significant event, such as the news of the planes crashing into the World Trade Towers. It is often associated with a strong emotional response and is believed to be stored in the brain in a way that enhances its vividness and durability.

Quiz 5: Memory