Question 1

In order for chunking to work:

Accepted Answer

Chunking involves grouping information into meaningful units, which requires retrieval of meaningful long-term memory information. Sensory memory encoding (B) and processing by prospective memory (A) are not necessary for chunking to work. While retrieval preceding storage (D) is important in memory processes, it is not specifically required for chunking.

Question 2

What happens to information in short-term memory that is not further processed or rehearsed?

Accepted Answer

Information in short-term memory that is not further processed or rehearsed fades or decays, and is eventually lost. Short-term memory is designed to hold information temporarily, and if it is not consolidated into long-term memory, it will be forgotten.

Question 3

Merely repeating information over and over is called _____, while focusing on the meaning of the information to help encode and transfer it to long-term memory is called _____.

Accepted Answer

Merely repeating information over and over is maintenance rehearsal, while focusing on the meaning of the information to help encode and transfer it to long-term memory is elaborative rehearsal. Therefore, the correct choice is D, which matches the two types of rehearsal and their definitions. A, B and C are incorrect because they either have the wrong order of rehearsal types or incorrect terms.

Question 4

Maintenance rehearsal:

Accepted Answer

Maintenance rehearsal is a strategy for holding information in short-term memory, as it involves the repetitive rehearsal of information to keep it active in working memory. It does not necessarily help with encoding information for long-term storage or organizing information in long-term memory. It also is not typically used for holding information in sensory memory, which is very brief and usually automatically processed.

Question 5

According to George Miller, the capacity of short-term memory is:

Accepted Answer

George Miller proposed that the capacity of short-term memory is about seven items at one time, plus or minus two. This is commonly referred to as "Miller's Magic Number."

Question 6

According to the working memory model developed by British psychologist Alan Baddeley, the "central executive":

Accepted Answer

The central executive is responsible for controlling attention, integrating information from different sources, and initiating retrieval. It is essentially the supervisory system in Baddeley's model, directing attention and allocating resources to the different subsystems (i.e., phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and episodic buffer). Thus, option A is the correct choice. Option B refers to the long-term memory network and not the central executive. Option C and D are incorrect because the visuospatial sketchpad and phonological loop, respectively, are the subsystems specialized for processing visual and verbal information.

Question 7

Mentally add 37 + 65, then subtract 11. To perform this task, the information must be held and processed in your _____ memory.

Accepted Answer

Short-term memory, also known as working memory, is responsible for holding and processing information for a brief period of time, typically up to 30 seconds. It is necessary to perform this mental calculation, as the numbers need to be held in mind while performing the necessary operations. Long-term memory is responsible for storing information over a longer period of time, while auditory and visual sensory memory are responsible for processing sensory input in their respective modalities.

Question 8

Rather than simply repeating key terms and concepts, Jeremy focused on the meaning of the information in the chapter and tried to generate examples of concepts from his own experiences. Jeremy was using _____ to help encode information into his long-term memory.

Accepted Answer

Elaborative rehearsal involves making meaningful connections to information being learned, which can help with encoding it into long-term memory. This is contrasted with maintenance rehearsal, which involves simple repetition of information without any attempt to make connections or meaning out of it. The serial position effect refers to the tendency to remember information presented at the beginning or end of a list better than information presented in the middle. Contextual cues refer to environmental factors or associations that can help trigger memories.

Question 9

What was psychologist George Miller describing in his paper entitled "The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two"?

Accepted Answer

In his paper, George Miller was describing the number of items or bits of information that can be held in short-term memory at one time, which he found to be around 7, plus or minus 2.

Question 10

Jamie found the ISBN of the book she wanted to order in the Books in Print Catalog. To remember the 11-digit number, 19772552901, she thought of the number as the year her best friend was born (1977) and her aunt's phone number (255-2901). Jamie was using the strategy of _____ to help her remember the ISBN number.

Accepted Answer

Jamie used chunking to help her remember the ISBN number by breaking it down into meaningful chunks (e.g. the year her friend was born and her aunt's phone number). This is a memory technique that involves grouping information into smaller, more manageable units.

Question 11

According to the working memory model developed by British psychologist Alan Baddeley, the _____ is to verbal material as the _____ is to visual or spatial material.

Accepted Answer

The phonological loop is responsible for handling verbal and auditory information, while the visuospatial sketchpad is tasked with managing visual and spatial information, according to Baddeley's model.

Question 12

Because she didn't have a piece of paper handy, Mary mentally repeated the long-distance phone number over and over. Mary was trying to keep this information in her _____ memory.

Accepted Answer

Short-term memory refers to the temporary storage of information that is currently being used or processed, such as trying to remember a phone number before writing it down. In this scenario, Mary mentally repeated the phone number to retain it in her short-term memory until she could find a piece of paper to write it on.

Question 13

Not every researcher accepts that short-term memory is limited to exactly seven items, plus or minus two. Recent research suggests that the true "magical number" is more likely to be:

Accepted Answer

Recent studies and research in psychology suggest that the capacity of short-term memory is more limited than previously thought, with a more accurate "magical number" being around four, plus or minus one, rather than the earlier proposed seven, plus or minus two.

Question 14

Consider this sentence: "Sean was able to get the dog to come out from under the abandoned house by shaking a bag of dog food." In order for you to consciously make sense of the sentence, the information was processed in your _____ memory.

Accepted Answer

The sentence includes specific information about an event that occurred in the past, so it requires conscious processing, which is primarily carried out in short-term memory. The sensory memories (auditory and visual) are responsible for momentarily holding sensory information. Long-term memory generally stores information that has been previously processed and is available for later retrieval.

Question 15

At an auto parts store, Adam looked up an oil filter number in the parts catalog. Adam mentally repeated the number, PF3807A, as he searched the shelves for the correct oil filter for his car. Adam was using _____ to keep the information in his short-term memory.

Accepted Answer

Adam is using maintenance rehearsal, which involves repeating information to keep it in short-term memory. Elaborative rehearsal involves connecting new information to existing knowledge or memories, distributed practice involves spacing out study sessions over time, and source monitoring involves keeping track of where information came from.

Question 16

When studying for a test in his Lifespan Development class, Mario tries to apply the information to his own life in order to better retain the material. Mario is demonstrating:

Accepted Answer

Mario is using the self-reference effect by connecting the information he's studying to himself, which has been shown to enhance memory retention. Procedural memory is related to motor skills and actions, and maintenance rehearsal involves repeating information without making connections or meaning. Episodic memory involves recalling personal experiences, but Mario is not necessarily doing this.

Question 17

The "phonological loop," "visuospatial sketchpad," and "central executive" are:

Accepted Answer

These are the three main components in the model of working memory developed by British psychologist Alan Baddeley. The phonological loop is responsible for the temporary storage and processing of auditory information, the visuospatial sketchpad is responsible for temporary storage and manipulation of visual and spatial information, and the central executive acts as a supervisory system that controls and coordinates the activities of the other two components.

Question 18

How can you increase the length of time that you can hold information in your short-term memory?

Accepted Answer

Using maintenance rehearsal, such as repeating the information, can help to keep the information in short-term memory for a longer period of time.

Answer: B 
 Clustering involves organizing information into meaningful groups, which can help to improve recall and retention in short-term memory.

Answer: C and D are incorrect 
 Moving information into sensory memory and using iconic memory are not effective ways to increase the length of time information can be held in short-term memory.

Question 19

According to the working memory model developed by British psychologist Alan Baddeley, the "phonological loop":

Accepted Answer

The phonological loop is specialized for verbal material, specifically for the temporary storage and manipulation of speech-based information. It consists of two components: the phonological store (which holds auditory or speech-based information for a few seconds) and the articulatory loop (which allows for the rehearsal and maintenance of phonological information).

Question 20

British psychologist and memory researcher Alan Baddeley developed:

Accepted Answer

Alan Baddeley is best known for his influential model of working memory. This model proposed the idea of multiple components of working memory, including the visuospatial sketchpad, the phonological loop, and the central executive, all of which work together to allow us to manipulate and temporarily store information in our minds.

Quiz 6: Section 2: Memory