Question 1

A classroom of talkative students immediately quiets down and pays attention when the teacher yells, "Listen to me!" quite loudly. The students' sudden attentiveness to the teacher demonstrates the effect of _______ on attention.
A) stimulus intensity
B) personal relevance
C) proximity
D) working memory

Accepted Answer

Stimulus intensity refers to the strength or loudness of a stimulus, and in this case, the teacher yelling loudly created a strong stimulus that caught the students' attention and caused them to shift their focus to the teacher's message. Personal relevance refers to the degree to which a stimulus is important or meaningful to an individual, while proximity refers to how physically close a stimulus is to an individual. Working memory refers to the part of memory where information is actively manipulated and processed. While all of these factors can influence attention, in this particular scenario, it was the strength of the teacher's stimulus that had the biggest impact on the students' attention.

Question 2

When memory theorists talk about control processes, they are talking about:
A) Observable behaviors
B) How the environment structures people's opportunities to learn new things
C) The methods that teachers use to facilitate a learner's memory for information
D) Cognitive processes that affect storage and retrieval of information
E)g., walking to a new location) that affect what information in the environment is encountered

Accepted Answer

Control processes refer to the cognitive processes that affect storage and retrieval of information in memory. These processes can include attention, encoding, rehearsal, and retrieval strategies, among others.

Question 3

Each of the women below is engaging in two activities simultaneously. Considering contemporary views of attention, identify the woman who should have the greatest difficulty doing both things at once.
A) Amelia is thinking about what to cook for dinner while she combs her hair.
B) Brenda is watching the evening news on television while she studies for an exam.
C) As Camille walks down the street, she calls a friend on her cell phone to express anger about his inconsiderate behavior earlier in the day.
D) As she jogs around the track at the health club, Donna is trying to decide where to go on her vacation next month.

Accepted Answer

Brenda is engaging in two activities (watching the evening news and studying for an exam) that both require high levels of cognitive processing and attention, making it difficult to effectively do both at the same time.

Question 4

When a stray dog wanders into a classroom, all of the students stop their seatwork and watch the teacher try to coax the dog from the room. The students' attentiveness demonstrates the effect of _______ on attention.
A) novelty
B) proximity
C) size
D) personal significance

Accepted Answer

The presence of the stray dog in the classroom is a novel stimulus that captures the students' attention and distracts them from their seatwork. Therefore, the effect of novelty on attention is demonstrated in this scenario.

Question 5

William is trying to remember his new nine-digit social security number, and he does so by thinking of it as three groups of three digits each. William is demonstrating:
A) The use of chunking
B) Storage in the sensory register
C) Retrieval from working memory
D) The use of maintenance rehearsal

Accepted Answer

William is using chunking, which is the process of grouping individual pieces of information into larger units or chunks in order to remember them more easily. In this case, he is breaking his nine-digit social security number into three groups of three digits each, which makes it easier to remember.

Question 6

Which one of the following is the best example of encoding in the process of learning state capitals?
A) Abe learns Austin, Texas by making sure he is relaxed before he studies it.
B) Bernice focuses her eyes on the page that says "St. Paul, Minnesota" and keeps them focused there for at least 10 seconds.
C) Corey learns Atlanta, Georgia by thinking, "The Atlantic Ocean is gorgeous."
D) Darcy learns Sacramento, California by having a tape recorder play "Sacramento, California" over and over while she sleeps.

Accepted Answer

Encoding is the process of acquiring information and converting it into a format that can be stored in memory. Choice C illustrates this by showing how Corey links Atlanta, Georgia to the visual image of the Atlantic Ocean in order to remember it better. The other choices are not examples of encoding: A describes a relaxation technique, B describes sustained attention, and D describes subliminal messaging.

Question 7

Which one of the following best reflects the use of the sensory register component of memory?
A) You can remember a melody for several hours even though you don't remember the lyrics.
B) You can remember something you heard for a second or two even though you weren't initially paying attention to it.
C) You can remember the name of a person just long enough to introduce her to someone else.
D) You can remember the concept of reinforcement because you are able to relate it to your own experiences.

Accepted Answer

The sensory register component of memory is responsible for briefly holding sensory information from the environment. Option B best reflects this use as it describes remembering something heard for a brief moment even though one was not paying attention to it initially. Option A and C describe short-term memory and option D describes long-term memory.

Question 8

Which one of the following examples best illustrates involvement of a central executive in the human memory system?
A) Adam absentmindedly cracks his knuckles every minute or two.
B) Brigette works hard to keep her mind on her textbook as she reads.
C) As she sits in a science lecture, Claudia's thoughts continually drift to other topics.
D) David is frightened the first time he hears the loud noises at a fireworks display.

Accepted Answer

Brigette's intentional effort to keep her mind focused on her textbook indicates the involvement of central executive functions, which are responsible for directing attention, planning, decision-making, and other higher-order cognitive processes involved in memory. The other options describe more automatic or reflexive behaviors or experiences.

Question 9

During a lecture on World War II, Mr. Cochran tells his class about some of the major leaders of the countries involved in the war. He then asks Kathy to identify the leader of Great Britain during World War II, and she correctly responds, "Winston Churchill." At the time she answers the question, Kathy is exhibiting:
A) storage
B) retrieval
C) elaboration
D) proactive facilitation

Accepted Answer

Kathy is retrieving information from her memory in order to correctly answer Mr. Cochran's question about the leader of Great Britain during World War II.

Question 10

Which one of the following best illustrates the "working" aspect of working memory?
A) Efficiently using a pair of scissors
B) Confusing two people's names
C) Alphabetizing five names as you hold them in memory
D) Unconsciously adjusting your grip on a tennis racket in anticipation of executing a backhand swing

Accepted Answer

Alphabetizing five names as you hold them in memory requires the working aspect of working memory, which involves temporarily holding and manipulating information in our mind. The other options may involve memory and motor skills, but not necessarily the working aspect of working memory.

Question 11

Based on the textbook's discussion, you might best think of attention as being a process of:
A) Turning one's sensory receptors in the direction of desired information
B) Making stronger responses to bright or loud stimuli
C) Focusing one's cognitive processes on certain stimuli in the environment
D) Filtering out unwanted information, in much the same way that an oil filter removes unwanted particles

Accepted Answer

The textbook defines attention as the process of selectively focusing cognitive resources on certain stimuli in the environment while ignoring others. This definition aligns with option C, which describes the act of focusing cognitive processes on specific stimuli. Option A is not a complete definition of attention, as sensory receptors can be turned toward stimuli automatically without conscious processing or volition. Option B describes a phenomenon called sensory adaptation rather than attention. Option D describes a potential function of attention but is not a comprehensive definition.

Question 12

When psychologists refer to a dual-store model of memory, they are referring to a model in which:
A) A distinction is made between working and long-term memory
B) Functions rather than structures of memory are emphasized
C) Information must be processed more than once before it will be stored
D) A distinction is made between two different levels of processing

Accepted Answer

A dual-store model of memory distinguishes between two separate memory stores or systems: a short-term or working memory store, and a long-term memory store. Working memory is responsible for holding and manipulating information temporarily, while long-term memory is responsible for storing information over extended periods of time. This model emphasizes the structures of memory, rather than just functions.

Question 13

Which of the following children best illustrate the use of effortful control.
A) John loves dogs and can read books about dogs for hours.
B) Kate does not like to read and when her mother asks her to read, she watches her favorite TV show instead.
C) Beth does not like to read, but knows it is important, so she solely attends to reading for twenty minutes a day.
D) Natalie loves to read about dogs, but when she is assigned reading about cats, she takes her dog for a walk instead of completing the reading assignment.

Accepted Answer

Effortful control involves the ability to regulate one's own behavior in order to achieve a goal, even in the face of distractions or competing desires. Beth's ability to attend to reading, despite not liking it, exemplifies this type of self-regulation. John's love for reading about dogs and Natalie's avoidance of reading about cats do not demonstrate effortful control, as they are driven by their natural interests and desires. Kate's choice to watch TV instead of reading also does not demonstrate effortful control.

Question 14

Which one of the following most clearly illustrates the Gestalt principle of figure-ground?
A) Aaron is watching the teacher's face so intently that he doesn't notice what she is writing on the chalkboard.
B) Bart has difficulty seeing the difference between the letters b and d because the two letters are so similar in appearance.
C) Caryn is lost in her thoughts.
D) Darlene has difficulty judging the size of objects more than six meters away from her.

Accepted Answer

The Gestalt principle of figure-ground refers to the tendency for our visual system to automatically distinguish an object from its background. In option A, Aaron is so focused on the teacher's face that he doesn't notice what she is writing on the chalkboard, indicating that he has distinguished the teacher's face as the figure and the chalkboard as the background.

Question 15

Which one of the following statements best characterizes the duration of the sensory register?
A) Information can last indefinitely in the sensory register if the visual or auditory image is occasionally retrieved.
B) Meaningless information fades quickly, but meaningful information may remain for hours.
C) Most visual information lasts less than a second, with auditory information lasting slightly longer.
D) Information remains for about ten seconds regardless of its nature.

Accepted Answer

The duration of the sensory register is very brief, with visual information typically lasting less than a second and auditory information lasting slightly longer. This is because the sensory register acts as a buffer for incoming sensory information before it is either transferred to short-term memory or forgotten. Therefore, while some information may be temporarily stored in the sensory register, it is not intended to be retained there for any significant length of time.

Question 16

Learning theorists often emphasize the importance of attention in the learning process? From the perspective of the dual-store model of memory, why is attention so important?
A) It gets information into the sensory register.
B) It moves information from working memory into long-term memory.
C) It moves information from the sensory register into long-term memory.
D) It moves information from the sensory register into working memory.

Accepted Answer

Attention is important because it allows information in the sensory register to be transferred into working memory. From there, the information can be processed and potentially encoded into long-term memory. Without attention, information in the sensory register may be lost or forgotten before it has a chance to be processed further.

Question 17

Marnie attends very closely to the English teacher's lecture because she knows she must pass her English course in order to graduate. Marnie's attentiveness demonstrates the effect of _______ on attention.
A) stimulus intensity
B) personal significance
C) emotion
D) incongruity

Accepted Answer

Personal significance refers to the degree to which a stimulus is relevant or important to an individual's goals and needs. In this scenario, Marnie's goal of graduating is dependent on passing her English course, so the English teacher's lecture is personally significant to her and therefore captures her attention.

Question 18

Which one of the following is an accurate statement about the dual-store model of memory?
A) All information that reaches the sensory register also reaches short-term memory, but only a small percentage of this information is stored in long-term memory.
B) Information that must be remembered for a long time goes directly from the sensory register to long-term memory; less important information is stored in short-term memory.
C) All information that enters long-term memory must first pass through the sensory register and short-term memory.
D) The three components of memory are used to store different kinds of information: visual images are stored in the sensory register, most numerical information is stored in short-term memory, and verbal information is stored in long-term memory.

Accepted Answer

The dual-store model proposes that all information enters the sensory register, where it is held briefly before either decaying or passing into short-term memory. From short-term memory, information can be rehearsed and maintained for a longer period of time or transferred to long-term memory. Therefore, all information that enters long-term memory must have first passed through the sensory register and short-term memory. Choice A is incorrect because not all information that reaches the sensory register necessarily makes it to short-term memory. Choice B is incorrect because the model does not suggest that information is sorted based on importance. Choice D is incorrect because the model does not divide information storage by type.

Question 19

Look at this word: KITE
Without turning the page, try to imagine how the word would look if it were rotated 180º. To perform this task successfully, you would need to make considerable use of that part of your working memory known as the:
A) visuospatial sketchpad
B) reticular formation
C) phonological loop
D) sensory register

Accepted Answer

The visuospatial sketchpad is responsible for temporarily storing and manipulating visual and spatial information in working memory. By trying to imagine how the word KITE would look if rotated 180º, one is utilizing the visuospatial sketchpad. The other options, such as the phonological loop (which deals with auditory information) and the sensory register (which holds sensory information for a brief period), are not relevant to this task.

Question 20

Considering current views regarding the capacity of working memory, which one of the following sets of information could be held entirely in working memory?
A) The names of 20 friends
B) The visual images of 20 friends
C) Two pages of narrative from a mystery novel
D) A list of five miscellaneous household objects

Accepted Answer

Working memory can hold between 5-9 items, and sometimes up to 7 items. The list of 5 miscellaneous household objects fits within this range and could be held entirely in working memory. The other options, such as 20 names or 2 pages of narrative, would exceed the capacity of working memory.

Quiz 7: Basic Components of Memory

A classroom of talkative students immediately quiets down and pays attention when the teacher yells, "Listen to me!" quite loudly. The students' sudden attentiveness to the teacher demonstrates the effect of _______ on attention.

When memory theorists talk about control processes, they are talking about:

Each of the women below is engaging in two activities simultaneously. Considering contemporary views of attention, identify the woman who should have the greatest difficulty doing both things at once.

When a stray dog wanders into a classroom, all of the students stop their seatwork and watch the teacher try to coax the dog from the room. The students' attentiveness demonstrates the effect of _______ on attention.

William is trying to remember his new nine-digit social security number, and he does so by thinking of it as three groups of three digits each. William is demonstrating:

Which one of the following is the best example of encoding in the process of learning state capitals?

Which one of the following best reflects the use of the sensory register component of memory?

Which one of the following examples best illustrates involvement of a central executive in the human memory system?

Which one of the following best illustrates the "working" aspect of working memory?

Based on the textbook's discussion, you might best think of attention as being a process of:

When psychologists refer to a dual-store model of memory, they are referring to a model in which:

Which of the following children best illustrate the use of effortful control.

Which one of the following most clearly illustrates the Gestalt principle of figure-ground?

Which one of the following statements best characterizes the duration of the sensory register?

Learning theorists often emphasize the importance of attention in the learning process? From the perspective of the dual-store model of memory, why is attention so important?

Marnie attends very closely to the English teacher's lecture because she knows she must pass her English course in order to graduate. Marnie's attentiveness demonstrates the effect of _______ on attention.

Which one of the following is an accurate statement about the dual-store model of memory?

Look at this word: KITE Without turning the page, try to imagine how the word would look if it were rotated 180º. To perform this task successfully, you would need to make considerable use of that part of your working memory known as the:

Considering current views regarding the capacity of working memory, which one of the following sets of information could be held entirely in working memory?