PSYC 1020: Memory multiple choice questions

213 Th e forgetting curve measures which of the following? (A) Th e amount of previously learned information that subjects remember across time (B) Th e amount of new information that can remain in the short-term memory (C) Memory that cannot be consciously remembered over time (D) Th e amount of information children can retain over age fi ve (E) Th e amount of information one can memorize in any given day

(A) Choice (A) is the defi nition of the forgetting curve.

Which of the following examples best illustrates episodic memory? (A) Remembering that you got a bicycle for your 12th birthday (B) Knowing that Christopher Columbus sailed in 1492 (C) Teaching someone how to play tennis (D) Reciting the alphabet (E) Understanding a conversation someone is having in a foreign language

(A) Episodic memory is a type of memory that involves knowledge of a specifi c event or personal experience. In this case, remembering that you got a bicycle is a personal memory. Choices (B), (D), and (E) are all examples of semantic memory. Choice (C) is an example of procedural memory.

Which of the following statements best explains one major diff erence between short-term memory and long-term memory? (A) Long-term memory is unlimited in capacity while short-term memory is not. (B) Long-term memory holds only episodic memories while short-term memory does not. (C) Long-term memory varies a great deal from one person to another, while short-term memory does not. (D) In terms of processing, long-term memory comes directly after sensory memory while short-term memory does not. (E) Long-term memory depends on neural connections in the limbic system while short-term memory does not.

(A) Long-term memory does have an unlimited capacity. Short-term memory can hold an average of seven items for up to 30 seconds. Th e other choices were simply put there to confuse the reader.

Kimberly knows she did something embarrassing at her friend's birthday party many years before, but she cannot remember what it was. Th is is an example of: (A) Repression (B) Amnesia (C) Forgetting curve (D) Implicit memory (E) Interference

(A) Repression is a mental process that involves automatically hiding emotionally threatening or anxiety-provoking information in the unconscious. In this scenario, Kimberly did something embarrassing and her unconscious is blocking her memory of the event.

Linda looks up a telephone number for take-out pizza. She repeats it over and over as she dials the number. However, after giving her order and hanging up, she has forgotten the number. Th is is an example of the use of what memory process? (A) Short-term memory (B) Sensory memory (C) Automatic processing (D) Echoic memory (E) Iconic memory

(A) Short-term memory is also called working memory for this very reason. Because it only has a limited amount of space, one must make a conscious eff ort to keep the information there for a short period of time before it disappears. Th e other choices do not apply to the scenario.

Th e amygdala is responsible for which of the following types of memories? (A) Emotional (B) Procedural (C) Factual (D) Iconic (E) Visual

(A) Th e amygdala is responsible for emotionally charged memories.

211 After making a mess of the playroom, Mason visualizes where each toy should be placed in the room. He is using: (A) Method of loci (B) Peg method (C) Visualization (D) Elaborate rehearsal (E) Procedural memory

(A) Th e method of loci creates a visual association between already memorized places and new items to be memorized. In this scenario, the playroom is the "already memorized place." Th e toys are the "to be memorized items." Th e peg method refers to an encoding process that creates associations between number-word rhymes and items to be memorized, for example, "one is thumb, two is shoe."

After his car accident, Paul cannot make any new memories. In fact, to remember his daily activities Paul must write everything down. Th is is known as: (A) Retrograde amnesia (B) Anterograde amnesia (C) Proactive interference (D) Retroactive interference (E) Dissociative amnesia

(B) Anterograde amnesia is the type of amnesia that prevents an individual from making new memories after the head trauma. Retrograde amnesia is the inability to recall events preceding the head trauma. Choices (C) and (D) refer to blocking or disrupting information.

Maintenance rehearsal involves: (A) Recalling the words at the end of a list (B) Intentionally repeating information (C) Processing visual memories (D) Systematically recalling information (E) Processing iconic memories

(B) Choice (B) is the defi nition of maintenance rehearsal. Intentionally repeating information can help the information remain in your short-term memory for a longer period of time.

Th e primacy eff ect is best explained by which of the following statements? (A) Items on a list with unique meaning are more likely to be remembered. (B) Th e fi rst items on a list are likely to be more eff ectively rehearsed and therefore more likely to be remembered. (C) Items on a list presented more recently are more likely to be remembered. (D) Items on a list with simplistic meaning are more likely to be remembered. (E) Th e last items on a list are more likely to be encoded fi rst and therefore remembered.

(B) Choice (B) specifi cally describes the phenomenon behind the primacy eff ect. Words at the beginning of a list are more likely to be remembered because of proper rehearsal and encoding techniques. Choices (C) and (E) would apply to the recency eff ect.

Suppose you are absorbed in reading a novel and a friend asks you a question. You stop reading and ask, "What did you say?" As soon as the words leave your mouth, you realize you can recall your friend's exact words. What is the reason for your ability to play back these words? (A) Iconic memory (B) Echoic memory (C) Semantic memory (D) Sensory memory (E) Short-term memory

(B) Echoic memory is a form of sensory memory that holds auditory information for one to two seconds. In this case you are able to recall your friend's exact words because they are still in your echoic memory. Iconic memory is a form of sensory memory that holds visual information for a brief period of time. Sensory memory is the initial process that receives and holds environmental information. Short-term memory is the process of holding information for a short period of time, but it is not what would have been used in this particular situation.

Th e process of encoding information from short-term memory to longterm memory is most effi cient when it: (A) Has a procedural manner (B) Involves some kind of association (C) Uses repetition (D) Does not use repetition (E) Uses semantic memory

(B) Making associations increases the likelihood that the information will be encoded properly. Repetition by itself does not ensure effi cient encoding from STM to LTM.

Maya is currently enrolled in an Italian class at her local college. While on spring break, Maya travels to Italy. She is excited to practice her new skills, but when she gets there she is having trouble. Every time she tries to speak Italian, Spanish words she learned in high school come out. Th is is an example of: (A) Retroactive interference (B) Proactive interference (C) Retrograde amnesia (D) Anterograde amnesia (E) Dissociative interference

(B) Proactive interference occurs when old information, in this case the Spanish language, blocks or disrupts the remembering of related new information, in this case, the Italian language. Choice (A) is not correct because retroactive interference occurs when new information blocks the retrieval of old information learned earlier. Choices (C) and (D) refer to a type of amnesia that occurs after a head trauma.

Recognition involves which of the following? (A) Retrieving previously learned information without the presence of any cues (B) Using the available cues to identify information that has already been learned (C) Filling in a specifi c amount of information without the use of any newly learned cues (D) Using available cues to create an entirely new response (E) Encoding new information to replace previously learned information

(B) Recognition involves identifying previously learned information with the help of more external cues. A multiple-choice test is an example of recognition. Choice (A) is an example of recall, not recognition. Choice (D) was placed there to confuse students. Recognition is not creating entirely new responses.

Which of the following exemplifi es retrograde interference? (A) Ella failed her French test because she was confusing it with Spanish words she studied last year. (B) Ava, a medical student, failed her test on the bones in the hand because she studied for the bones in the foot after studying the hand. (C) Isabella can no longer form new memories after her head trauma. (D) Nya remembers only the last three items her mom put on the grocery shopping list. (E) Emma cannot remember her third-grade teacher's name, but she does remember her fourth-grade teacher's name.

(B) Remember, retrograde interference is when new information disrupts the retrieval of old information. In this case Ava studied the bones in the foot, the new information, which interfered with remembering the bones in the hand, the old information. Choice (A) is an example of proactive interference.

Talking to yourself over and over again, repeating information silently or out loud, is called: (A) Elaborate rehearsal (B) Rote rehearsal (C) Procedural memory (D) Declarative memory (E) Semantic memory

(B) Rote rehearsal is also known as maintenance rehearsal. It is the practice of intentionally repeating information so it remains longer in short-term memory. Elaborate rehearsal involves actively making meaningful associations between information to be learned and information already stored in long-term memory.

Which type of memory is also referred to as working memory? (A) Long-term memory (B) Short-term memory (C) Sensory memory (D) Semantic memory (E) Episodic memory

(B) Short-term memory is called working memory because it can hold only a limited amount of information for a short period of time, between 2 and 30 seconds. If during that time you become more involved in the information, it can last longer.

Th e ability to maintain exact detailed visual memories over a signifi cant period of time is called: (A) Flashbulb memory (B) Semantic memory (C) Eidetic memory (D) Echoic memory (E) Iconic memory

(C) Eidetic memory or imagery is the ability to examine a picture and then retain the detailed visual image. Th is is found in a small percentage of children. Flashbulb memories are vivid recollections of dramatic incidents. Semantic memories are declarative memories consisting of factual knowledge. Echoic memories hold auditory information. Iconic memories hold visual images.

Katie was able to remember the number 111 by associating it with Admiral Nelson, who happened to have one eye, one arm, and one leg. Th is is an example of: (A) Retrieving (B) Storing (C) Encoding (D) Memory (E) Imagery

(C) Encoding is the process of transferring information from short-term memory to long-term memory by paying attention to it or by forming new associations. In this case Katie made a new association with the number 111. Choice (D) does seem like it could be the correct answer because it is the ability to retain information; however, encoding gives a more specifi c explanation.

Maintenance rehearsal is to elaborate rehearsal as: (A) Long-term memory is to short-term memory (B) Sensory memory is to long-term memory (C) Short-term memory is to long-term memory (D) Sensory memory is to short-term memory (E) Automatic memory is to long-term memory

(C) Maintenance rehearsal, the practice of intentionally repeating information, is necessary for information to remain in STM for up to 30 seconds. For information to be processed into LTM, elaborate rehearsal is necessary. Elaborate rehearsal involves making meaningful associations between information to be learned and information already stored in long-term memory.

When asked why she fears spiders, Sophia is unable to explain her fears, where they came from, or how she got them. Th is is an example of: (A) Semantic memory, which helps us avoid painful memories (B) Episodic memory, which has knowledge of specifi c personal memories (C) Procedural memory, which holds memories that we are not aware of (D) Echoic memory, which holds memories we cannot retrieve (E) Iconic memory, which allows us to forget fear-inducing thoughts

(C) Procedural memory involves things learned through classical conditioning. We are not aware of these memories and cannot retrieve them. In this case Sophia is unable to explain her fear of spiders, which would fall under procedural memories.

Recognition is to recall as: (A) Fill-in is to multiple choice (B) Fill-in is to essay (C) Multiple choice is to fi ll-in (D) Multiple choice is to essay (E) Multiple choice is to matching

(C) Recognition involves identifying previously learned information with the help of external cues. Multiple-choice questions exemplify recognition because cues exist. Recall involves retrieving previously learned information without the aid of external cues. A fi llin-the-blank test does not give the reader any cues to work with.

Retrograde amnesia can best be defi ned as: (A) Memory loss for events that occur after the time of the incident (B) Memory loss that occurs from childbirth (C) Memory loss for events that have occurred before the time of the incident (D) Memory loss without any specifi c cause (E) Memory loss for events that have occurred before and after the incident

(C) Retrograde amnesia involves memory loss for events that occurred before the time of the head trauma. Choice (A) is the defi nition for anterograde amnesia. Th e other choices do not apply to this question.

Subjects in an experiment learned a sequence of letters (PSQ). Th en they were given a three-digit number (167) and asked to count backwards by threes: 167, 164, 161, and so on, for 18 seconds. At the end they were asked to recall the three letters. Th e subjects showed a rapid decline in their ability to remember the letters. Th is phenomenon is known as: (A) Proactive interference (B) Retroactive interference (C) Decay theory (D) Forgetting curve (E) Episodic interference

(C) Th e decay theory argues that the passage of time causes forgetting. In this case, the passage of time caused the subjects to forget the three letters. Choices (A) and (B) refer to the disruption of information due to either new information or old information getting in the way. Th e forgetting curve is probably the choice most students will mistake for the correct answer. But the forgetting curve is based on the idea that the majority of information is forgotten within the fi rst hour and then it levels off . Th is question does not give enough information for the reader to assume the forgetting curve phenomenon was at work here.

Th e method of loci includes which of the following three steps? (A) Create visual places, memorize those places, create vivid imagery (B) Create vivid associations, memorize visual sequences, put associations into places (C) Memorize visual sequence of places, create vivid associations, put associations into selected places (D) Memorize selected places, create vivid imagery, memorize vivid imagery (E) Create vivid associations, memorize associations, put associations into places

(C) Th e method of loci is an encoding technique that creates visual associations between already memorized places and new items to be memorized. It is a three-step process that involves memorizing familiar places, creating associations for each item to be memorized, and putting each item into the memorized place. An example of this could be selecting a specifi c place in your apartment to keep your keys and always remembering that place. Based on this defi nition, choice (C) is the correct answer.

After forgetting the combination to several other locks, Nate was trying to fi nd a way to remember the combination to the new lock he bought last week. Th e combination is 19, 20, 9. To remember the combination, he thinks of the year 1929. His method to remember this is an example of: (A) Elaborate rehearsal (B) Maintenance rehearsal (C) Short-term memory (D) Chunking (E) Decoding

(D) Chunking is combining separate items of information into a larger unit, then remembering chunks of information rather than individual items. Elaborate rehearsal involves actively making meaningful associations between information, not what was done in the scenario presented in the question. Maintenance rehearsal is simply repeating information.

Which of the following is not an example of eff ortful encoding? (A) Maintenance rehearsal (B) Repetition (C) Meaningful associations (D) Chunking (E) Transferring information from STM to LTM

(D) Chunking is the only choice that is not part of eff ortful encoding. Eff ortful encoding involves the transfer of information from STM to LTM either by repeating the information, rehearsing it, or making associations between new and old information.

After studying for a test, Jack realized he remembered exactly where a particular piece of information appeared on a page in his textbook, even though he did not try to remember the item. Th is is an example of: (A) Explicit memory (B) Procedural memory (C) Declarative memory (D) Implicit memory (E) Semantic memory

(D) Implicit memory is information that either was unintentionally committed to memory or was unintentionally retrieved from memory. In this case, Jack did not realize he remembered where a particular piece of information was on a page; therefore, it is an example of implicit memory. Explicit memory is intentionally committing information to memory

Corey sits at his kitchen table to think about what he needs to buy at the grocery store. He is using his ability to: (A) Recognize (B) Recite (C) Memorize (D) Recall (E) Initiate

(D) Recall involves retrieving previously learned information, in this case, items from the grocery store, without the aid of or with very few external cues.

During his English class, Ben is able to recall the author of Th e Scarlet Letter. Th is type of memory is called: (A) Procedural (B) Episodic (C) Long term (D) Semantic (E) Constructive

(D) Semantic memory involves knowledge of facts, concepts, words, defi nitions, and language rules. Episodic memory is incorrect because it involves specifi c personal experiences. Procedural memory is incorrect because it involves memories of skills and habits

While walking home from a party drunk, Jeff witnessed a crime. When questioned by the police the following day, he could not remember what he saw. After drinking some liquor, Jeff remembered the crime. Th is phenomenon best illustrates: (A) Th e framing eff ect (B) Short-term memory loss (C) Hypnotic amnesia (D) State-dependent memory (E) Anterograde amnesia

(D) State-dependent learning is the idea that we recall information more easily when we are in the same physiological or emotional state as when the information was originally encoded. In this case when Jeff drank alcohol, it put him in the same physiological state, enabling him to remember the details of the crime.

198 One of the earliest psychologists to study memory and forgetting was Herman Ebbinghaus, who used himself as a subject to test his own recall of a list of nonsense syllables, previously learned through rehearsal. From his work he came up with the concept of a forgetting curve. Th is suggests: (A) Remembering nonsense syllables can be encoded faster than meaningful information. (B) Old information will interfere with new information being encoded into LTM. (C) New information will interfere with old information already stored in LTM. (D) Recall of meaningless information drops very soon after initial learning and then levels off . (E) Recall of meaningless information cannot be retrieved more than three hours after encoding.

(D) Th e forgetting curve measures the amount of previously learned information that the subject can recall or recognize over time. Ebbinghaus himself forgot the greatest number of nonsense syllables within the fi rst hour.

Which of the following brain structures plays an important role in memory storage, from STM to LTM? (A) Th alamus (B) Hypothalamus (C) Amygdala (D) Hippocampus (E) Cerebrum

(D) Th e hippocampus transfers words, facts, and personal events from short-term memory to long-term memory. People with damage to the hippocampus cannot save any declarative memories. Choice (C) could be tempting, but the amygdala deals with emotional feelings associated with memories, not the transfer from STM to LTM.

Th e ability to transfer information about words, facts, and events (declarative information) from STM to LTM depends on activity in which part of the brain? (A) Hypothalamus (B) Th alamus (C) Amygdala (D) Hippocampus (E) Medulla

(D) Th e hippocampus works similar to the save button on your computer. It transfers a fi le into permanent storage on your hard drive. People with damage to the hippocampus cannot save any declarative memories, such as new words or personal events.

According to the information-processing model, which is the correct order of inputting information? (A) Encode semantically, retrieve elaborately, store information (B) Retrieve from long-term memory, encode in short-term memory, encode in sensory memory (C) Encode in sensory memory, encode in short-term memory, encode in long-term memory (D) Store information, retrieve upon demand, encode necessary information (E) Encode with sensory receptors, store information, retrieve upon demand

(E) For information to be processed it must go through three steps: Encoding using sensory receptors is the initial step because it is picking up information from the environment in its raw form. Storing information is the second step in the process; to retrieve the information at a later time, the information has to be stored properly to begin with. Th e third step is the ability, when necessary, to retrieve it. Information cannot be retrieved before it has been stored.

Jayden consciously pushes the due date for his term project out of his mind, so much so that on the day it is due, Jayden must take an incomplete from his teacher. Th is is an example of: (A) Repression (B) Aggression (C) Amnesia (D) Forgetting (E) Suppression

(E) Suppression is the process of deliberately trying to stop thinking about something. Repression is the unconscious process of forgetting past memories. Amnesia is usually brought on by some type of head trauma. Forgetting is the inability to retrieve, recall, or recognize information.

Which of the following statements is not true? (A) Deep processing involves elaborate rehearsal. (B) Automatic processing is unconscious encoding of information. (C) Interference results when new information enters short-term memory and pushes out old information. (D) Levels of processing theory says that remembering depends on how information is encoded. (E) Declarative memory involves memories for skills, habits, and things learned through classical conditioning.

(E) Th e only false statement is choice (E). Procedural memory involves skills, habits, and things learned through classical conditioning, not declarative memory. Declarative memory involves facts or events such as scenes, stories, words, or conversations.

In which memory store is rehearsal most beneficial for maintaining information? Selected Answer: a. short-term memory b. intermediate-term memory c. long-term memory d. sensory memory

a

Poor memory for information often occurs when the information receives only a shallow level of processing. In this case, what leads to memory failure? a. ineffective encoding b. interference c. storage failure d. retrieval failure

a

Which memory phenomenon provides evidence to suggest that recovered memories may be false? Selected Answer: a. misinformation effect b. state-dependent learning c. proactive interference d. pseudoforgetting

a

Which memory system contains your memory of your favourite birthday party? Selected Answer: a. episodic memory b. procedural memory c. semantic memory d. nondeclarative memory

a

According to levels of processing theory, what type of processing leads to longer-lasting memory codes? Selected Answer: a. deeper processing b. shallower processing c. narrower processing d. broader processing

a.

What do we call the strategies designed to enhance memory through the use of either verbal cues or visual imagery to enrich encoding? Selected Answer: a. serial-position identifiers b. mnemonic devices c. acronyms d. methods of loci

b

Which method of retention assessment is a history teacher using when he asks his students to state from memory the categories defined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms? a. recitation b. recall c. relearning d. recognition

b

If you remember the names of the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) by recalling the word "HOMES" as a cue, what are you using? a. link method b. acrostic method c. acronym method d. method of loci

c

Psychologists who accept the accuracy of recovered memories of abuse are most likely to attribute the recent upsurge in recovered memories to which factor? a. use of more effective techniques that allow for the recovery of childhood memories b. an increase in the level of childhood abuse occurring in society c. increased sensitivity to an issue that people used to be reluctant to discuss d. inadvertently created memories after a therapist makes suggestions of childhood abuse

c

Their mom asked Emil and Niklas to help her remember to buy apples. While Emil focused his attention on how apples were his favourite fruit, Niklas thought of seeing a bag of big red apples in the shopping cart. Which methods were the two boys using? a. elaboration and structural encoding b. phonemic encoding and structural encoding c. elaboration and visual imagery d. phonemic encoding and visual imagery

c