Questions people made up on cogn. psychology Flashcards
Your friend insists a fact was in the lecture, but your notes prove them wrong. Which memory error explains this? (Short answer)
memory intrusion error, where false details are mistakenly recalled due to associative memory or schema-driven regularization where we fill gaps with expected information. Confidence in memory doesn’t always match accuracy, leading to strong but incorrect beliefs
Explain the key differences between long-term and short-term memory in terms of the encoding processes
Short-term memory relies on acoustic and visual encoding. Information is stored based on what it sounds like and looks like, like saying a phone number out loud to remember it. Long-term memory depends on semantic encoding, information is stored based on the significance and the connections it holds.
What is the role of the phonological loop?
temporarily store and process verbal and auditory information. It plays a crucial role in short-term memory.
What does Sn stand for in the table above?
the vocab words that were not recalled from the previous test were studied in the study portion of this current study period.
Given the information above, which group tended to have a higher Cumulative Proportion Recalled after 2 trials?
SnT
Is implicit memory limited to peripheral cognitive skills or motor skills?
Neither.
What is classical conditioning?
learning about associations among stimuli.
What is the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) procedure used for?
Inducing false memories
Which example is a memory error?
Seeing a book on someone else’s desk when there was not actually a book there.
Which of the following is not one of the three fundamental phases of memory formation
Attention
What type of learning is characterized by learning without intentionally trying to remember the information?
Incidental learning
Someone got into an accident and had a brain injury. They haven’t been able to form new memories since the brain injury. What is the name of this memory issue?
anterograde amnesia
During spreading activation, what happens when the response threshold is reached?
node fires
What process is when the activation of an idea in memory causes activation to spread to other ideas related to the first in meaning?
Semantic Priming
Which is not a component of the working-memory system?
Contextual Buffer
Once we have acquired the information, we need to hold it into memory until we need it. This phase is knows as:
Storage
Context-dependent learning tells us how the performance of the person is the best if the circumstances during the test are different than the circumstances during learning.
False
Which of the following best describes flashbulb memory?
A vivid and detailed recollection of an emotionally significant event
What is the primary function of working memory?
To process and manipulate information in real-time
What was the key finding of the Karpicke and Roediger (2008) study on study techniques and memory retention?
Repeated retrieval practice (testing) significantly improved long-term memory retention.
In the Karpicke and Roediger (2008) study, which group performed better after one week, despite studying less?
SNT group – stopped studying recalled pairs but kept testing them
Which is a characteristic of LTM?
stores information for extended periods
How does spreading activation help explain memory hints/cues?
activates similar ideas in memory to help recall
What is the main function of the WM?
To hold and manipulate information for short-term tasks.
What is the main function of long-term memory?
To store information permanently for future retrieval.
A type of sensory memory:
Echoic memory
Memories may weaken due to
Interference
What was the key factor that led to improved long-term retention for the ST and SnT groups?
repeated retrieval practice
What are the 3 fundamental phases of memory formation
Encoding, Storage, and Retrieval
How did the impact of retrieval practice on long-term memory help with the performance of each group?
Retrieval practice helped with improving long-term memory because the participants were repetitively reminded of the word pairing
How did the study phase differ for each groups?
The ST and SNT groups had the benefit of repetitive retrieval practice even after the word-pairs were dropped, while STN and SNTN were not tested after recalling the words.
What happens before you make memories?
gain info and Acquire new info
What can be the typical duration of info retained in short term memory?
15-30sec
true or false: the SNT group was the group that had words dropped from the test section but were still studied once they were learned. answer
false
Which set of groups performed better than the other set of groups
ST & SNT
Which working memory effect explains how someone recalls the last few items in a sequence?
Recency Effect
According to Karpicke and Roediger’s research, what was the primary factor that influenced long-term memory retention in participants?
The primary factor that influenced long-term memory retention was retrieval practice. The participants who were repeatedly tested retained more after a week than those who only studied.
What were the four groups in the study, and how did their study and testing conditions differ?
The four groups in the study were ST (Study-Test), SNT (Study-No Test), STN (Study-Test with Dropped Items), and SNTN (Study-No Test with Dropped Items). All groups studied the material, but only ST and STN were tested after each cycle. Additionally, SNTN dropped correctly recalled items from further study and testing, while STN, ST, and SNT continued reviewing all items.
Derrick slips and hits his head on the floor. He wakes up in the hospital and he cannot remember what had happened up until that point. He is still able to form new memories. This is an example of
retrograde amnesia
The idea that we remember information better when in the same environment that we learned them in.
Encoding specificity
How does imagery affect false memory?
Imagery increases a person’s confidence in recalling a false memory.
In Paper 1, “Do Tests Make Us Remember Better?” which two forms of learning styles were the most successful in long-term recall and recognition?
ST & SNT
All mental activities require what?
Working memory
What was the main finding in relation to the ST group’s performance in the memory test compare to the SNTN group?
ST Group:100% of word pairs,
SNTN: remembered only 36%
ST consistency with testing remarkably increased memory recollection.
How did participant’s predictions of their recall match up to their real performance?
Participants anticipated to remember about 50%, but the ST and SNT groups recalled around 80%. The SNTN group’s short recall in Session 2 tells us that they did not learn well in Session 1.
Which of the following best describes the study cycle as a learning strategy?
A repetitive learning method that involves previewing, attending class, reviewing, studying, and self-assessing to build long-term understanding.
Why do psychological experiments often include multiple groups, such as experimental and control groups?
compare the effects of different conditions and determine if the independent variable causes changes in the dependent variable.
Which of the following is an example of episodic knowledge?
remembering the first day of school
Which of the following best describes flashbulb memory?
a vivid and detailed memory of an emotionally significant event
Why is counting the shared properties of two objects insufficient for determining their similarity?
Some properties are more relevant than others, and shared trivial properties may not indicate actual similarity.
What is the retention interval?
The amount of time that elapses between the initial learning of something and the subsequent retrieval.
What is the primacy effect?
tendency to be more likely to remember things at the beginning of a sequence of information
What is an example of context dependent retrieval?
Remembering information better when in the same location as when it was learned
Which of the following best describes the role of short-term memory in the Modal Model?
It serves as a temporary storage system that can only hold information for a few seconds
Which of the following best describes the role of retrieval in memory?
It strengthens memory by reinforcing neural connections
When asked to remember the word “chicken” participants of a research study were shown a sentence containing the word “chicken.” Which of these sentences would promote a richer retrieval path for remembering the word “chicken” later?
The great bird swooped down and carried off the struggling chicken
Which of the following is true regarding context-dependent learning?
Retrieval is best when learning and test circumstances match
Which of the following best describes the role of short-term memory in the Modal Model?
It serves as a temporary storage system that can only hold information for a few seconds
Which of the following best describes the role of retrieval in memory?
It strengthens memory by reinforcing neural connections
Explain the primacy and recency effects in memory recall. How do these effects illustrate the differences between short-term memory and working memory?
primacy effect is when we remember items at the beginning of a list better because they are rehearsed and stored in long-term memory. The recency effect is when we recall items at the end of a list better since they are still in working memory. Together, they show that short-term memory has limitations, while working memory actively processes and manipulates information.
Describe the digit span and operation span tests. How do these measures assess the capacity of working memory, and what do the results indicate about an individual’s cognitive abilities
The digit span test measures how well someone can recall a sequence of numbers, indicating their memory capacity. The operation span test involves solving math problems while remembering unrelated words, assessing the ability to manage multiple cognitive tasks. Results from these tests reveal insights into attention, processing speed, and overall memory function.
True or false: stimuli from an unattended channel cannot be perceived.
False
Which of the following is not a facet of working memory becoming long term memory?
source confusion when retrieving info
Which of the following is an example of an intrusion error in memory recall?
Recalling a word that was never presented but is related to previously listed words.
Which is the best scenario that illustrates the misinformation effect?
Incorporating false details into memory after being exposed to misleading information
How come some of our biggest life events can be falsely remembered?
The flashbulb memory effect. This effect can take some of life’s most “memorable” or life-altering moments and add or change the moment in the way we remember.
______ _______ is when a normal person is thought to be famous based on the familiarity of their name.
False fame
Describe the three components of the Modal Model of Memory.
consists of sensory memory, short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM). Sensory memory briefly holds sensory information, STM acts as a temporary storage space, and LTM is for durable, long-term storage.
What is the key difference between short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM)?
Short-term memory was originally conceived as a passive storage space while working memory is understood as a dynamic, active system where information is manipulated and processed. Working memory is less about storage and more about the mental operations performed on current information.
Which type of long-term memory is responsible for storing facts and general knowledge?
semantic memory
What is the primary reason that retrieval failure occurs in long-term memory?
interference from other memories blocks access to information
What is the difference between Working Memory and Long Term Memory?
Working Memory is important for functioning, following directions, and paying attention. While Long Term Memory is the ability to store and recall information for later use.
What is a major determinant of forgetting?
Retention interval: The amount of time that elapsed between initial learning and subsequent retrieval.
Flashbulb memories are vivid snapshots one recalls from a prior event/experience (sometimes can have errors).
True
What are the three major theories on the causes of forgetting?
Decay, Interference, and Retrieval Failure.
Which of the following is an example of memory error
A large group of people recalling seeing a plane crash on TV that was never filmed
What is a commonality amongst many cases of memory error?
It was an emotionally traumatic event
What are Baddeley and Hitch’s three kinds of working memory
Phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and episodic buffer
Select all of the following that contribute to implanting false memories
Presence of visuals and plausible seeming event
Based on the study results, which of the following was found to be the most important factor for long-term recall of the Swahili-English word pairs?
Repeated testing of all word pairs
In the SnTn condition, what happened to word pairs once they were recalled correctly?
They were dropped from both study and test cycles.
What is the purpose of working memories “central executive”?
The purpose is to organize, manage, and delegate mental processing tasks. Linking new memories to old memories.
Which of the following study strategies would be most effective for long-term retention according to Karpicke and Roediger’s (2008) research on retrieval practice?
Testing oneself on the learned material repeatedly after the initial recall
Based on the findings from Karpicke and Roediger (2008), which of the following behaviors would most likely hinder long-term memory retention?
Testing oneself on all previously studied material after each recall
The operation span task measures _______
working memory capacity
Which brain region is most associated with procedural memory?
Basal Ganglia
The absence of (blank) depends on feeling of familiarity?
Source memory
What form of memory is usually replaced by working memory?
Short-term memory
Where is the remembering for source memory part of your brain?
Hippocampus
Hippocampus
Parahippocampus
Which of the following is NOT one of the three phases of memory formation?
rehearsal
Which of the following includes one of the three major theories on the causes of forgetting?
decay
Mark had a car crash 5 years ago. Even though that crash was 5 years ago, he can still remember the crash vividly and remember the little details such as what time it was, the color of the car, and the plushie he had inside the car. This type of memory is called what?
False Memory
Sam tries to recall if she turned on the dishwasher before she left her house for work. She convinces herself that she must has, only to figure out when she returns home that she didn’t. What is this type of memory error called?
Flashbulb Memory
Which description best describes the difference between a false memory and a flashbulb memory?
False memories are made unintentionally, while flashbulb memories are made intentionally
A witness vividly remembers a suspect fleeing the crime scene. This memory is detailed and emotionally charged. However, later evidence shows the witness’s memory to be inaccurate. This scenario best illustrates:
The reconstructive nature of memory and the potential for distortion and suggestibility
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of memorizing mnemonics
Improved Memory Recall and Can Be Time-Consuming
Explain how propositional networks represent knowledge
propositional networks provide a structured way of representing knowledge through relationships between concepts or entities, supporting reasoning, categorization, and inference in artificial intelligence and cognitive science.
Which of the following best describes the concept of “chunking” in memory?
The grouping of information into meaningful units to enhance memory retention.
Which of the following types of memory is most involved when recalling the name of your childhood pet?
Episodic memory
Is the size of our working memory enormous or limited?
Limited
How can you measure our working memory capacity?
Digit-span task
In modern theorizing sensory memory plays a ______ role
Minimal
A ___ refers to knowledge that describes what is typical in a given situation
Schema
What is a study-test cycle?
A study-test cycle is the pair of studying and testing of specific material as one cycle to observe how the information studied is retained by the participant.
What was the purpose of the experiment in Karpicke and Roediger 2008?
conducted a study-test cycle experiment to examine the critical importance of retrieval for learning.
When having someone remember an event by putting them in a similar scenario, this is called…
Implicit memory
When being tested on ________, participants were given sentences and were tasked with declaring them as either true or false. If they heard a sentence many times, they were more likely to say it was true, even if it was obviously false.
Illusion of truth
What is the primary function of working memory?
holding and processing info for a short period of time
What does the recency effect best describe?
remembering the last items in a list best
When a person loses their past memories from trauma what type of amnesia do they have?
Retrograde Amnesia
What type of memory stores data permanently and for long periods of time?
: Long Term Memory
Sally is asked to remember the name of the restaurant that she went to last weekend. Which of the following is the form of memory testing being used on Sally?
Recall
Was this test a form of direct or indirect memory testing, and was it revealing an explicit or an implicit memory?
direct; explicit
What is episodic memory?
memory for a specific event
What is flashbulb memory
highly detailed memory of a emotional event
List three reasons why memories may weaken.
Decay theory of forgetting says that memories may fade or erode over time. Interference is another reason and is when newer learning may disrupt older memories due to connections being confused. Lastly, retrieval failure can occur and memory is intact but can’t be accessed.
True or false: Maintenance rehearsal is superior to relational/elaborative rehearsal.
False
Are memories stronger or weaker when associated with intense emotions
stronger
What is iconic memory?
Visual info
What is echoic memory?
Auditory info
What was the main finding of Karpicke and Roediger’s study on memory retention?
Students who used retrieval practice remembered significantly more than those who only studied.
In Karpicke and Roediger’s experiment, what method was used to test memory retention
Swahili words and recall their English translation
When someone is cooking something, they are usually actively reading a recipe and following along. When actively reading the recipe, what type of memory are they using?
working memory
Person A had a concussion a few years ago. Person A decides to catch up with a friend after not seeing them in a while. During discussion, Person A tells their friend that they’ve had difficulty retrieving memories from before the concussion. What would Person A be suffering from?
Retrograde amnesia
When new learnings disrupt older memories, this is called:
interference
Episodic memory is best described?
Memory for specific events
