Question 1

A helpful analogy for the encoding and retrieval process in long-term memory is:

Accepted Answer

A)   cataloguing
B)   stacking
C)   collating
D)   rummaging A

Question 2

The operation span of working memory measures the:

Accepted Answer

A)   number of letters that working memory can store
B)   number of sentences that working memory can store
C)   rate of transfer of information from working memory into long-term memory
D)   efficiency with which working memory operates when it is working D

Question 3

Within working memory, "helpers" like the visuospatial buffer and articulatory rehearsal loop:

Accepted Answer

A)   can take over some of the lower-level analyses ordinarily performed by the central executive
B)   can provide verbal, but not visual, analysis of the memory items
C)   provide short-term storage of items likely to be needed shortly by the central executive
D)   preserve the items to be remembered in their initial sensory form (e.g., visual stimuli are preserved as visual images)  C

Question 4

Working memory (WM) has been likened to a desk space that holds the current information for a short period of time. This analogy is problematic in what way?

Accepted Answer

A)   The desk analogy is too static: WM is capable of more than simply short-term storage.
B)   WM is more like a filing cabinet with a specific number of slots that information can be put in.
C)   The size of WM varies across individuals, and a desk never changes size.
D)   There is no problem with this analogy.

Question 5

Current theory suggests that the central executive may be:

Accepted Answer

A)   used to temporarily store information so that it can then be processed at a later time by the rehearsal loop
B)   another name for various cognitive resources
C)   merely another lower-level assistant
D)   a kind of guidebook for how to "run a program" in the brain

Question 6

Which of these is LEAST important for memory acquisition?

Accepted Answer

A)   memory connections
B)   shallow processing
C)   organization
D)   understanding

Question 7

A physician has just read an article about a recently invented drug. Which of the following is LEAST important in determining whether the physician will remember the article later on?

Accepted Answer

A)   The physician read the article carefully to determine whether it was persuasive.
B)   The physician realized how suggestions within the article could be integrated with other things she already knew.
C)   The physician expected to need the information later on and therefore employed a maintenance memorization strategy that she believed had helped her memorize material in the past.
D)   The physician quickly saw that the new drug might have multiple uses, so she thought about several circumstances in which she might use the drug.

Question 8

A participant is trying to memorize the word "parade." To help herself, she thinks about the word within a complicated sentence: "From their third-floor apartment, they had a great view of all the bands, the cowboys, and the floats in the Thanksgiving parade." This learning strategy will produce:

Accepted Answer

A)   fine memory performance, but similar performance could be achieved with simpler sentences as long as they require the participant to think about the meaning of the word
B)   poor memory performance because the complicated sentence draws attention away from the target word
C)   excellent memory performance because the sentence involves a great deal of maintenance rehearsal
D)   excellent memory performance because the strategy requires attention to meaning and provides many memory connections

Question 9

A student wishes to memorize an essay so that she will be able to recall the essay's content later on. Which of the following is likely to be LEAST helpful to the student?

Accepted Answer

A)   making certain that she understands the argument contained within the essay
B)   thinking about why the essay is organized in the way that it is
C)   reading the essay aloud over and over again
D)   trying to construct a paraphrase of the essay's content

Question 10

You are watching TV when a commercial advertising a new pizza place in town comes on. You decide you want pizza and try to memorize the phone number given in the commercial. Just as you are about to dial, your cell phone rings and you talk on the phone for a few minutes to the caller. What is MOST likely to happen after you finish your call?

Accepted Answer

A)   You definitely remember the phone number for the pizza place, so you call and order.
B)   Out of habit, you call your favorite pizza place (whose number you have memorized) , forgetting you wanted to try the new place.
C)   You think you remember the number and try calling, and are correct.
D)   You have forgotten the phone number and must rewind your DVR to retrieve it.

Question 11

If a participant is asked to remember some previously experienced event, the relevant memory must be accessed via:

Accepted Answer

A)   deep processing
B)   elaborative processing
C)   a retrieval path
D)   the memory index

Question 12

The modal model asserts that information processing involves at least two kinds of memory: working memory and long-term memory (LTM). Working memory:

Accepted Answer

A)   has the same capacity to hold items as LTM
B)   differs from LTM in how easily one can access the stored items
C)   uses the same rehearsal mechanisms as LTM
D)   has no discernible effect on functioning outside of the laboratory

Question 13

Free recall refers to:

Accepted Answer

A)   word association within a list of words
B)   recalling words from a list in any order
C)   recalling experiences from the past prompted by words within a list
D)   memory that requires few attentional resources

Question 14

Early estimates of working-memory's capacity relied on the so-called digit-span task. The data indicate working memory's capacity to be:

Accepted Answer

A)   10 to 14 items
B)   2 or 3 items
C)   around 20 items
D)   around 7 items

Question 15

Which of the following does NOT correlate with working-memory capacity?

Accepted Answer

A)   reading ability
B)   reasoning skills
C)   following directions
D)   making an eye movement toward a cue

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT an attribute of working memory (sometimes called short-term memory)?

Accepted Answer

A)   unlimited storage capacity
B)   drawn on by a wide range of tasks
C)   easily accessible
D)   contents closely associated with the current focus of attention

Question 17

What is the BEST analogy for working memory?

Accepted Answer

A)   a work bench
B)   a storage container like a box
C)   a busy librarian
D)   a loading dock outside a warehouse

Question 18

Which of the following groups is MOST likely to remember the material they are studying?

Accepted Answer

A)   Group 1 intends to memorize a series of words and, while studying, repeats the words mechanically over and over again.
B)   Group 2 intends to memorize a series of words and, while studying, pays attention to the exact appearance of the words.
C)   Group 3 has no intention of memorizing the words and searches the list for spelling errors.
D)   Group 4 has no intention of memorizing the words and attempts to determine how the words are related to one another.

Question 19

By thinking of a list of digits in terms of racing times, one person was shown to report up to 79 digits. This suggests that this person:

Accepted Answer

A)   has a larger working memory than most other participants
B)   is well practiced at memory retrieval
C)   can remember this information due to a unique chunking strategy
D)   does not show the primacy or recency effect

Question 20

When recalling a list of letters (e.g., T, O, D, F, P, A, E, G) participants may group the letters into syllables for future recall (e.g., to, dif). Which of these is a potential problem for this strategy?

Accepted Answer

A)   The chunking process requires resources, and this makes rehearsal more difficult.
B)   The process of converting letters into syllables uses resources that often interfere with memory recall.
C)   Syllables are often nonsensical, and so they can disrupt the recall task.
D)   The use of syllables extends the primacy and recency effects.

Exam 5: The Acquisition of Memories and the Working-Memory System