Deck 8: Remembering Complex Events

Question 1

In a study by Brewer and Treyens (1981),participants waited in an experimenter's office for the experiment to begin.After they left the room,they learned that the study was about their memory of that office.This study demonstrated that

A)college students do not know what a professor's office typically contains.
B)people make assumptions using prior knowledge about what an academic office typically contains.
C)college students' memories are much worse than the memories of other groups in society.
D)people tend to notice only those items in the environment that most fit with their expectations.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Memory schemas,or schemata,serve as representations of our ________ knowledge.

A)innate,or inborn
B)specific,or explicit
C)semantic,or generic
D)episodic,or autobiographical

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following does the text mention as a significant "cost" of memory errors?

A)inaccurate eyewitness testimony
B)misremembering where you placed your keys
C)forgetting the name of a friend's wife
D)forgetting the word "lexicon" on a psychology exam

Answer 3

A

Question 4

An important theme emerging from memory research is that memory connections

A)are crucial for recognition but are less important for recall.
B)increase the amount of time we need to locate a memory in storage.
C)make memories easier to locate but can lead to intrusion errors.
D)play a role in implicit memory but not in generic memory.

Question 5

In a study described in the chapter,participants were asked whether they had seen the videotape of a plane crashing into a building in Amsterdam.Most participants

A)said they had seen the videotape,even though there had not actually been a plane crash;they were fooled by the question into thinking there was a crash.
B)said they had seen the videotape,even though there was no videotape;they were misled by their general knowledge that important events are often reported with vivid video footage.
C)denied ever having heard about the plane crash before;their emotion led to rapid forgetting of this tragic event.
D)said,"no," even though they had been shown the videotape one month earlier.

Question 6

Repeated exposure to a person or situation will cause memory for specific instances to fade,making it difficult to recall details of any one episode.This can be problematic,but it can also be seen as a good thing.In what way does this process benefit us?

A)It makes details of other events easier to retrieve.
B)It leads to the creation of general knowledge.
C)It keeps our autobiographical memory organized.
D)It clears out storage space in our memories that will be needed later for more important information.

Question 7

This chapter argues that the way the details of complex episodes are held together actually leads to errors.Which component of the connection between two complex memories leads to both the successes and errors of memory?

A)the length of the connections between the memories
B)the number of connections between the two memories
C)the number of neurons needed to activate the connection between two memories
D)the length of the most important memory connection

Question 8

Intrusion errors in memory are errors

A)in which other knowledge intrudes into the remembered event.
B)due to the acquisition stage of memory being interrupted (or intruded on).
C)in memory due to brain damage,usually as a result of a blow to the head.
D)created when the information that is initially encoded in memory is false.

Question 9

Which of the following is a potential problem for memory retrieval in relation to memory connections?

A)If a memory is connected to too many other memories,it can become overused,so it "shuts down" and is forgotten.
B)Establishing a memory connection can often be a lengthy and costly procedure,so memory connections are rare.
C)If two memories become linked,bits of information from one memory can be remembered as part of a different memory.
D)Memory connections can be established only for traumatic memories.

Question 10

Which of the following claims is FALSE? Making an effort to understand a situation or story

A)can improve memory by providing context.
B)can hurt memory by confusing new events with old information.
C)can improve memory for gist,but can also encourage intrusion errors.
D)does little to affect the quality or quantity of memory.

Question 11

In an experiment discussed in the chapter,members of Group A were asked to read a passage.Members of Group B were asked to read the same passage but were given a prologue that helped their understanding of the passage.When given a recall test

A)Group A recalled less of the passage and made more intrusion errors than Group B.
B)Group B recalled more of the passage but made more intrusion errors than Group A.
C)Group A could recall only the names of the characters in the passage,as the members did not understand its context.
D)Group A recalled less of the passage but made the same number of intrusion errors as Group B.

Question 12

Which of the following claims regarding schema-based knowledge is FALSE?

A)Gaps in our memory can often be filled by relying on schema-based knowledge.
B)Schema-based knowledge often ends up regularizing our recollection of the past.
C)Schema-based knowledge relies on recall of specific information within a memory.
D)Schema-based knowledge can help guide attention and understanding,so it can help reconstruct parts of an event that we cannot remember.

Question 13

Bartlett asked British participants to read stories from Native American folklore,and he later asked them to recall details of the stories.His findings reveal which important idea about memory?

A)Memory errors are often the result of attempts to understand what one is learning.
B)Apparently forgotten details can often be remembered with appropriate cues.
C)The length of connections determines how well a story will be remembered.
D)Memory is remarkably good,even for complex stories.

Question 14

Memory errors and distortions have been documented

A)only for memory of the exact phrasing of prose material.
B)only for memory of unfamiliar material.
C)in the recall of complex events.
D)only with material that has been reported to participants,not with material that participants have experienced directly.

Question 15

Will has been to the zoo many times,usually with his family but also once on a school field trip.When Will tries to remember the field trip,his recollection is

A)likely to include elements imported from memories of other zoo trips.
B)unlikely to be influenced by schematic knowledge.
C)likely to be highly accurate in its details.
D)unlikely to include much perceptual information.

Question 16

Connections among our various memories do all of the following EXCEPT

A)help us to resist source confusion.
B)serve as retrieval paths.
C)interweave our various memories,inviting intrusion errors.
D)link related memories.

Question 17

Liz is trying to remember what she read in a textbook chapter,but she inadvertently mixes into her recall her own assumptions about the material covered in the chapter.This is an example of

A)the DRM paradigm.
B)autobiographical memory.
C)intrusion errors.
D)implicit memory.

Question 18

If given the list of the words "white," "frost," "freeze," and "flake," which word will people be most likely to erroneously report on a later memory test?

A)sled
B)bright
C)fall
D)snow

Question 19

Which of the following is LEAST likely to be included within a kitchen schema?

A)Kitchens almost always contain a refrigerator.
B)Kitchens sometimes contain paper towels.
C)Some kitchens contain a waffle maker.
D)I had breakfast at my kitchen table this morning.

Question 20

When presented with a list of words along a theme (e.g. ,"bed," "rest," "slumber," "dream," "tired"),participants often (mis)recall the theme word as part of the list (e.g. ,"sleep").This procedure is commonly referred to as the

A)missing word illusion.
B)word superiority effect.
C)DRM procedure.
D)misinformation effect.

Question 21

Which of the following claims about memory accuracy is FALSE?

A)Participants' confidence in their false memories is often just as great as their confidence in their accurate recollections.
B)Children may be even more vulnerable to the "planting" of false memories than adults.
C)When a participant's response is based on a false memory,the response can be just as detailed as it would be if based on an accurate memory.
D)Participants are sometimes mistaken in their recollection of an event's minor details,but do not create an entirely new false memory.

Question 22

The misinformation effect can usually be understood as an example of

A)selective amnesia.
B)implicit memory.
C)source confusion.
D)memory decay.

Question 23

Participants viewed a series of slides depicting an automobile accident.Immediately afterward,half of the participants were asked,"How fast were the cars going when they hit each other?" The other participants were asked,"How fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?" One week later,all participants were asked more questions about the slides,including whether they had seen any broken glass in the slides.A comparison of the two groups of participants is likely to show that

A)participants who were asked the "smashed" question gave higher estimates of speed and were more likely to remember seeing broken glass.
B)the groups gave similar estimates of speed,but the "smashed" group was more likely to remember seeing broken glass.
C)participants who were asked the "smashed" question gave higher estimates of speed,but the groups gave similar responses to the "broken glass" question.
D)the minor contrast in how the groups were questioned had no effect on participants' memories.

Question 24

What did researchers find when they attempted to implant a false memory so strong that participants would falsely confess to having committed a criminal act of assault?

A)They were unsuccessful because the memories they tried to implant were too emotional.
B)They were successful with children but not adults.
C)They were successful,but only when participants were questioned under hypnosis.
D)They were successful for a substantial number of participants.

Question 25

Shruti and Ryan both witness a car accident;they later discuss what they saw.Unfortunately,Ryan is mistaken about some aspects of the accident,and so part of what he says to Shruti is false.Shruti is less likely to adopt Ryan's false memories if

A)Shruti tries to remember the accident only after a long delay.
B)Shruti knows that Ryan has been highly reliable in the past.
C)Ryan repeats his (false)recollection a couple of times.
D)Ryan's version of events is implausible and contradicts what Shruti believes happened.

Question 26

A great deal of forgetting may be caused by an inability (perhaps temporary)to locate target information that is stored in memory.This sort of forgetting is called

A)repression.
B)retrieval failure.
C)interference.
D)state dependency.

Question 27

Which of the following does NOT name a hypothesis concerning why we forget?

A)decay
B)hyperthymesia
C)interference
D)retrieval failure

Question 28

What are the necessary circumstances to produce false memories in research participants?

A)It is not possible to produce completely false memories in participants under any circumstances.
B)It would require trauma too severe to be ethically allowable.
C)It would require highly suggestible participants and repeated leading questions.
D)It would require a few brief interviews.

Question 29

The misinformation effect refers to the fact that false information,presented after a participant has encoded an event,can alter the participant's subsequent recall of the event.This "planting" of memories

A)seems restricted to small memory errors.
B)is possible only if done by an authority figure.
C)seems possible for remembered actions but not remembered objects.
D)can produce memories that are entirely false but nonetheless recalled with confidence.

Question 30

After participants have witnessed an event,being asked misleading questions can influence their

A)immediate reports of the event as well as their recall of the event if they try to remember it sometime later.
B)immediate reports of the event but has little impact on longer-term retention.
C)longer-term retention of the event,but not their reports of the event immediately after witnessing it.
D)reports of an event only if the questions plant false ideas that are compatible with the participants' schemas.

Question 31

The creation of false memories in someone is possible

A)only for small details;memory for gist cannot be corrupted.
B)only for events that took place long ago;recent events are remembered accurately.
C)only for neutral or unimportant events;memories that are emotional are accurate.
D)even for the creation of large-scale,entirely false events.

Question 32

By using leading questions and misinformation,researchers have been able to

A)shape how a real event is remembered,but they have been unable to lead participants into remembering an event that never took place.
B)shape how participants remember the sequence of actions in the event,but they have been unable to change how participants remember the details of an event.
C)shape how participants remember the people who participated in an event,but they have been unable to influence how participants remember the objects present as an event unfolded.
D)alter virtually any aspect of participants' memories and have even been able to create memories for entire events that never took place.

Question 33

Which of the following refers to the hypothesis that memories fade or erode with the passage of time?

A)interference
B)decay
C)repression
D)retention interval

Question 34

Merlin learned a magic spell (to scare away a dragon)on January 10.He then used that spell on January 18.The 8-day period between these dates is called the

A)retention interval.
B)retrieval path.
C)interference period.
D)memory span.

Question 35

Someone versed in memory research could plant false memories in his or her friends or family.Imagine that you want to perform such an (unethical)act.Which technique is LEAST likely to be effective in planting the false memories?

A)repeating the false suggestion several times
B)electric shock treatment
C)using a plausible false event
D)asking the individual to imagine the event

Question 36

Which of the following statements about the relationship between eyewitness accuracy and confidence is true?

A)There are circumstances in which confidence and accuracy are highly correlated.
B)The lower a witness's confidence,the more likely it is that his or her memory is accurate.
C)When confidence in a memory gets extremely high,it indicates that a memory is probably inaccurate.
D)The more times a witness recalls an event,the less certain he or she becomes about their memory.

Question 37

We cannot prevent memory errors,but can they be detected?

A)Not always,but high-confidence memories are almost always accurate.
B)Yes,they can be detected using hypnosis.
C)They can be detected only with expensive fMRI scans.
D)Currently there is no reliable way to detect memory errors.

Question 38

After a witness identifies a suspect,what is the effect of receiving feedback (e.g. ,"that's correct")?

A)The witness becomes more confident in his or her answer.
B)The witness's memory becomes more accurate.
C)The witness becomes more compliant and willing to tell police what they want to hear.
D)Having made the identification,the witness is likely to forget what the suspect looks like.

Question 39

After Maria witnessed a hit-and-run car accident,a police officer asked her,"Did you get a good look at the driver's glasses as he drove by you?" Based on the results of many studies,we expect that if Maria is asked about the driver again a day later,she will be

A)able to recall virtually no accurate details about the visual aspects of the event.
B)likely to recall that the driver was wearing glasses even if he was not.
C)likely to have completely repressed the entire memory.
D)likely to have a more accurate memory than she did immediately after the accident because her memories had consolidated overnight while she slept.

Question 40

An eyewitness to a crime is quite confident that his memory of the crime is correct.In evaluating the eyewitness's testimony,the jury should note that

A)eyewitness memories are incorrect as often as they are correct.
B)memory confidence is sometimes a poor indicator of memory accuracy.
C)memory for the generalities of an event is highly correlated with confidence,but memory for detail is unrelated to confidence.
D)eyewitnesses tend to assert that they are confident only when their memories are reasonably accurate overall.

Question 41

Of the following,our "self-schema" is LEAST likely to include

A)knowledge of how we generally spend our vacations.
B)ideas about our political beliefs when young.
C)accurate memories about poor grades.
D)our usual behaviors.

Question 42

Baddeley and Hitch asked rugby players to remember all of the rugby games they had played over the course of a single season.According to their data,which is the most important factor in determining whether the players will remember a particular game?

A)how many other games they have been in since the target game
B)how much time has passed since the target game
C)whether they were satisfied with their performance in the target game
D)whether the game took place during the week or on a weekend

Question 43

Lexi is describing a movie she recently saw.When it comes time to name the actors,she draws a blank and utters,"Ugh,I know his name,and it starts with a 'G.' He has been in a bunch of stuff lately.Why can't I think of it?" Lexi is experiencing

A)anti-priming.
B)episodic drop-out.
C)tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon.
D)retrograde amnesia.

Question 44

You should be skeptical if someone says they have "recovered" a memory that was once repressed because

A)highly emotional events are generally not remembered at all.
B)once a memory has been repressed,it is impossible to "recover" it.
C)if the memory was important enough to be repressed,it would become a flashbulb memory and therefore unlikely to decay.
D)some "recovered" memories turn out to be false memories.

Question 45

Create your own set of stimuli (at least eight items)that could be used in the DRM procedure to cause false memories.Explain the procedure and your predictions.

Question 46

Julie can remember accurately what she wore,what she did,and what the weather was like on any day from 1999.She likely has

A)autobiographical memory.
B)anterograde amnesia.
C)hyperthymesia.
D)hypernesia.

Question 47

Soldiers sometimes show a pattern referred to as "battlefield amnesia." The soldier is awake and functioning during the battle,then goes back to camp,gets a night's sleep,and then,in the morning,has no memory of the battle.Repression is one explanation for this pattern,but other,less controversial explanations also exist.Which of the following is LEAST likely as a potential explanation for why memories might be encoded poorly during a traumatic event?

A)sleep deprivation
B)head injury
C)extreme stress
D)interference

Question 48

Evidence suggests that interference

A)accounts for the forgetting of semantic memories but not autobiographical memories.
B)probably explains more forgetting than decay does.
C)in combination with repression explains virtually all of forgetting.
D)occurs for all memories.

Question 49

Information that is perceived as relevant to the self is better remembered.This is referred to as the

A)ego directive.
B)autobiographical perspective advantage.
C)self-reference effect.
D)self-importance law.

Question 50

Describe how schematic knowledge can influence memory.Include in your answer an explanation of how schematic knowledge can be both helpful and damaging to memory.

Question 51

Which of the following is most likely to occur during the recall of everyday,moderately emotional events?

A)amnesia
B)repression
C)flashbulb memory recall
D)accurate recall of the most central aspects of the event,but relatively poor recall of the event's background details

Question 52

Research on very-long-term remembering indicates that

A)memories fade more and more rapidly as the years go by.
B)memories of childhood are retained throughout the lifespan;later memories,however,are vulnerable to forgetting.
C)if you learn material well enough to retain it for 3 or 4 years,the odds are good that you will continue to remember the material for many more years.
D)if you learn material before age 13 or 14,you are unlikely to remember the material in later years;material learned at older ages is retained for longer periods.

Question 53

Which of the following is NOT true of memory?

A)Most memories are probably accurate.
B)Gaps in memory,such as drawing a blank,can occur.
C)Apparently lost memories can be recovered through hypnosis.
D)Memory errors can be created by outside sources as well as by ourselves.

Question 54

The memory that contains the full recollection of our lives is referred to as ________ memory.

A)self-recollection
B)autobiographical
C)emotional perspective
D)personal experience

Question 55

Dmitri witnessed a bank robbery but now seems unable to remember what he saw.To improve Dmitri's recall,a friend hypnotizes him and asks him,while he is hypnotized,to recall the crime.Research indicates that if questioned while under hypnosis Dmitri will

A)give a more elaborate (but not more accurate)account of the crime than he has on other occasions.
B)give a more accurate (but not more complete)account of the crime than he has on other occasions.
C)be less vulnerable to the effect of leading questions.
D)suffer from less retrieval failure.

Question 56

Some researchers have suggested that highly painful memories can be repressed.This theory

A)is considered to be correct by most researchers.
B)is known to be backwards,because it is actually pleasurable memories that are rapidly forgotten.
C)is controversial and doubted by many researchers.
D)has never been tested.

Question 57

The claim that a memory can be "repressed" refers to

A)a painful memory that is stored but cannot be consciously recalled.
B)a memory that cannot be recalled because of interference from another memory.
C)a memory of an event that one pretends not to remember.
D)a memory planted during hypnosis.

Question 58

Flashbulb memories are extremely detailed,vivid memories usually associated with highly emotional events.The accuracy of these memories seems

A)vulnerable to error,especially if the memory is discussed frequently.
B)unrelated to any factors researchers have tested so far.
C)remarkably high,identifying these memories as a special class of episodic recall.
D)strongly associated with participants' confidence levels,differentiating flashbulb memories from other forms of memories.

Question 59

In the process of memory consolidation,memories are

A)put into the "back of the mind" for their own protection.
B)intentionally blurred with other memories.
C)second-guessed in favor of memory schemata already in place.
D)biologically "cemented into place."

Question 60

Forgetting is generally ________ over the first few minutes and hours and then ________ over subsequent time periods.

A)slow;faster
B)fast;faster
C)slow;very slow
D)fast;slower

Question 61

Explain how the passage of time influences memory,both at shorter durations (hours,days)and longer durations (years,decades).

Question 62

Are flashbulb memories different from other kinds of memories? Include in your answer a comparison of how flashbulb memories feel versus the actual data surrounding these memories.

Question 63

Imagine you are asked to testify at a trial as an expert on eyewitness memory.The defendant is charged with armed robbery,and the prosecution has presented a witness who says that shortly after the crime was committed,she saw the defendant running down the street with a bag in his hands.What would you tell the jury about the accuracy of eyewitness memory in your testimony?

Question 64

Does the passage of time or interference have a larger impact on forgetting? Support your answer by providing empirical evidence,or by considering the challenges of answering such a question.

Question 65

Quan and Leslie both witnessed a car crash,but their stories do not match.Quan is 10 years old,was in close physical proximity to the accident,and is very confident in his description of the accident.Leslie is 45,was talking on her phone when the accident happened,and is less sure of herself when answering questions.Leslie also mentions that she has seen several car accidents at this intersection and that it is very dangerous.Based on the evidence presented in the chapter,who should be trusted? Include the pros and cons of trusting each witness.

Question 66

Under hypnosis,Beth provided a detailed account of an emotional event she witnessed.Should the details of her memory be trusted? Why or why not?

Question 67

Are autobiographical memories very different from other types of memories? Include empirical evidence to support your position.

Question 68

After reading a news article about a woman who recovered repressed memories of childhood abuse,your friend starts to think she too may have been abused as a child.Given your knowledge of autobiographical memory,emotions,traumatic memories,and memory errors,what would you tell her?