Deck 6: Leveraging Technology and Developing Information Competency

Question 1

The distinction between long- and short-term memory:

A) is somewhat artificial.
B) has failed to gain empirical support in memory research.
C) is supported by the effects of certain kinds of brain damage.
D) is supported by the distinction between declarative memory and procedural memory.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

When you tell an acquaintance your telephone number, you do not recite the digits one by one at a constant rate, as in "3, 3, 7, 2, 3, 4, 8, 3, 9, 2." Rather, you might say, "3, 3, 7 . . . 2, 3, 4 . . . 83, 92." This exemplifies ________, a strategy to enhance ________ memory.

A) consolidation; sensory
B) consolidation; short-term
C) chunking; sensory
D) chunking; short-term

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following expressions best reflects the capacity of short-term memory?

A) One or two items
B) Unlimited
C) About seven +/- two chunks
D) About a dozen chunks

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Cory knows that the capital of Vermont is Montpelier. This is an example of ________ memory.

A) semantic
B) episodic
C) procedural
D) nondeclarative

Question 5

Rehearsal refers to the:

A) inability to recall information that one realizes one knows.
B) grouping of information that can be stored in short-term memory.
C) repetition of information that has entered short-term memory.
D) memory task in which individuals are presented with a stimulus and asked whether they have been exposed to it in the past.

Question 6

Knowing how to serve a badminton birdie is an example of a(n) ________ memory.

A) episodic
B) declarative
C) procedural
D) semantic

Question 7

When answering such questions as, "Who was your date to the junior prom?" or, "Which costume did you wear last Halloween?" you are relying most explicitly on the memory process of:

A) encoding.
B) potentiation.
C) retrieval.
D) storage.

Question 8

Tommy is repeating a series of digits in the order in which he heard an experimenter read them. The experimenter is testing the capacity of Tommy's ________ memory. Tommy should be able to repeat about ________ digits correctly.

A) short-term; four
B) short-term; seven
C) sensory; four
D) sensory; seven

Question 9

________ rehearsal occurs when information is considered and organized in some fashion.

A) Primary
B) Elaborative
C) Rote
D) Maintenance

Question 10

Rehearsal serves to:

A) refresh sensory memory.
B) keep information in sensory memory.
C) transfer information into long-term memory.
D) retrieve specific information exclusively.

Question 11

Which of the following forms of memory refers to memory for skills and habits?

A) Declarative memory
B) Semantic memory
C) Episodic memory
D) Procedural memory

Question 12

Material in memory storage has to be located and brought into awareness to be useful. This process is known as ________.

A) potentiation
B) retrieval
C) encoding
D) storage

Question 13

________ memory is the memory for general knowledge and facts about the world, as well as memory for the rules of logic that are used to deduce other facts.

A) Episodic
B) Semantic
C) Nondeclarative
D) Procedural

Question 14

Which of the following sequences best reflects the order of stages in the three-stage model of memory?

A) Sensory memory → short-term memory → long-term memory
B) Short-term memory → sensory memory → long-term memory
C) Short-term memory → working memory → long-term memory
D) Working memory → short-term memory → long-term memory

Question 15

The process by which we encode, store, and retrieve information is known as ________.

A) perception
B) memory
C) rehearsal
D) cognition

Question 16

A research participant is required to report as much of a poem as he can remember, immediately after having read the poem once. We would expect the greatest number of recall errors in lines:

A) at the beginning of the poem.
B) in the middle of the poem.
C) at the end of the poem.
D) anywhere in the poem.

Question 17

We look up a number in the phone book, push the book away, and then begin to dial the number. Why do we discourage an interruption during this process?

A) Information lasts only 15-25 seconds in short-term memory.
B) Information lasts only 5-6 seconds in short-term memory.
C) Information can only last a minute or so in short-term memory.
D) Short-term memory can only hold one or two chunks of information.

Question 18

Which of the following best exemplifies declarative memory?

A) Memory for habits
B) Memory for skills
C) Memory for how to do things
D) Memory for factual information

Question 19

A ________ is a meaningful grouping of stimuli that can be stored as a unit in short-term memory.

A) chunk
B) clump
C) babble
D) prototype

Question 20

Which of the following is true of sensory memory?

A) The precision of sensory memory is low due to its brief duration.
B) Sensory memory is the memory store in which information first has meaning.
C) Sensory memory permits us to keep information in an active state briefly so that we can do something with the information.
D) Sensory memory can store an almost exact replica of each stimulus to which it is exposed.

Question 21

Ralph is preparing a report on his academic field trip to a manufacturing plant. He is trying to remember each event of the trip in the order in which it occurred to prepare an accurate report in a presentable form. Which of the following memory tasks is Ralph using?

A) Rehearsal
B) Recognition
C) Consolidation
D) Recall

Question 22

Which of the following statements best describes the forgetting function that Ebbinghaus discovered?

A) Material is forgotten at a relatively constant rate once it has been learned.
B) Nothing is ever really forgotten.
C) Material is forgotten at a relatively slow rate at first, then the rate of forgetting speeds up.
D) Material is forgotten relatively rapidly at first, and then the rate of forgetting slows down.

Question 23

Chad is puzzling over a difficult question on a multiple-choice sociology test. He re-reads the question, scans the options beneath the question, and glances at other questions on the test. Most likely, Chad is looking for:

A) mnemonics.
B) flashbulb memories.
C) retrieval cues.
D) a miracle.

Question 24

People's memories of the moment in which they learned of events such as the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, Princess Diana's death, and the 1986 Challenger explosion are termed ________ memories.

A) nondeclarative
B) flashbulb
C) implicit
D) procedural

Question 25

Almost everybody has had the feeling of knowing the answer to a question but not being quite able to say it. This is called the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon and is a failure of:

A) retention.
B) storage.
C) retrieval.
D) trace consolidation.

Question 26

According to the levels-of-processing theory, which of the following students should retrieve information more successfully on classroom tests?

A) Grant, who attempts to memorize his notes
B) Irene, who pays close attention to what is taught in class
C) Noel, who reads the content in his text loudly
D) Giselle, who underlines the important content in the text

Question 27

"I know it! It's um . . . um . . . It starts with 'G'," begins a trivia-game contestant excitedly. The contestant is falling prey to the ________ phenomenon.

A) tip-of-the-tongue
B) flashbulb memory
C) motivated forgetting
D) retrograde interference

Question 28

Flashbulb memories:

A) typically concern major, unexpected public, or personal events.
B) are remarkably accurate, even years after the initial event.
C) must be due to special encoding mechanisms for emotionally charged events.
D) are generally less accurate than memories for more mundane events because of the emotion surrounding the original event.

Question 29

________ is a process in which memories are influenced by the meaning we give to events.

A) Nondeclarative process
B) Consolidation
C) Constructive process
D) Long-term potentiation

Question 30

Mickey is about to take his psychology finals. Just before the exam, the person sitting next to him asks him the name of the physiologist who worked on classical conditioning. Mickey suddenly realizes that he can't quite remember the name, but he knows that it starts with a "P" and is two syllables long. Mickey is experiencing:

A) repression.
B) simple decay.
C) retrograde amnesia.
D) the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon.

Question 31

The levels-of-processing approach:

A) assumes that the longer the material is in working memory, the deeper will be its memory traces.
B) is primarily concerned with a type of memory called "procedural."
C) suggests that thinking about material leads to better memory than maintenance rehearsal.
D) holds that meaningless material produces greater depth of processing than material that can easily be fitted into meaningful contexts.

Question 32

Why is it so difficult to retrieve information from long-term memory?

A) The capacity of long-term memory is limited.
B) The duration of long-term memories is limited.
C) There is so much information being stored in long-term memory.
D) The material that makes its way to long-term memory is temporary.

Question 33

Memories of which we are not consciously aware of are called ________ memories.

A) internal
B) subliminal
C) subconscious
D) implicit

Question 34

A schema is:

A) a conceptual framework for interpreting a situation.
B) a form of proactive interference.
C) an important result of decay.
D) an item that has been forgotten.

Question 35

Three-year-old Jane had learned the names of fruits from a picture book. She was taken to a grocery store and asked to identify apples and melons kept in the store. Which of the following memory tasks would be used by Jane to identify the fruits?

A) Rehearsal
B) Recognition
C) Consolidation
D) Recall

Question 36

________ is a memory task in which individuals are presented with a stimulus and asked whether they have been exposed to it in the past or to identify it from a list of alternatives.

A) Recall
B) Recognition
C) Rehearsal
D) Chunk

Question 37

Which of the following statements accurately captures the relationship among the modules of long-term memory?

A) Episodic and semantic memory are both components of procedural memory.
B) Episodic and semantic memory are both components of declarative memory.
C) Declarative and semantic memory are both types of episodic memory.
D) Declarative and semantic memory are both types of procedural memory.

Question 38

How does the use of a schema improve memory?

A) A schema improves memory for details.
B) A schema provides a framework to use in interpreting a situation.
C) A schema helps avoid making errors in remembering the details of a situation.
D) A schema prevents the erosion of implicit memories.

Question 39

Julia is puzzled over a fill-in-the-blank question in her sociology test paper. To answer the question correctly, Julia has to use ________ memory.

A) explicit
B) implicit
C) subconscious
D) implied

Question 40

Which of the following best encapsulates autobiographical memory?

A) Autobiographical memory is just as inaccurate as other types of memory. The different periods of one's life are remembered with equal ease.
B) Autobiographical memory is just as inaccurate as other types of memory. Some periods of one's life are recalled more easily than are others.
C) Autobiographical memory is more accurate than other types of memory. The different periods of one's life are remembered with equal ease.
D) Autobiographical memory is more accurate than other types of memory. Some periods of one's life are recalled more easily than others.

Question 41

Which theory of forgetting is correctly matched with its description?

A) Decay-Information is lost over time as a result of nonuse.
B) Interference-Forgetting occurs when there are too few "triggers" to recall the information.
C) Cue-dependent-Forgetting occurs because other information in memory disrupts the retrieval of the information we are trying to remember.
D) Retroactive interference-Information learned earlier disrupts the recall of newer material.

Question 42

Which of the following most likely makes use of heuristics?

A) A chemical equation for the synthesis of sulfuric acid
B) A recipe for making cookies on the back of a box of cornflakes
C) An article by a Nobel Prize winner titled "How to Succeed in Science"
D) A computer program for keeping track of inventory at a department store

Question 43

Dr. Randazza shows participants a stylized map of a fictitious city. The map includes landmarks, such as a post office, a library, a shopping mall, a bus depot, and an airport. Some of the landmarks are close together, such as the library and the post office. Others are far apart, such as the airport and the shopping mall. Dr. Randazza removes the map. Participants are asked to imagine walking from one landmark to another, either a nearby one or a more distant one. Participants press a key when they have reached the destination in their minds. Based on mental imagery, what do you think Dr. Randazza should find? What would such a result say about mental imagery?

A) Participants should take the same amount of time to travel mentally between distant as between close landmarks. This result would suggest that mental imagery reflects the actual actions the participants perform with respect to real objects.
B) Participants should take the same amount of time to travel mentally between distant as between close landmarks. This result would suggest that mental imagery does not reflect the actual actions the participants perform with respect to real objects.
C) Participants should take longer to travel mentally between distant than between close landmarks. This result would suggest that mental imagery reflects the actual actions the participants perform with respect to real objects.
D) Participants should take longer to travel mentally between distant than between close landmarks. This result would suggest that mental imagery does not reflect the actual actions the participants perform with respect to real objects.

Question 44

Which of the following is true of heuristics?

A) In cases where algorithms are not available, we may use heuristics.
B) If applied appropriately, a heuristic guarantees a solution to a problem.
C) Heuristics never lead to errors.
D) Heuristics decrease the likelihood of success in finding a solution.

Question 45

When you play tic-tac-toe using certain mental shortcuts, you are using cognitive strategies psychologists call:

A) algorithms.
B) mental sets.
C) heuristics.
D) syllogistic reasoning.

Question 46

You check the time on your phone. Your friend should be out of class by now. You call her. She should answer if she is out of class. In this example, your thought processes are best seen as exemplifying:

A) problem solving.
B) conceptualization.
C) reasoning.
D) creativity.

Question 47

Which of the following is true of algorithms?

A) In cases where heuristics are not available, we may use algorithms.
B) Even if it is applied appropriately, an algorithm can't guarantee a solution to a problem.
C) Algorithms may sometimes lead to errors.
D) We can use an algorithm even if we can't understand why it works.

Question 48

Drew is unable to recall whether Lincoln's head faces left or right on the penny. Which of the following is probably the best explanation for Drew's memory failure?

A) The information is difficult to retrieve because it is stored along with so many other pieces of information in Drew's long-term memory.
B) The information was learned so long ago that it is no longer stored in Drew's long-term memory.
C) The information was not encoded, because Drew never really paid attention to Lincoln's head on the penny.
D) The information was immediately displaced from Drew's working memory after it was encoded.

Question 49

Those raised in the United States are most likely to use ________ relationships to categorize.

A) semantic
B) functional
C) categorical
D) thematic

Question 50

A prototype is:

A) the most typical or highly representative example of a concept.
B) the first example of a concept that one encounters.
C) the least frequent example of a concept.
D) the most unusual or distinctive example of a concept.

Question 51

Matt picks up a pamphlet at a counseling center titled How to Succeed at College Course Work. Which type of problem-solving strategies is most likely offered in this pamphlet?

A) Algorithms
B) Insights
C) Heuristics
D) Syllogisms

Question 52

Which of the following terms best captures the meaning of the term heuristic, as cognitive psychologists use it?

A) Principle
B) Formula
C) Strategy
D) Program

Question 53

Which of the following is true of mental images?

A) They refer only to visual representations.
B) They have only a few of the properties of the actual stimuli they represent.
C) They are representations in the mind of an object or event.
D) They can't be rotated.

Question 54

Clint is mentally rehearsing his golf swing in his mind's eye. Based on mental imagery, which of the following statements is most accurate?

A) Clint's mental rehearsal should improve his golf swing. Performing the task involves the same network of brain cells as the network used in mentally rehearsing it.
B) Clint's mental rehearsal should do little to improve his golf swing. The brain areas active during Clint's mental rehearsal should be the same as those active when Clint actually swings the golf club.
C) Clint's mental rehearsal should improve his golf swing. The brain areas active during Clint's mental rehearsal should be different than those active when Clint actually swings the golf club.
D) Clint's mental rehearsal should do little to improve his golf swing. The brain areas active during Clint's mental rehearsal should be different than those active when Clint actually swings the golf club.

Question 55

In ________ interference, information learned earlier disrupts the recall of information learned more recently; in ________ interference, recently learned information disrupts the recall of information learned earlier.

A) retroactive; proactive
B) proactive; retroactive
C) regressive; progressive
D) progressive; regressive

Question 56

A rule that guarantees the solution to a problem when it is correctly applied is termed as a(n):

A) heuristic.
B) algorithm.
C) premise.
D) syllogism.

Question 57

Mental groupings of objects, events, or people that share common features are called:

A) concepts.
B) ideas.
C) heuristics.
D) algorithms.

Question 58

Which of the following is an advantage of the use of heuristics?

A) A heuristic will present a clearly defined solution to a problem.
B) A heuristic is often efficient.
C) A heuristic is guaranteed to result in a correct response.
D) A heuristic results in only one possible solution to a problem.

Question 59

Which of the following statements best expresses the nature of mental images?

A) They are binary in format.
B) They are always auditory in format.
C) They may be produced by any sensory modality.
D) They are linguistic.

Question 60

________ is the process by which information is used to draw conclusions and make decisions.

A) Reasoning
B) Negotiating
C) Predicting
D) Conceptualizing

Question 61

The theory that language acquisition follows the principles of reinforcement and conditioning is known as the ________ approach.

A) learning-theory
B) nativist
C) interactionist
D) prescriptive

Question 62

Dr. Ireland's class is attempting to find derivatives, whereas Dr. Jamison's class is developing campaign strategies for a local politician. Which of the following statements is most likely true?

A) Dr. Ireland's class is solving a well-defined problem.
B) Dr. Jamison's class is solving a well-defined problem.
C) Dr. Ireland's class is using syllogistic reasoning.
D) Dr. Jamison's class is using familiarity heuristic.

Question 63

Zelma is asked to think of all the words beginning with the letters "squ," such as squeak. She is then given a fill-in-the-blank task where one of the items is "s _ _ o n g." Zelma keeps trying to make "squong" a word, and she has trouble thinking of the common word "strong." Zelma's ability to solve this problem has been hampered by:

A) syllogistic reasoning.
B) mental set.
C) the confirmation bias.
D) the representativeness heuristic.

Question 64

Henry's dog Sparky heas been rolling in th mud. Henry must bathe Sparky before the dog gets mud all over the carpet. However, Henry is unable to find the plug for the tub. Sitting on the counter right beside the tub is a fifty-cent piece. In his frustration, Henry fails to see that the coin could be used as an emergency plug for the tub. What happened to Henry?

A) He took a heuristic approach.
B) He fell prey to confirmation bias.
C) He suffered from mental set.
D) He employed representational thought.

Question 65

The view that language development is produced through a combination of genetically determined predispositions and environmental circumstances that help to teach language is known as the ________ approach.

A) learning-theory
B) nativist
C) interactionist
D) prescriptive

Question 66

Lori and Monica are looking at the cans of coffee on display at a local supermarket. They are trying to decide which of two differently-sized cans will be the better buy. Lori attempts to divide the price of each can by the number of ounces of coffee each can contains. Monica suggests that "the larger size is usually a better buy." Lori is using a(n) ____, whereas Monica is using a(n) ________.

A) heuristic; algorithm
B) algorithm; heuristic
C) prototype; algorithm
D) heuristic; prototype

Question 67

Theorists taking an interactionist approach to language acquisition:

A) reject both the learning theory and nativist approaches.
B) agree that the brain is hardwired to acquire language.
C) downplay the role of the environment in language acquisition.
D) remain unconvinced by the idea of a language-acquisition device.

Question 68

The theory that a genetically determined, innate mechanism directs language development is known as the ________ approach.

A) learning-theory
B) nativist
C) interactionist
D) prescriptive

Question 69

A political science professor attempts to facilitate her students' completion of a term paper assignment by requiring to first submit a topic statement, then a list of references, then a draft of the introduction, then, finally, the completed paper. The professor is encouraging her students to use the problem-solving strategy of:

A) forming subgoals.
B) working backward.
C) means-ends analysis.
D) trial and error.

Question 70

Which of the following statements best expresses the relationship between mental and functional fixedness?

A) Functional fixedness is an example of a broader phenomenon known as mental set.
B) Mental set is actually a specific instance of functional fixedness.
C) Mental set and functional fixedness are the same thing.
D) Functional fixedness and mental set are distinct problem-solving impediments.

Question 71

Tina is 6 months old, Vincenzo is 2 years and 7 months old, and Wayne is 3 years and 6 months old. Which alternative below correctly pairs each child with the appropriate language acquisition stage or phenomenon?

A) Tina-overgeneralization; Vincenzo-babbling; Wayne-telegraphic speech
B) Tina-babbling; Vincenzo-telegraphic speech; Wayne-overgeneralization
C) Tina-telegraphic speech; Vincenzo-babbling; Wayne-overgeneralization
D) Tina-babbling; Vincenzo-overgeneralization; Wayne-telegraphic speech

Question 72

________ refers to the tendency of old patterns of problem solving to persist.

A) Mental set
B) Representativeness heuristic
C) Availability heuristic
D) Syllogistic frame

Question 73

In ________ problems, the nature of the problem and the information needed to solve it are clear. In ________ problems, the nature of the problem and/or the information required to solve it are unclear.

A) well-defined; ill-defined
B) algorithmic; heuristic
C) arrangement; inducing structure
D) transformation; arrangement

Question 74

Dorian is 2 years old. Constance is 2 years and 5 months old. Dorian's vocabulary probably contains ________ words, while Constance's vocabulary contains ________ words.

A) about 100; several hundred
B) about 50; about 100
C) about 50; several hundred
D) several hundred; about 1000

Question 75

Ricky tells his grandmother, "Momma holded the rabbit." In the context of language, Ricky's statement exemplifies:

A) idiomatic speech.
B) telegraphic speech.
C) babbling.
D) overgeneralization.

Question 76

Kent and Kirsten are both trying to reduce their consumer debt. Kent isolates several more concrete problems he can solve to achieve his goal, such as paying the highest-interest debts first and freezing credit card spending. Kirsten simply pays her largest debt first because this would seem to be the fastest way to move her debt as close to zero as possible. Kent's plan reflects the problem-solving strategy of ________, while Kirsten's method illustrates the strategy of ________.

A) forming subgoals; trial and error
B) means-end analysis; trial and error
C) working backward; means-end analysis
D) forming subgoals; means-end analysis

Question 77

Which of the following impediments to effective problem solving is incorrectly matched with an illustrative problem?

A) Confirmation bias-problem of security in the Middle East
B) Functional fixedness-water jar problem
C) Mental set-water jar problem
D) Functional fixedness-candle problem

Question 78

Which of the following sequences best reflects the order of the three broad phases of the problem-solving process, from first to last?

A) Preparation → judgment → production
B) Judgment → production → preparation
C) Preparation → production → judgment
D) Judgment → preparation → production

Question 79

________ involves repeated tests for differences between the desired outcome and what currently exists.

A) Forming subgoals
B) Means-ends analysis
C) Insight
D) Trial and error

Question 80

Which of the following is an ill-defined problem?

A) Navigating to a museum in a nearby city
B) Composing a good concerto
C) Finding out where several well-known authors were born
D) Playing Scrabble