Psychology Chapter on Memory Interference

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Questions and Answers

How does proactive interference differ from retroactive interference?

Proactive interference accelerates forgetting of what you learned earlier.

Which of the following is an explanation for the recency effect in list learning?

Retroactive interference does not impair the last item on a list. (correct)

Hindsight bias does not impair the last item on a list.

Proactive interference does not impair the last item on a list.

The formation of new neurons consolidates the final item on a list. (correct)

What is true of most memories that people spontaneously recall after not remembering them in years?

These memories evoke intense emotions.

Which of the following has been a heated controversy among psychologists?

How reliably can clinicians get someone to recover a lost memory? Signup and view all the answers

Which of these was least impaired in H.M. and similar patients?

Procedural memory Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is most characteristic of people with Korsakoff's syndrome?

Confabulations Signup and view all the answers

Why is immaturity of the hippocampus an incomplete explanation for infant amnesia?

Preschool children do form long-term memories. Signup and view all the answers

Studies on mice support which explanation for infantile amnesia?

New neurons facilitate new learning but also facilitate forgetting. Signup and view all the answers

Which method of testing memory can detect the weakest memories?

Free recall Signup and view all the answers

How does procedural memory differ from declarative memory?

It develops gradually. Signup and view all the answers

Without realizing it, you start using some of the same words that you read recently. What type of memory is this?

Implicit Signup and view all the answers

When police ask a witness to identify a suspect from a lineup, what do psychologists recommend?

Use an array of suspects varying widely in their appearance. Signup and view all the answers

If you see a display of numbers for a split second, why can you name only about 4 or 5 of them?

Short-term memory has a limited capacity. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a semantic memory?

'Wilhelm Wundt founded the first psychological laboratory.' Signup and view all the answers

What is a possible explanation for believing false reports you read several times on the Internet?

Source amnesia Signup and view all the answers

On average, how long does information remain in short-term memory?

Less than 20 seconds unless it is rehearsed Signup and view all the answers

How does emotional arousal affect memory, if at all?

It improves storage. Signup and view all the answers

You remember words best if you think about them in what way?

How you could use the items in a survival situation. Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by 'depth of processing' in memory?

The number and variety of associations. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Proactive and Retroactive Interference

Proactive interference hinders learning new information by forgetting previously learned information.
It primarily affects short-term memory and the previously learned information.

Recency Effect in List Learning

The recency effect in list learning is explained by hindsight bias not impairing the last item on the list.

Memories After Years

Memories spontaneously recalled after years often evoke strong emotions.

Controversial Topic in Psychology

The heated controversy among psychologists is whether it's better to study all at once or spread out study sessions.
Other controversy is how reliably can clinicians recover lost memories and the importance of interference in forgetting.

Long-Term Memories

Formation of new long-term memories includes episodic, procedural, and the ability to imagine future events.

Korsakoff's Syndrome

People with Korsakoff's syndrome typically have retrograde amnesia without anterograde amnesia.
A defining characteristic is confabulation and an inability to recognize faces.

Infant Amnesia

Immaturity of the hippocampus isn't a complete explanation for infant amnesia, rather the rate of hippocampal maturation varies.

Testing Weakest Memories

Free recall, cued recall, recognition, and savings in that order are methods of testing which detects the weakest Memories

Procedural vs. Declarative Memory

Procedural memory involves rapid extinction.
This is in contrast to declarative memory which develops gradually

Police Lineups

Psychologists recommend a wide variety of suspects to avoid bias.

Short-Term Memory Capacity

Short-term memory has a limited capacity (about 4-5 items).
Sensory memory fades quickly.

Semantic Memory

Semantic memory is a type of long-term memory for facts and general knowledge.

False Memories

Believing false reports read many times on the internet is likely due to source amnesia.
This is also due to problems with sensory store and episodic memory functions.

Short-Term Memory Duration

On average, information stays in short-term memory for less than a second.

Emotional Arousal and Memory

Emotional arousal improves memory storage and interferes with storage.
Emotional arousal can also interfere with consolidation

Optimizing Memory Retention

Words remembered best when thinking about their use in survival situations.

Depth of Processing

Depth of processing relates to how strongly a memory impacts the unconscious mind.
It's also related to the number and variety of connections made during encoding.

Studying Strategies

The best strategy for effective studying involves varied times and settings and regular self-testing.

The Effect of Testing

Testing oneself on new information improves memory retention.

Describing Unfamiliar Things

Attempting to describe something you don't perfectly remember involves filling in gaps with reasonable guesses.
This can make the recall more confusing and incoherent.

Theory of Mind

Children without "theory of mind" often assume others know what they know.

Proactive Interference

Proactive interference is when old information hinders the learning of new information.

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Description

Explore the intriguing concepts of proactive and retroactive interference in memory, including their impact on learning and retention. This quiz discusses the recency effect, long-term memory formation, and the controversies surrounding memory recovery. Test your understanding of these critical psychological topics.