Memory # MCQs Practice set

Q.1 Which type of memory is responsible for temporarily holding information for immediate use?

Sensory memory
Long-term memory
Short-term memory
Procedural memory
Explanation - Short-term memory holds a limited amount of information for a short period, usually around 20-30 seconds, for immediate use.
Correct answer is: Short-term memory

Q.2 Which psychologist is most closely associated with the multi-store model of memory?

Sigmund Freud
Atkinson and Shiffrin
Jean Piaget
B.F. Skinner
Explanation - Atkinson and Shiffrin proposed the multi-store model, which describes memory as consisting of sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.
Correct answer is: Atkinson and Shiffrin

Q.3 Which memory type allows you to remember how to ride a bicycle without consciously thinking?

Episodic memory
Procedural memory
Semantic memory
Sensory memory
Explanation - Procedural memory is a type of implicit memory responsible for knowing how to perform tasks and skills, like riding a bike.
Correct answer is: Procedural memory

Q.4 Which phenomenon refers to the tendency to remember the first and last items in a list better than the middle items?

Recency and primacy effect
Chunking
Interference
Encoding failure
Explanation - The primacy effect improves recall of the first items, while the recency effect improves recall of the last items in a list.
Correct answer is: Recency and primacy effect

Q.5 Which type of memory has the largest storage capacity?

Sensory memory
Short-term memory
Long-term memory
Working memory
Explanation - Long-term memory can store vast amounts of information for potentially a lifetime, unlike short-term or sensory memory.
Correct answer is: Long-term memory

Q.6 The process of converting sensory input into a form that can be stored in memory is called:

Encoding
Retrieval
Storage
Consolidation
Explanation - Encoding is the process by which information is transformed into a format that can be stored in memory.
Correct answer is: Encoding

Q.7 Which of the following is an example of episodic memory?

Remembering your first day at school
Knowing the capital of France
Riding a bike
Recognizing a familiar smell
Explanation - Episodic memory involves recalling personal experiences and specific events, like your first day at school.
Correct answer is: Remembering your first day at school

Q.8 Which type of interference occurs when old memories disrupt the recall of new information?

Retroactive interference
Proactive interference
Constructive interference
Decay
Explanation - Proactive interference happens when older memories interfere with the ability to remember newer information.
Correct answer is: Proactive interference

Q.9 Which brain structure is primarily involved in forming new explicit memories?

Amygdala
Hippocampus
Cerebellum
Medulla
Explanation - The hippocampus is critical for forming new explicit memories, including both episodic and semantic memories.
Correct answer is: Hippocampus

Q.10 Which method improves memory by grouping information into meaningful units?

Chunking
Rehearsal
Mnemonics
Encoding
Explanation - Chunking involves organizing information into manageable units, making it easier to remember.
Correct answer is: Chunking

Q.11 Which memory theory suggests that forgetting occurs because memories fade over time?

Decay theory
Interference theory
Repression theory
Constructive theory
Explanation - Decay theory proposes that memory traces gradually fade over time if they are not accessed or rehearsed.
Correct answer is: Decay theory

Q.12 Which memory type allows you to recall factual knowledge, such as the meaning of words?

Procedural memory
Episodic memory
Semantic memory
Sensory memory
Explanation - Semantic memory stores general knowledge about the world, including facts, concepts, and meanings.
Correct answer is: Semantic memory

Q.13 What is the main function of sensory memory?

To permanently store information
To process and manipulate information
To briefly retain sensory input
To recall personal experiences
Explanation - Sensory memory holds information from the senses very briefly (milliseconds to seconds) before it is processed further.
Correct answer is: To briefly retain sensory input

Q.14 Which type of rehearsal involves thinking about the meaning of information to encode it into long-term memory?

Maintenance rehearsal
Elaborative rehearsal
Rote rehearsal
Mechanical rehearsal
Explanation - Elaborative rehearsal links new information to existing knowledge, improving long-term memory retention.
Correct answer is: Elaborative rehearsal

Q.15 The inability to recall a memory due to it being unconsciously blocked is called:

Decay
Repression
Interference
Amnesia
Explanation - Repression is a defense mechanism where the mind unconsciously blocks memories of traumatic or threatening events.
Correct answer is: Repression

Q.16 Which effect refers to better recall of emotionally charged events?

Serial position effect
Von Restorff effect
Mood-congruent memory
Flashbulb memory
Explanation - Flashbulb memories are vivid and detailed recollections of emotionally significant events.
Correct answer is: Flashbulb memory

Q.17 Which type of memory is considered implicit and does not require conscious thought?

Episodic memory
Semantic memory
Procedural memory
Working memory
Explanation - Procedural memory is implicit, meaning it allows us to perform tasks automatically without conscious awareness.
Correct answer is: Procedural memory

Q.18 Which process involves bringing stored information back into conscious awareness?

Encoding
Retrieval
Storage
Consolidation
Explanation - Retrieval is the process of accessing and bringing stored information into conscious awareness for use.
Correct answer is: Retrieval

Q.19 Which theory suggests that memory is reconstructive rather than a perfect recording?

Trace decay theory
Levels of processing theory
Constructive memory theory
Dual-coding theory
Explanation - Constructive memory theory posits that memories are actively reconstructed, often incorporating inaccuracies or biases.
Correct answer is: Constructive memory theory

Q.20 Which memory system is active when mentally calculating a math problem?

Long-term memory
Working memory
Sensory memory
Episodic memory
Explanation - Working memory temporarily holds and manipulates information for cognitive tasks like problem-solving and reasoning.
Correct answer is: Working memory

Q.21 Which phenomenon explains why recent memories are easier to recall than older ones?

Recency effect
Primacy effect
Interference
Encoding failure
Explanation - The recency effect is the improved recall of items presented last in a sequence due to their presence in short-term memory.
Correct answer is: Recency effect

Q.22 Which technique uses vivid mental images to improve memory?

Elaborative rehearsal
Mnemonics
Chunking
Decay
Explanation - Mnemonic devices help encode and recall information by associating it with vivid imagery or patterns.
Correct answer is: Mnemonics

Q.23 Which type of long-term memory is memory for personal experiences and specific events?

Semantic memory
Episodic memory
Procedural memory
Implicit memory
Explanation - Episodic memory stores autobiographical events and experiences, allowing one to mentally travel back in time.
Correct answer is: Episodic memory

Q.24 Which memory error occurs when previously learned information disrupts the recall of new information?

Retroactive interference
Proactive interference
False memory
Decay
Explanation - Proactive interference occurs when older memories interfere with the retrieval of more recently learned information.
Correct answer is: Proactive interference

Q.25 Which memory process strengthens memory traces over time through repeated activation?

Consolidation
Encoding
Retrieval
Interference
Explanation - Consolidation stabilizes memories in the brain, often converting short-term memories into long-term storage.
Correct answer is: Consolidation