PSY 340 Exam 2 Questions and Answers Already Passed
Memory - Answers processes involved in retaining, retrieving, and using information about stimuli,
images, events, ideas, and skills after the original information is no longer present
Modal Model of Memory - Answers
Sensory Memory - Answers Holds large amount of info for a short period of time.
Experiment: letters flashed quickly, and participants had to recall them, some were tested with a tone
telling them which row of letters to report.
- partial report had higher % remembered.
Persistence of vision - Answers A function of sensory memory.
ie: Sparkler's trail
Short-Term Memory (STM) - Answers Stores small amounts of info for brief duration.
Includes both new info from sensory memory and info recalled from long-term memory (LTM)
Duration of STM - Answers Experiment: 3 letters followed by a # -> count backwards by 3"s from # ->
recall letters.
- After 3s of counting, participants recalled 80%, After 18s of counting, participants only recalled 10%.
Capacity of STM - Answers Experiment 1: Digit span- how many digits a person can remember.
-typically 5-9 (Miller's number)
Experiment 2: Two arrays of colored squares separated by delay. Participants judged whether 2nd array
was same or different from the 1st.
-Performance began decreasing with 4 or more squares in the array.
Proactive interference (PI) - Answers Function of STM
Occurs when info learned previously interferes with learning new info.
, Chunking - Answers Function of STM.
Small units can be combined and recoded into larger meaningful units.
ie: BCI.FNC.CAS.ICB vs. CIA.FBI.NBC.CBS
Coding - Answers the way information is represented
Physiological Coding - Answers how stimulus is represented by the firing of neurons
Mental Coding - Answers how stimulus or experience is represented in the mind
STM - Auditory Coding (Phonological) - Answers - Participants briefly saw target letters and were asked
to write them down
- Errors most often occurred with letters that sounded alike such as "S" or "X" instead of "F" rather than
looked alike such as "E" instead of "F"
- Concluded that STM is auditory
STM - Visual coding - Answers - Presented visual information which is difficult to code verbally (matrix
pattern with shaded squares)
- Participants could recreate patterns of up to 9 shaded squares
- Concluded that STM is also visual
STM - Semantic coding - Answers Participants listened to 3 words, counted backwards for 15s, and
attempted to recall the 3 words
- 4 trials, different words on each trial
- 2 groups: Fruits & Professions
- Results:
• Previous semantic information interfered with new semantic information when it was similar
• Change in category produced release from PI shown by the increase in performance on trial 4
• Indicates that participants used meaning of words
• Concluded that STM is also semantic
Memory - Answers processes involved in retaining, retrieving, and using information about stimuli,
images, events, ideas, and skills after the original information is no longer present
Modal Model of Memory - Answers
Sensory Memory - Answers Holds large amount of info for a short period of time.
Experiment: letters flashed quickly, and participants had to recall them, some were tested with a tone
telling them which row of letters to report.
- partial report had higher % remembered.
Persistence of vision - Answers A function of sensory memory.
ie: Sparkler's trail
Short-Term Memory (STM) - Answers Stores small amounts of info for brief duration.
Includes both new info from sensory memory and info recalled from long-term memory (LTM)
Duration of STM - Answers Experiment: 3 letters followed by a # -> count backwards by 3"s from # ->
recall letters.
- After 3s of counting, participants recalled 80%, After 18s of counting, participants only recalled 10%.
Capacity of STM - Answers Experiment 1: Digit span- how many digits a person can remember.
-typically 5-9 (Miller's number)
Experiment 2: Two arrays of colored squares separated by delay. Participants judged whether 2nd array
was same or different from the 1st.
-Performance began decreasing with 4 or more squares in the array.
Proactive interference (PI) - Answers Function of STM
Occurs when info learned previously interferes with learning new info.
, Chunking - Answers Function of STM.
Small units can be combined and recoded into larger meaningful units.
ie: BCI.FNC.CAS.ICB vs. CIA.FBI.NBC.CBS
Coding - Answers the way information is represented
Physiological Coding - Answers how stimulus is represented by the firing of neurons
Mental Coding - Answers how stimulus or experience is represented in the mind
STM - Auditory Coding (Phonological) - Answers - Participants briefly saw target letters and were asked
to write them down
- Errors most often occurred with letters that sounded alike such as "S" or "X" instead of "F" rather than
looked alike such as "E" instead of "F"
- Concluded that STM is auditory
STM - Visual coding - Answers - Presented visual information which is difficult to code verbally (matrix
pattern with shaded squares)
- Participants could recreate patterns of up to 9 shaded squares
- Concluded that STM is also visual
STM - Semantic coding - Answers Participants listened to 3 words, counted backwards for 15s, and
attempted to recall the 3 words
- 4 trials, different words on each trial
- 2 groups: Fruits & Professions
- Results:
• Previous semantic information interfered with new semantic information when it was similar
• Change in category produced release from PI shown by the increase in performance on trial 4
• Indicates that participants used meaning of words
• Concluded that STM is also semantic
