lOMoAR cPSD| 48680473
Downloaded by Vincent kyalo ()
, lOMoAR cPSD| 48680473
The correct options to all the questions are given below.
In some cases only the correct option and the page
references to the prescribed book or Tut 501 are
provided, because the answer would be obvious if you
consult the page references in the prescribed
QUESTION 1
According to Ebbinghaus's (1913) savings curve, savings is
a function of - - - - -.
1. word familiarity
2. sensory modality
3. elapsed time
4. reaction time
Option 3 is correct. Ebbinghaus9s memory experiment aided
in understanding the nature of memory and forgetting i.e.
how rapidly information that is learned is lost over time.
Using himself as the participant, he repeated lists of 13
nonsense syllables such as DAX and QEH to himself one at
a time at a constant rate. He used nonsense syllables so that
his memory would not be influenced by the meaning of a
particular word. Ebbinghaus determined how long it took
him to learn a list for the first time (i.e. recall correctly). He
then waited for a specific amount of time (the delay) and then
determined how long it took him to re-learn the list for the
Downloaded by Vincent kyalo ()
, lOMoAR cPSD| 48680473
second time. Because forgetting had occurred during the
delay, Ebbinghaus did not perform perfectly in his first
attempt after the delay, but was able to achieve correct recall
quicker and with fewer attempts than before. In other words,
he re-learned the list more rapidly than when he had learned
it for the first time. He concluded that something from the
original learning period must have been saved in memory to
achieve this quicker learning. To determine how much
information was retained after a particular delay, Ebbinghaus
proposed a measure called, savings. According to
Ebbinghaus, this reduction in savings provided a measure of
forgetting, with smaller savings meaning more forgetting.
Ebbinghaus considered the per cent savings to be a measure
of the amount remembered, so he plotted this versus the time
between initial learning and tasting. The decrease in savings
(remembering) with increasing delays indicates that
forgetting occurs rapidly over the first two days and then
occurs more slowly after that (refer to CP, Figure 1.6, pp .6-
7).
QUESTION 2
Ebbinghaus's 8memory9 experiments were important
because they - - - - -.
1. described complex decision making
Downloaded by Vincent kyalo ()
, lOMoAR cPSD| 48680473
2. plotted functions that described the operation of the
mind
3. were the first to combine basic elements of experience
called sensations
4. showed how positive reinforcers strengthen behaviour
Answer: Option 2 is correct. Ebbinghaus9s memory
experiments provided an alternate way to understanding the
operations of the mind other than analytic introspection
which sort to achieve scientific description of the
components of experience in that trained participants
described their sensations, feelings and thought processes in
response to stimuli (Wundt). Ebbinghaus9s memory
experiment followed the empiricist approach in recognising
the role of experiments in gaining knowledge about the
human mind (CP, pp. 6-7).
QUESTION 3
Which of the following statements is the most accurate with
regards to specificity coding?
1. It is probably accurate, which explains why the human
nervous system contains over one hundred quadrillion
neurons.
2. Research has found that specificity encoding does occur
for lower animals, such as dogs and cats, but has not
found this phenomenon to exist in human beings.
Downloaded by Vincent kyalo ()
Downloaded by Vincent kyalo ()
, lOMoAR cPSD| 48680473
The correct options to all the questions are given below.
In some cases only the correct option and the page
references to the prescribed book or Tut 501 are
provided, because the answer would be obvious if you
consult the page references in the prescribed
QUESTION 1
According to Ebbinghaus's (1913) savings curve, savings is
a function of - - - - -.
1. word familiarity
2. sensory modality
3. elapsed time
4. reaction time
Option 3 is correct. Ebbinghaus9s memory experiment aided
in understanding the nature of memory and forgetting i.e.
how rapidly information that is learned is lost over time.
Using himself as the participant, he repeated lists of 13
nonsense syllables such as DAX and QEH to himself one at
a time at a constant rate. He used nonsense syllables so that
his memory would not be influenced by the meaning of a
particular word. Ebbinghaus determined how long it took
him to learn a list for the first time (i.e. recall correctly). He
then waited for a specific amount of time (the delay) and then
determined how long it took him to re-learn the list for the
Downloaded by Vincent kyalo ()
, lOMoAR cPSD| 48680473
second time. Because forgetting had occurred during the
delay, Ebbinghaus did not perform perfectly in his first
attempt after the delay, but was able to achieve correct recall
quicker and with fewer attempts than before. In other words,
he re-learned the list more rapidly than when he had learned
it for the first time. He concluded that something from the
original learning period must have been saved in memory to
achieve this quicker learning. To determine how much
information was retained after a particular delay, Ebbinghaus
proposed a measure called, savings. According to
Ebbinghaus, this reduction in savings provided a measure of
forgetting, with smaller savings meaning more forgetting.
Ebbinghaus considered the per cent savings to be a measure
of the amount remembered, so he plotted this versus the time
between initial learning and tasting. The decrease in savings
(remembering) with increasing delays indicates that
forgetting occurs rapidly over the first two days and then
occurs more slowly after that (refer to CP, Figure 1.6, pp .6-
7).
QUESTION 2
Ebbinghaus's 8memory9 experiments were important
because they - - - - -.
1. described complex decision making
Downloaded by Vincent kyalo ()
, lOMoAR cPSD| 48680473
2. plotted functions that described the operation of the
mind
3. were the first to combine basic elements of experience
called sensations
4. showed how positive reinforcers strengthen behaviour
Answer: Option 2 is correct. Ebbinghaus9s memory
experiments provided an alternate way to understanding the
operations of the mind other than analytic introspection
which sort to achieve scientific description of the
components of experience in that trained participants
described their sensations, feelings and thought processes in
response to stimuli (Wundt). Ebbinghaus9s memory
experiment followed the empiricist approach in recognising
the role of experiments in gaining knowledge about the
human mind (CP, pp. 6-7).
QUESTION 3
Which of the following statements is the most accurate with
regards to specificity coding?
1. It is probably accurate, which explains why the human
nervous system contains over one hundred quadrillion
neurons.
2. Research has found that specificity encoding does occur
for lower animals, such as dogs and cats, but has not
found this phenomenon to exist in human beings.
Downloaded by Vincent kyalo ()
