Psy 101: General Psych - Exam 2

Biological Clocks

100

As the night falls, Sally starts feeling sleepy, and her body begins to wind down for rest. What hormone is likely to be secreted by her pineal gland to regulate her sleep-wake cycle?

Melatonin

200

Jerry works night shifts regularly and struggles to adjust to his sleep-wake schedule. What is the term for the internal biological clock that regulates his sleep patterns and makes it difficult to adapt to this shift?

Circadian Rhythm

300

A person's body temperature gradually rises during the day, reaching its peak in the late afternoon. What aspect of the Circadian rhythm is responsible for this temperature pattern?

Sleep-Wake Cycle

400

What two factors tend to increase the severity of the symptoms of jet lag?

Crossing many time zones & west to east travel

500

After flying east from New York to London, you arrive in the morning but your body still feels like it’s the middle of the night. Because the new location is several hours ahead, your circadian rhythm must shift earlier to match the local time. This shift is called a:

Phase Advance

Snooze Science

100

Your friend says they only sleep 5.5 hours a night but still feel totally fine. You sleep 9.5 and still feel tired without it. What does this suggest about your sleep types?

Your friend is likely a short sleeper; you may be a long sleeper.

200

In your deep slumber, you're in a stage of sleep where your brain produces slow delta waves, and it's tough to wake you up. If someone does wake you, you'll likely feel disoriented. What stage are you in?

Stage 3 or Stage 4

Slow-Wave Sleep

300

You're looking to quickly recharge your energy and enhance alertness during the day. What type of nap should you take & which sleep stage does it primarily occur?

Power nap (20 min) and it primarily targets lighter NREM. 

400

At what stage of life do people generally require less sleep, and which specific sleep stage also decreases during this time?

Adulthood & REM

500

You fall asleep while the TV is on. During your nap, the dialogue from the show begins to blend into your dream. Later, someone says your name and you briefly wake up. During this stage of sleep, the brain produces brief bursts of activity that help you respond to important sounds while still protecting sleep.

Identify the stage of sleep and the name of these bursts of activity.

Stage 2

Sleep spindles & response to unexpected or significant sensory events, potentially protecting your sleep by enhancing arousal if needed.

Nocturnal Knowledge

100

Picture yourself in the middle of a fascinating, action-packed dream. You're likely experiencing this stage of sleep, marked by vivid, intense dreaming. What is the name of this stage?

REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep

200

Imagine you're about to fall asleep, and suddenly, you feel a sensation of being held down with an inability to move or scream. 

What sleep phenomenon is this and when is it most commonly to take place?

Sleep Paralysis

Entering or Exiting REM

300

Imagine you've been sleep-deprived for several nights, and when you finally get a full night's rest, you experience more dreams than normal. What phenomenon are you likely encountering?

REM Rebound

400

You’re interviewing someone for a sleep study. They report falling asleep suddenly during the day without warning. You recommend treatment involving stimulants and antidepressants. What disorder do they likely have, and what category of sleep disorders does it fall under?

Narcolepsy; it’s a type of hypersomnia.

500

You have 45 seconds to draw the first full sleep cycle, including how long the average cycle lasts.

Approximately 90 - 100 minutes.

REM to Remember

100

What is one biological difference between Early Birds and Night Owls?

Early Birds reach peak body temperature around 8 AM, while Night Owls peak around 8 PM or later.

200

What helps keep the circadian rhythm on a consistent 24-hour cycle, and how does it influence alertness and sleep?

Exposure to sunlight helps keep the circadian rhythm regular by signaling the brain to suppress melatonin during the day (promoting alertness) and allowing melatonin levels to rise at night (promoting sleep).

300

What are the key characteristics of NREM sleep, and which stages of sleep are included in it?

NREM sleep is characterized by slower brain activity, reduced body movement, and physical restoration. 

It includes Stages 1, 2, 3 & 4 of sleep.

400

During a sleep study, a patient physically acts out their dreams—swinging their arms and even attacking their bed partner. What part of REM sleep has failed, and what disorder is this?

The part of REM sleep that normally "fails" here is the mechanism that causes temporary muscle paralysis during dreaming.

The official name for this is REM sleep behavior disorder, or RBD

500

Two people describe frightening nighttime experiences. One woke up easily and clearly remembered a vivid dream. The other was extremely difficult to wake and had no memory of the event the next morning.

What sleep phenomenon did each person experience, and during which stage of sleep does each occur?

Nightmares happen during REM sleep, involve vivid dream recall, and the person is easy to wake. 

Sleep terrors happen during Stage 4 (deep NREM) sleep, involve no memory, and the person is difficult to wake.

Dream Team

100

You catch yourself staring out the window, thinking about how to handle a conflict with a close friend. You’re not asleep, but your mind is clearly wandering as you imagine different ways the conversation could go. 

What are you doing, and why might this be a helpful mental tool?

Daydreaming. 

It helps with problem solving by letting you mentally explore different outcomes and prepare emotionally.

200

What are the key characteristics of REM sleep?

Rapid eye movements, vivid dreaming, high brain activity similar to wakefulness, temporary muscle paralysis (REM atonia), irregular heart rate and breathing, and increased brain activity related to emotions and memory.

300

David, a middle-aged man, wakes up multiple times each night because he briefly stops breathing. He’s always exhausted during the day. What sleep disorder does he likely have, and what causes the daytime sleepiness?

Sleep apnea; the repeated awakenings disrupt his sleep quality, causing daytime drowsiness.

400

Sleepwalking is most common in which age group, and why isn’t there a medical treatment for it?

It’s most common in children. There’s no treatment because many children stop sleepwalking naturally as their nervous system matures.

500

A man is on trial for a violent act but claims he was sleepwalking when it happened. What kind of evidence would most strongly support that his actions were not under conscious control?

A documented history of sleepwalking and amnesia for the event.

Snooze & Recall

100

REM sleep is sometimes called “paradoxical sleep.” Why is it considered paradoxical?

Because brain activity is high and similar to being awake, but the body is mostly paralyzed.

200

Provide an example of something that starts off as explicit memory and then moves on to implicit memory. 

Explain what this transition means.

Learning to ride a bicycle. 

Initially, when someone is learning to ride a bike, they rely on explicit memory to remember the instructions, techniques, and rules involved, such as how to balance, pedal, and steer. 

With practice and repetition, these skills become automatized, and the process of riding a bike becomes more automatic and effortless. 

At this stage, the memory of how to ride a bike transitions from explicit to implicit memory. Implicit memory is non-conscious and involves the recall of information without conscious effort or awareness.

300

In a famous study, participants watched a car crash and were later asked how fast the cars were going when they “hit” or “smashed” into each other. What memory concept does this study demonstrate, and what did it reveal?

Priming. The study showed that exposure to certain words (like “smashed”) can influence how people later remember an event, leading to changes in speed estimates and even false memories.

400

What is the consolidation hypothesis in the context of memory? Explain what it means and create a metaphor to show how it works.

The consolidation hypothesis suggests that new memories need time to become stable and long-lasting. During this period, especially during sleep, the brain strengthens and stores the memory.

Example: like saving a document - you can type it out, but if you don’t hit “save,” it could be lost. Sleep is like pressing save.

500

You remember hearing an interesting fact but can’t tell if it came from a science podcast or a random TikTok comment. What kind of memory mistake is happening here?

A false memory where you remember the information but confuse or forget the original source.

Cognitive Chronicles

100

You’re shown a list where each word is matched with another (like “dog–ball”). Later, you're asked to remember the second word when given the first. What kind of learning is this?

Paired-associate learning

200

The Information Processing System in psychology includes three main parts. Describe what each part does, and provide an example to explain how they work together.

Encoding: The process of turning sensory input into a form that can be stored.

Storage: Keeping that information over time.

Retrieval: Accessing the stored information when needed.

Example: like writing, saving, and opening a file on a computer

300

What are the two types of rehearsal, and which one is better for long-term memory retention, and why?

Maintenance rehearsal involves simple repetition of information to keep it in short-term memory, while elaborative rehearsal involves deeper processing by making meaningful connections between new information and existing knowledge. 

Elaborative rehearsal is better for long-term memory retention because it encourages semantic encoding, which facilitates deeper understanding and integration of information into existing memory networks. 

Elaborative rehearsal enhances memory durability by creating multiple retrieval paths and associations, making the information more readily accessible for future recall.

400

What is the difference between retroactive and proactive interference in memory? Provide an example for each.

1. Retroactive Interference:When newly learned information disrupts the recall of previously learned information. For example, if you learn a new password for a website and then later have trouble remembering the old password, retroactive interference may be at play.
   
   
   
   

2. Proactive Interference: When previously learned information interferes with the encoding and retrieval of new information. For instance, if you've previously learned how to ride a bike using a particular technique and then try to learn a new, different technique, the old technique may interfere with your ability to master the new one.

500

You have 45 seconds to draw the memory model, including its components and stages

Recollection Roundup

100

What cognitive strategy involves improving memory and increase working memory capacity?

Chunking

Particularly effective for remembering long lists, sequences, or complex information by breaking it down into smaller, more easily remembered units.

200

A witness to a robbery hears others say the thief wore a red hat. Later, she confidently remembers seeing a red hat herself, even though the thief wasn’t wearing one. How might hearing others’ version of events influence what she remembers?

A false memory where someone’s memory changes after hearing other people describe the event.

300

What advice might a researcher offer regarding studying for an upcoming exam in relation to cue-dependent memory?

1. Encoding specificity: Match study conditions to exam conditions. Study in environments similar to where you will take the exam so the context present during learning is also present during retrieval.
2. State-dependent memory: Match your internal state while studying and taking the exam. Memory retrieval is easier when your emotional or physiological state during studying is similar to your state during the test.

400

Why are people more likely to remember the first and last items on a list, but forget the ones in the middle? Name and briefly explain both effects involved.

The primacy effect helps recall early items because they had more time to be encoded into long-term memory. 

The recency effect helps recall later items because they are still in working memory. 

Middle items often get lost between these two effects.

500

Explain how someone can create a false memory without realizing it, even if they didn’t intend to lie.

Through false memory—people can genuinely believe in inaccurate or made-up events, often due to suggestion or repeated imagination.

600

While under pressure, this character keeps track of new info and adjusts in real time.

What part of memory is most likely at work here, and what strategy is she using to stay on top of it?

https://youtu.be/1ABxxKbqXhc?si=N3ap_iXV6Sy7y_sm&t=53 

• Working memory is the most active system here (she’s juggling multiple pieces of information at once, in the moment).

• Using chunking as a memory strategy (e.g., organizing by visual features like color, or grouping orders)

Memory Lane

100

What is anterograde amnesia

Type of memory impairment characterized by the inability to form new memories after the onset of amnesia. 

Individuals with anterograde amnesia may have intact memories of events that occurred before the onset of amnesia, but they struggle to encode and retain new information or experiences.

https://youtu.be/Vwigmktix2Y?si=qaFq9ehE3e0IHJ3h&t=44 

200

When you remember your friend’s phone number from memory and say it out loud, which memory system did you pull the information from, and where is it being used now?

You retrieved it from long-term memory and are using it in working memory.

300

Why is the cognitive interview better for recall than a traditional police interview?

The cognitive interview employs techniques such as open-ended questioning, mental reinstatement of context, and encouraging witnesses to report everything they remember, even if seemingly trivial. 

These techniques help to maximize the retrieval of accurate information from memory by facilitating a more comprehensive and detailed recall of events.

400

Provide an example of an episodic and a semantic memory. 

What are flashbulb memories? & can either of these be a flashbulb memory? 

Why or why not?

Episodic memory could be recalling your high school graduation ceremony, including details such as who attended, what you wore, and how you felt during the event. 

Semantic memory could be knowing that Paris is the capital of France, without any personal context or recollection attached to the information.

Flashbulb memories are typically vivid, detailed recollections of significant and emotionally charged events, such as the assassination of a prominent figure or a major historical event. 

While both episodic and semantic memories can contribute to flashbulb memories, the episodic component is more dominant. Flashbulb memories often involve a strong emotional response and are characterized by their perceived clarity and accuracy.

500

Explain how semantic and episodic memories differ in their entry into Long-Term Memory

They differ in their entry into LTM  in terms of their encoding processes and the types of information they store. 

Episodic memories involve the encoding of personal experiences

Semantic memories involve the encoding of general knowledge, facts, and concepts that are independent of personal experience or context. 

Episodic memories, involving personal experiences and events, often have a strong emotional or contextual component that inherently facilitates their encoding and storage without explicit rehearsal. The vividness and richness of episodic memories, along with their autobiographical significance, contribute to their durability in LTM without the need for extensive rehearsal.

Semantic memories, typically require some form of rehearsal or elaboration to ensure their retention in LTM. Because semantic memories lack the personal context, they may be more susceptible to forgetting without deliberate rehearsal or association with existing knowledge. 

Therefore, while both types of memories contribute to LTM, episodic memories often enter LTM more readily and robustly, whereas semantic memories may require additional cognitive effort to establish and maintain

Total Recall-ish

100

What is the name for 'classic amnesia,' and what type of amnesia does it refer to?

Retrograde amnesia is a type of amnesia characterized by the loss of memories for events or information that occurred before the onset of amnesia. 

Individuals with retrograde amnesia may have difficulty recalling past experiences, knowledge, or personal information.

200

After cramming for an exam, Jonah never looked at the material again. A month later, he remembers almost nothing. Which theory of forgetting explains this, and why?

Decay theory — because he didn’t review or rehearse the material, the memory trace weakened and faded.

300

Two students are studying for an exam. One repeats terms over and over, while the other explains the concepts, asks questions, and makes real-world connections. Use levels of processing theory to explain who is more likely to remember the material and why.

The second student, because deeper processing leads to stronger, longer-lasting memories through meaningful engagement with the material.

400

After years of hearing her family talk about a trip to the zoo, Ava vividly “remembers” feeding a giraffe—even though she wasn’t actually there. What does this scenario show about how memory works?

Memory is flexible and can be shaped by repeated exposure to other people’s stories, even creating false memories.

500

Explain how the spacing effect, the forgetting curve, and cramming are connected. 

Why does one strategy lead to stronger long-term memory than the other?

The forgetting curve shows that we forget information quickly without review. 

Cramming leads to fast forgetting because it's done all at once with no spacing. 

The spacing effect helps slow down forgetting by reinforcing the material over time. Spacing out study sessions interrupts the forgetting curve and leads to better long-term memory than cramming.