Memory — Important Questions

Episodic Memory

Step 1: Psychologists classify memory into four types based on what is stored. Step 2: Episodic Memory stores personal experiences and events unique to one individual — for example, what you did on your last birthday. Step 3: Semantic Memory stores general knowledge and facts (e.g., word meanings, historical facts) that anyone can know. Step 4: Procedural Memory stores skills and actions (e.g., how to ride a bicycle). Step 5: Meta Memory is knowledge about your own memory abilities. Since the question asks about personal, individual experiences accessible only to that person, Episodic Memory i

About half a second (½ second)

Step 1: Sensory Memory holds representations of sensory input for very brief periods. Step 2: It has two well-known types: Iconic (visual) and Echoic (auditory). Step 3: Iconic memory lasts approximately ½ second (half a second) after the visual stimulus is gone. Step 4: Echoic memory lasts about 2 seconds — so Option B describes Echoic memory, not Iconic. Step 5: 30 seconds is the duration of STM, not sensory memory. Therefore, ½ second is the correct duration for Iconic memory.

Retroactive Interference

Step 1: Interference theory says that forgetting happens because other learned material interferes with stored information. Step 2: Here, Priya learned Hindi (old material) first, and then learned Marathi (new material). Step 3: During the Hindi test, the newly learned Marathi is interfering with the earlier Hindi learning — the new material acts BACKWARD on the old material. Step 4: This backward-acting interference is called Retroactive Interference (retro = backward). Step 5: Proactive Interference is when OLD learning interferes with NEW learning — the opposite situation. Decay is simply f

LTM has unlimited capacity and can potentially last a lifetime

Step 1: Long-Term Memory (LTM) is the memory system designed for storing large amounts of information for long periods. Step 2: Unlike STM (which holds 7 ± 2 units for ~30 seconds), LTM has practically unlimited capacity. Step 3: Information in LTM can persist for a lifetime — you can recall events from many years ago. Step 4: Option A describes STM characteristics. Option C ('few hours') is incorrect — LTM lasts far longer. Option D describes Echoic Sensory Memory. Step 5: Therefore, unlimited capacity and lifetime duration correctly describes LTM.