1. Which of the following types of memory lasts for the shortest duration?
A) Short-term memory
B) Long-term memory
C) Sensory memory
D) Working memory
Answer: C) Sensory memory
Explanation: Sensory memory stores sensory information for a few milliseconds to a few seconds. It is the shortest form of memory.
2. The process of retaining information over time is called:
A) Retrieval
B) Encoding
C) Storage
D) Attention
Answer: C) Storage
Explanation: Storage is the process by which information is maintained over time for future use.
3. Which part of memory is responsible for temporarily holding information for processing?
A) Long-term memory
B) Short-term memory
C) Episodic memory
D) Semantic memory
Answer: B) Short-term memory
Explanation: Short-term memory holds a small amount of information for a brief period (around 20–30 seconds).
4. Attention is best defined as:
A) Permanent focus on external stimuli
B) Passive reception of sensory stimuli
C) Selective concentration on one aspect of the environment
D) Memorization of facts
Answer: C) Selective concentration on one aspect of the environment
Explanation: Attention refers to focusing mental resources on a specific stimulus while ignoring others.
5. Chunking is a method to improve which type of memory?
A) Long-term memory
B) Procedural memory
C) Sensory memory
D) Short-term memory
Answer: D) Short-term memory
Explanation: Chunking helps increase the capacity of short-term memory by grouping individual pieces of information.
6. Which of the following is NOT a technique to improve attention in learners?
A) Giving breaks during study
B) Increasing external distractions
C) Using audio-visual aids
D) Creating curiosity
Answer: B) Increasing external distractions
Explanation: Distractions reduce attention. The others enhance attention span in learners.
7. The inability to retrieve information from memory is known as:
A) Retention
B) Forgetting
C) Repression
D) Registration
Answer: B) Forgetting
Explanation: Forgetting occurs when previously stored information cannot be recalled.
8. Eidetic memory refers to:
A) Procedural memory
B) Photographic memory
C) Semantic memory
D) Echoic memory
Answer: B) Photographic memory
Explanation: Eidetic memory is the ability to vividly recall images with high precision, like a mental photograph.
9. Which factor does NOT affect memory retention?
A) Interest
B) Motivation
C) Interference
D) Age
Answer: D) Age
Explanation: While age may influence memory, it is not a direct or consistent factor compared to the other psychological factors.
10. Divided attention refers to the ability to:
A) Ignore all stimuli
B) Focus on a single stimulus
C) Attend to multiple tasks simultaneously
D) Recall past events
Answer: C) Attend to multiple tasks simultaneously
Explanation: Divided attention is used when a person tries to focus on more than one task at the same time.
11. The stage of memory where information is first registered is:
A) Retrieval
B) Sensory memory
C) Long-term memory
D) Working memory
Answer: B) Sensory memory
Explanation: Sensory memory briefly holds incoming information from the senses before further processing.
12. Which of the following is a cause of forgetting?
A) Rehearsal
B) Association
C) Interference
D) Attention
Answer: C) Interference
Explanation: Interference occurs when new information disrupts the recall of previously learned information.
13. Rote memory emphasizes:
A) Understanding
B) Application
C) Repetition without understanding
D) Evaluation
Answer: C) Repetition without understanding
Explanation: Rote memory is the memorization of information based on repetition, not comprehension.
14. The active process of recalling past experiences is called:
A) Forgetting
B) Recollection
C) Registration
D) Repression
Answer: B) Recollection
Explanation: Recollection is the process of retrieving memories with conscious effort.
15. Which memory type includes knowledge of facts and general information?
A) Procedural memory
B) Semantic memory
C) Episodic memory
D) Iconic memory
Answer: B) Semantic memory
Explanation: Semantic memory is part of long-term memory involving general knowledge and facts.
16. What is the primary function of attention in learning?
A) Avoiding tasks
B) Promoting forgetting
C) Selecting relevant information
D) Repeating known facts
Answer: C) Selecting relevant information
Explanation: Attention filters relevant stimuli for deeper cognitive processing in learning.
17. Which of the following techniques is LEAST effective in improving memory?
A) Spaced repetition
B) Visualization
C) Cramming
D) Mnemonics
Answer: C) Cramming
Explanation: Cramming is a poor technique compared to distributed learning methods like spaced repetition.
18. Retroactive interference means:
A) Old learning disrupts new learning
B) Memory is enhanced over time
C) New learning disrupts old learning
D) All memories are recalled
Answer: C) New learning disrupts old learning
Explanation: Retroactive interference happens when newly learned material interferes with the retrieval of older memories.
19. Which of the following best describes “selective attention”?
A) Dividing focus on multiple tasks
B) Concentrating on everything in the environment
C) Focusing on a particular stimulus while ignoring others
D) Switching attention rapidly
Answer: C) Focusing on a particular stimulus while ignoring others
Explanation: Selective attention filters out irrelevant stimuli and focuses on what’s important.
20. A student remembers a list better when it’s related to their daily life. This is due to:
A) Chunking
B) Cramming
C) Meaningful learning
D) Rote memory
Answer: C) Meaningful learning
Explanation: When new information is connected to existing knowledge, retention improves—this is meaningful learning.
21. Who is considered the founder of experimental psychology and conducted early studies on memory?
A) John Dewey
B) Wilhelm Wundt
C) Hermann Ebbinghaus
D) William James
Answer: C) Hermann Ebbinghaus
Explanation: Ebbinghaus is known for his pioneering work on memory, particularly the forgetting curve and the spacing effect.
22. The “Forgetting Curve” was developed by:
A) B.F. Skinner
B) Jean Piaget
C) Hermann Ebbinghaus
D) Albert Bandura
Answer: C) Hermann Ebbinghaus
Explanation: Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve shows how information is lost over time if there is no attempt to retain it.
23. Who wrote the book “Principles of Psychology” that includes a chapter on memory and attention?
A) Edward Thorndike
B) John Watson
C) William James
D) Lev Vygotsky
Answer: C) William James
Explanation: William James discussed primary and secondary memory and theories of attention in his book Principles of Psychology (1890).
24. The concept of “span of attention” was introduced by:
A) Jean Piaget
B) George Miller
C) William James
D) Alfred Binet
Answer: D) Alfred Binet
Explanation: Binet researched children’s cognitive abilities, including their span of attention, in early intelligence testing.
25. The psychologist known for the concept of “magic number seven” in memory is:
A) George A. Miller
B) Carl Rogers
C) Erik Erikson
D) Sigmund Freud
Answer: A) George A. Miller
Explanation: Miller proposed that the number of objects an average human can hold in short-term memory is 7±2.
26. The book “Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology” was authored by:
A) Jean Piaget
B) William James
C) Hermann Ebbinghaus
D) Edward Tolman
Answer: C) Hermann Ebbinghaus
Explanation: In this book (1885), Ebbinghaus presented systematic studies of memory using nonsense syllables.
27. Which psychologist emphasized the role of “schemas” in memory?
A) Frederic Bartlett
B) Noam Chomsky
C) Ivan Pavlov
D) Kurt Lewin
Answer: A) Frederic Bartlett
Explanation: Bartlett proposed that memory is reconstructive and influenced by personal knowledge structures called schemas.
28. “Serial Position Effect” in memory was discovered by:
A) John Locke
B) George Sperling
C) Hermann Ebbinghaus
D) Solomon Asch
Answer: C) Hermann Ebbinghaus
Explanation: Ebbinghaus found that people remember the first and last items in a list better than the middle items.
29. The psychologist associated with “sensory memory experiments” using tachistoscope is:
A) George Miller
B) George Sperling
C) Robert Sternberg
D) Lev Vygotsky
Answer: B) George Sperling
Explanation: Sperling demonstrated the existence of iconic (visual) sensory memory through partial-report experiments.
30. Who developed the concept of “working memory” as an extension of short-term memory?
A) Donald Broadbent
B) Alan Baddeley
C) Abraham Maslow
D) Carl Jung
Answer: B) Alan Baddeley
Explanation: Baddeley proposed a multi-component model of working memory including the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad.
31. Who proposed the “filter theory” of attention?
A) Jean Piaget
B) Donald Broadbent
C) William James
D) Albert Ellis
Answer: B) Donald Broadbent
Explanation: Broadbent’s filter theory explains that attention selects information for further processing while filtering out the rest.
32. The “levels of processing” theory in memory is given by:
A) Craik and Lockhart
B) Bandura and Walters
C) Tolman and Honzik
D) Atkinson and Shiffrin
Answer: A) Craik and Lockhart
Explanation: Craik and Lockhart suggested that memory retention depends on the depth of processing—deeper processing leads to better recall.
33. The Atkinson-Shiffrin model of memory includes which three stages?
A) Sensory, episodic, semantic
B) Encoding, retrieval, storage
C) Sensory memory, short-term memory, long-term memory
D) Declarative, procedural, episodic
Answer: C) Sensory memory, short-term memory, long-term memory
Explanation: This is a classic multi-store model proposed in 1968 that describes how memory flows through three stores.
34. Which psychologist’s work led to the distinction between declarative and procedural memory?
A) Sigmund Freud
B) Brenda Milner
C) Robert Gagné
D) B.F. Skinner
Answer: B) Brenda Milner
Explanation: Milner’s research on patient H.M. distinguished between memory for facts (declarative) and skills (procedural).
35. In the book “Remembering: A Study in Experimental and Social Psychology”, the author emphasized:
A) Rote memorization
B) Reconstructive nature of memory
C) Behaviorist model
D) Sensory dominance
Answer: B) Reconstructive nature of memory
Explanation: Frederic Bartlett, in this book, highlighted how memory is influenced by culture, expectation, and personal experiences.
36. The psychologist who first applied experimental methods to study attention was:
A) Wilhelm Wundt
B) Edward Titchener
C) Francis Galton
D) B.F. Skinner
Answer: A) Wilhelm Wundt
Explanation: Wundt, the father of experimental psychology, studied attention and consciousness using introspective methods.
37. The term “iconic memory” refers to:
A) Auditory memory
B) Long-term visual memory
C) Brief visual sensory memory
D) Olfactory memory
Answer: C) Brief visual sensory memory
Explanation: Iconic memory retains visual images for a brief moment (less than 1 second) after the stimulus disappears.
38. Which psychologist emphasized “selective attention” through the dichotic listening task?
A) Carl Rogers
B) Donald Broadbent
C) Jean Piaget
D) Abraham Maslow
Answer: B) Donald Broadbent
Explanation: Broadbent’s research using dichotic listening supported the idea of a filter that selects information for attention.
39. Which psychologist said: “Everyone knows what attention is… it implies withdrawal from some things in order to deal effectively with others”?
A) William James
B) Carl Jung
C) George Miller
D) Albert Bandura
Answer: A) William James
Explanation: This famous definition comes from William James’s Principles of Psychology.
40. According to George Miller, the capacity of short-term memory is:
A) 3 ± 1 items
B) 5 ± 1 items
C) 7 ± 2 items
D) 9 ± 3 items
Answer: C) 7 ± 2 items
Explanation: Miller found that short-term memory can typically hold 5 to 9 pieces of information—this is famously known as the “magic number 7.”
41. Semantic memory stores information related to:
A) Personal experiences
B) Emotional responses
C) General knowledge and facts
D) Motor skills
Answer: C) General knowledge and facts
Explanation: Semantic memory is a part of long-term memory that deals with meanings, facts, and concepts not tied to personal experiences.
42. Which of the following is an example of episodic memory?
A) Knowing the capital of India
B) Remembering how to ride a bicycle
C) Recalling your first day at school
D) Knowing how to multiply
Answer: C) Recalling your first day at school
Explanation: Episodic memory is autobiographical and stores personal life events and experiences.
43. Procedural memory is responsible for:
A) Recalling facts
B) Understanding language
C) Performing skills like cycling or typing
D) Visual recognition
Answer: C) Performing skills like cycling or typing
Explanation: Procedural memory involves unconscious memory of skills and how to perform tasks.
44. Amnesia primarily affects:
A) Intelligence
B) Memory
C) Language
D) Attention
Answer: B) Memory
Explanation: Amnesia is a disorder involving partial or complete loss of memory, often caused by injury or trauma.
45. The inability to focus on relevant stimuli in a learning environment is a symptom of:
A) Dyslexia
B) ADHD
C) Autism
D) Amnesia
Answer: B) ADHD
Explanation: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) involves difficulty in maintaining attention, especially in classroom settings.
46. Which of the following techniques helps improve memory retention?
A) Passive reading
B) Surface rehearsal
C) Spaced repetition
D) Cramming
Answer: C) Spaced repetition
Explanation: Spaced repetition distributes learning over time, which significantly improves long-term memory retention.
47. Which of these is a negative factor affecting attention in a classroom?
A) Relevance of content
B) Visual aids
C) Monotony in teaching
D) Interactive teaching
Answer: C) Monotony in teaching
Explanation: A monotonous or dull teaching style reduces students’ attention span and engagement.
48. Attention span refers to:
A) Depth of memory
B) Duration for which a person can concentrate
C) IQ level of an individual
D) Storage capacity of long-term memory
Answer: B) Duration for which a person can concentrate
Explanation: Attention span is the length of time a person can focus on a task without getting distracted.
49. A learner remembers best when learning is:
A) Isolated
B) Rote
C) Meaningful
D) Repetitive
Answer: C) Meaningful
Explanation: When new learning is connected with prior knowledge, retention becomes more effective.
50. Which educational practice encourages better encoding of memory?
A) Memorizing by repetition
B) Teaching without context
C) Explaining with real-life examples
D) Using only verbal instruction
Answer: C) Explaining with real-life examples
Explanation: Real-life connections promote deeper processing and better encoding of information in long-term memory.
51. Flashbulb memory is:
A) Memory related to visual images
B) A vivid and emotional memory of a significant event
C) Memory of flashing lights
D) Short-term visual memory
Answer: B) A vivid and emotional memory of a significant event
Explanation: Flashbulb memories are detailed, long-lasting memories of emotionally charged events, like natural disasters or important news.
52. Which of the following best improves attention in primary students?
A) Lengthy lectures
B) Abstract ideas
C) Interactive activities
D) Rigid discipline
Answer: C) Interactive activities
Explanation: Interactive learning keeps students mentally engaged, thereby enhancing attention and interest.
53. Interference theory of forgetting was proposed to explain:
A) How memory decays
B) How memory is retrieved
C) How new or old learning hinders recall
D) How attention is lost
Answer: C) How new or old learning hinders recall
Explanation: Interference theory suggests forgetting occurs when past or new learning disrupts memory retrieval.
54. Attention is influenced by which of the following factors?
A) Relevance of stimuli
B) Learner’s interest
C) Motivation level
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Attention depends on various factors including relevance, interest, and motivation of the learner.
55. Which memory process allows one to recall previously stored information?
A) Encoding
B) Storage
C) Retrieval
D) Registration
Answer: C) Retrieval
Explanation: Retrieval is the act of recalling stored information from memory when required.
56. A sudden loss of memory caused by psychological trauma is called:
A) Organic amnesia
B) Retrograde amnesia
C) Anterograde amnesia
D) Psychogenic amnesia
Answer: D) Psychogenic amnesia
Explanation: Psychogenic amnesia is memory loss without a physical cause, often triggered by emotional trauma.
57. Which is NOT a type of attention?
A) Sustained attention
B) Alternating attention
C) Visual attention
D) Instinctive attention
Answer: D) Instinctive attention
Explanation: Attention types include sustained, selective, divided, and alternating attention. “Instinctive” is not categorized as a type of attention.
58. Divided attention is generally less effective than:
A) Passive attention
B) Selective attention
C) Shifted attention
D) Auditory attention
Answer: B) Selective attention
Explanation: Selective attention focuses entirely on one stimulus, leading to better learning outcomes than trying to focus on multiple inputs.
59. Long-term memory has:
A) Unlimited duration and capacity
B) Short duration
C) Limited capacity
D) No encoding process
Answer: A) Unlimited duration and capacity
Explanation: Long-term memory can store vast amounts of information for an indefinite period.
60. One of the classroom strategies to reduce forgetting is:
A) One-time teaching
B) No feedback
C) Regular revision and reinforcement
D) Only homework assignments
Answer: C) Regular revision and reinforcement
Explanation: Periodic revision helps consolidate memory and prevents forgetting by strengthening neural connections.