Psychology: A Self-Teaching Guide

86 PSYCHOLOGY

Answers: (a) Storage; (b) working memory; (c) Long-term memory.

Retrievalof cognitive information takes place when a memory is removed

from storage and replaced in consciousness. Three phenomena are of particular

interest in connection with the retrieval process: recall, recognition, and repression.

Recalltakes place when a memory can be retrieved easily by an act of will. You

see a friend and think, “There’s Paula.” You have recalled the name of your friend.

Recognitiontakes place when the retrieval of a memory is facilitated by the

presence of a helpful stimulus. A multiple-choice test that provides four names,

one of them being the correct answer, is an example of an instructional instru-

ment that eases the path of memory. The item to be remembered is right there in

front of you.

Repressiontakes place when the ego, as a form of defense against a psycho-

logical threat, forces a memory into the unconscious domain. This is a psychoan-

alytical concept, and it was proposed by Freud. He suggested that memories

associated with emotionally painful childhood experiences are likely to be

repressed (see chapter 13).

(a) takes place when a memory can be retrieved easily by an act of will.

(b) takes place when the retrieval of a memory is facilitated by the presence

of a helpful stimulus.

(c) takes place when the ego, as a form of defense against psychological

threat, forces a memory into the unconscious domain.

Answers: (a) Recall; (b) Recognition; (c) Repression.

SELF-TEST

1. The unconditioned reflex is
   a. a kind of behavior acquired by experience
   b. always associated with voluntary behavior
   c. a learned response pattern
   d. an inborn response pattern


2. What takes place when the conditioned stimulus is presented a number of
   times without the unconditioned stimulus?
   a. Forgetting
   b. Extinction
   c. Discrimination
   d. Stimulus generalization