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Class 12 Education Chapter 5 (A) Memory and Forgetfulness
Selected Questions-Answers
A. Fill in the blanks: (Marks for each – 1)
1. Interval of time is a cause of —.
Ans: Forgetting.
2. — is possible only in the presence of past stimulus.
Ans: Memory.
3. “Forgetting is a process that protects the conscious mind” —proposed this definition.
Ans: Sigmund Freud.
4. A person recognized a friend after many days. He did this withthe help of —. H. S. ’15
Ans: Recognition.
5. While teaching a poem, a teacher recited another poem of thesame poet which he had memorized in childhood. This is a type of —memory.
Ans: Associative memory.
6. William James believed that memory power can be increasedthrough — .
Ans: Practice.
7. The process of re-presenting past experience in the consciousmind is called —.
Ans: Memory.
8. Selecting past experience in its presence is called —.
Ans: Recognition.
9. In the case of recognition, the object must be present in sensoryform, but in — process it is not necessary.
Ans: Memory.
10. There are three interrelated elements of memory: learning, retention and —.
Ans: Recognition.
11. Memory trace is known as —.
Ans: Engram.
12. When new learning obstructs the retention of old learning, it iscalled —
Ans: Retroactive inhibition.
13. Taking rest after some learning is called — method.
Ans: Distributed method.
14. — believed that memory can be improved through practice.
Ans: William McDougall.
15. — is the first stage of memory.
Ans: Learning.
16. Retention is the — stage of memory.
Ans: Second.
17. Swimming is possible due to — memory.
Ans: Habit.
B. State whether True or False: (Marks for each – 1)
1. Forgetting may be permanent or temporary.
Ans: True.
2. Faculty theorists consider memory as a special type of mental power.
Ans: True.
3. Repetition is necessary for the learning process.
Ans: True.
4. Good health is necessary for good memory.
Ans: True.
5. Memory process is mechanical.
Ans: True.
Note: Many modern psychologists consider memory an active and reconstructive process rather than purely mechanical; hence, this statement is debatable.
6. Memory is the present knowledge of past experience. H. S. ’16
Ans: True.
7. When an old memory prevents new learning, it is called repression.
Ans: False.
Note: It is called proactive inhibition, not repression.
8. For memory, massed method is more helpful than spaced method.
Ans: True.
9. In memorization, the whole method is more useful than the partmethod.
Ans: True.
10. Memory helps in retention.
Ans: True.
11. Meaningless words are very easy to memorize.
Ans: False.
12. Closure is a cause of forgetting.
Ans: True.
13. We forget more during the day than at night.
Ans: True.
14. Recognition is possible only in the presence of past experience.
Ans: True.
15. Forgetting is necessary for memory.
Ans: True.
16. Retentive power is innate.
Ans: True.
17. In the absence of sensory experience, recognition is not possible.
Ans: True.
C. Short Answer Questions: (Marks for each – 2)
1. What is memory trace?
Ans: The impressions received through our five sense organs from theenvironment leave certain marks or patterns on the nerve cells of the brain. This causes changes and modifications in the neural structure. Such neural change is called memory trace.
2. Mention two elements that help past experience.
Ans: Two elements that help past experience are:
(a) Acquisition of experience and
(b) Recall.
3. Name two processes by which we can remember something.
Ans: Two processes by which we can remember something are:
(a) Use of rhythm and
(b) Use of imagery.
4. What is repression?
Ans: Repression is a process by which painful experiences are forcefullypushed into the unconscious mind. It may also be considered a cause offorgetting. It is actually intentional forgetting.
5. What is memory span?
Ans: Memory span refers to the limited capacity of an individual’s mental power to retain a certain amount of material seen or heard at one time.
6. “Repetition is an essential condition of memory” – Explain.
Ans: To keep learned experiences alive in memory, repetition is necessary. Repetition helps retain learned material for a longer time. The more therepetition, the more vivid the learning experience remains.
7. What is recognition?
Ans: Mere recall of past experience does not complete the process ofremembering. We must identify the recalled image as belonging to past experience. This identification is called recognition. It is easier and shorterthan recall.
8. What is the first element of memory?
Ans: The first element of memory is learning. To remember something, it must first be acquired through learning.
9. What is meant by decay?
Ans: Psychologists state that forgetting depends mainly on two factors:
physical and mental incapacity. The physical deterioration responsible forforgetting is called decay.
10. “Recognition helps recall” – Explain with example.
Ans: Recall is the process of retrieving past experience. Recognitionmakes memory easier because the object to be remembered is present beforethe senses. For example, in an objective test, selecting the correct answerfrom given alternatives involves recognition.
11. Why is recognition easier than recall? H. S. ’17
Ans: In recognition, the learning material is present before our eyes. Therefore, it is easier than recall.
12. Is the statement “Memory is always past-oriented” correct? Give reasons. H. S. ’18
Ans: The statement is correct. Memory refers to recalling past experiences.
Without past experience, memory is impossible.
13. “Forgetting is a blessing” – Explain. H. S. ’17
Ans: Forgetting is the inability to recall past experiences. It is opposite tomemory. We gain many experiences daily, but it is not necessary to rememberall of them. Forgetting unnecessary matters helps us retain important ones. Moreover, if painful experiences can be forgotten, mental suffering can bereduced. Hence, forgetting may be considered a blessing.
14. “There is no place for creativity in memory.” Discuss. H. S. ’16
Ans: Memory means reproducing past experiences exactly as learned. There is no scope for creating something new in memory. Creativity requiresthe production of new ideas, which is not involved in mere recall of past experiences. Hence, it is said that there is no place for creativity in memory.
15. Nita learned the first poem from her book. After learning the second poem, she forgot the first one. Give psychological explanation. H. S. ’16
Ans: Learned material is retained in memory, but sometimes it is forgottendue to certain reasons. This type of forgetting, where new learning interfereswith old learning, is called retroactive inhibition. Nita forgot the first poemdue to retroactive inhibition.
16. Write a note on the difference between retroactive inhibitionand proactive inhibition. H. S. ’18
Ans: When new learning interferes with previously learned material, it iscalled retroactive inhibition. On the other hand, when earlier learning interfereswith new learning, it is called proactive inhibition. These two are oppositeprocesses.
17. “Forgetting is necessary for memory” – Give reasons. H. S. ’19
Ans: Memory depends on the brain’s retaining capacity. We learn manythings daily. When information becomes excessive, the brain feels burdenedand gradually erases some old information. Therefore, forgetting is necessaryfor efficient memory functioning.
18. What is logical memory? H. S. ’20
Ans: Logical memory refers to retaining information in memory afterunderstanding and organizing it properly through one’s own reasoning ability.
Long Answer Type Questions:
1. What is the difference between Habit Memory and True Memory? H. S. ’17
Ans: The type of memory by which a subject is recalled repeatedly throughcontinuous practice is called “Habit Memory.” On the other hand, without depending upon physical activity, when through independent understandingof meaning and mental effort a representation of the learned material is formedin the mind, it is called “True Memory.” It is also known as “RepresentativeMemory.” True memory requires a high level of intellectual ability. But in the caseof habit memory, high intellectual ability is not necessary. True memory ismore permanent than habit memory.
2. What is the difference between Recall and Recognition?
Ans: Recall and recognition are two components of memory. Recall isthe act of bringing back into the conscious mind, with the help of storedrepresentations, past experiences that have been preserved. If acquiredexperiences are properly retained, recall becomes easier. On the other hand, the last component of memory is recognition. Theprocess of memory cannot be said to be complete merely by retention or recall of past experiences. It is necessary to be certain whether the representationscorrespond to previous experiences or not. Recognition is also a special mental process. It varies from person toperson. Through recognition, remembering becomes easier because in thiscase the entire burden does not fall upon the mind alone. The object to beremembered remains present in a sense-perceptible form before the individual.
3. What is Memory? What are the techniques for improvingmemory?
Ans: We cannot retain in our mind all the experiences that we acquire. Only those experiences that are stored in the unconscious mind can beretained. Bringing those experiences into consciousness in an exact mechanical form as and when required, or reactivating them, is called memory. In otherwords, whatever we retain in mind is memory. Memory is such a mental processwhich helps us to collect information obtained through learning experiences, to preserve them in the form of representations, and to retrieve those storedrepresentations when necessary.
The techniques used for the improvement of memory are:
(a) Arousing intention.
(b) Association.
(c) Repetition.
(d) Application of rhythm.
(e) Use of imagery.
4. What is Immediate Memory and Long-term Memory?
Ans: In the case of immediate memory, the time interval is very short. When memory is applied immediately after learning or gaining an experience, it is called “Immediate Memory.” Immediate memory has short duration. When an experience is recalled after a long interval of time, it is called“Long-term Memory.” In long-term memory, the time gap is very large. Themental ability by which past experiences are recalled according to need—forexample, when an elderly person remembers an incident from childhood—is an example of long-term memory.
5. What are the characteristics of Good (Excellent) Memory? H. S.’18, ’20
Ans: Good (excellent) memory has several characteristics, namely—
(a) A person with good memory can acquire any material derived fromexperience very quickly.
(b) Such a person can retain acquired experiences in the mind for a longtime.
(c) A person with good memory can correctly recognize things within avery short time.
(d) A person with excellent memory can use memory representationscorrectly at the proper time and place.
6. What is Forgetting? Mention its characteristics.
Ans: The inability to recall in the present an experience gained in the past is called forgetting. It is the opposite of memory. In our daily life, we gainmany experiences, but we do not feel the need to retain each one. We need toremember necessary matters and forget unnecessary ones. If unnecessarymatters are not removed from the mind, it becomes difficult to retain necessaryones.
The main characteristics of forgetting are—
(a) Inability to retain representations is forgetting.
(b) Forgetting is necessary for memory.
(c) Forgetting is a rationalizing function of learning.
(d) Forgetting is an associated stage of the memory process.
(e) Forgetting acts as a protective mechanism of the conscious mind. It protects the mind from the effects of painful experiences.
7. What are the three essential requirements in memory?
Ans: Three essential conditions are required for memory.
They are—
(a) Learning: Without any experience or learning, memory of that subject is impossible. Therefore, learning is an essential condition for memory.
(b) Retention: After gaining an experience, if it is not preserved, memorycannot be formed. Retentive power varies from person to person.
(c) Recall: The act of bringing back stored past experiences into theconscious mind with the help of representations is recall. Without it, memoryis impossible.
8. What is Logical Memory and Rote Memory?
Ans: The memory acquired by properly learning and understanding asubject thoroughly is called “Logical Memory.” For example, students applythis type of memory while solving mathematical problems, learningcomputers, or conducting various experiments in laboratories. On the other hand, rote memory is opposite to logical memory. In thiscase, through mere verbal repetition, one tries to retain the impression oflearning or experience in the mind. Because it depends mainly on oral repetition, this type of memory is called “Verbal” or “Rote Memory.” In otherwords, when memory is gained by depending solely on memorization without understanding the subject, it is called rote memory.
9. Discuss four objective (physical) causes of forgetting. H. S. ’18,’20
Ans: The inability to recall a previously learned subject is forgetting. Thefour causes of forgetting are—
(a) Learning without interest.
(b) Retroactive inhibition.
(c) Repression.
(d) Emotional factors.
If there is lack of interest in learning a subject, it becomes impossible toretain it. According to a characteristic of memory, a subject learned later maycause forgetting of previously learned material; this is called retroactiveinhibition. Sometimes we intentionally try to forget certain matters or events; as a result, they enter into forgetting. At times, emotional disturbance or mental stress also causes us to forget previously learned material.
10. Briefly discuss any two easy methods of memorization. H. S.’15
Ans: Although there are several methods of memorization, two easymethods are discussed below—
(a) Part and Whole Method: The part method means learning the subject matter by dividing it into several smaller parts. On the other hand, the wholemethod means mastering the entire material collectively. However, memoryacquired through the part method is short-lived.
(b) Rhythm Method: Some songs and poems are composed in rhythm. Such materials are easier to learn and remember. Therefore, if something islearned through rhythm and cadence, it remains in memory. This method isused especially for teaching small children. Even complex subjects cansometimes be memorized easily through rhythm. For example, the poem“Ishwar” written by Raghunath Choudhary, which we learned in Class II, isstill remembered because it is rhythmic. Material learned in this way becomeslong-lasting.
11. What is Memory? Briefly discuss the components (stages) ofmemory. H. S. ’15, ’20
Ans: Memory is the exact retention of any experience learned or gainedin the past. There is no place for creativity in memory.
Memory has several components, namely—
(a) Learning: The first component of memory is learning. In order torecall or obtain something as memory, it must previously be acquired as alearning experience.
(b) Retention: The second component is retaining the learning experiencein the mind in the form of representations. That is, the learned material must be preserved.
(c) Reproduction: The third component of memory is reproducing orrecalling in the conscious mind according to need.
(d) Recognition: Considering in the mind whether the revived material in consciousness resembles past direct experience or not.
