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A list of fifty adjectives was read with one of the following four processing instructions:
- Structural task - Was the word printed in uppercase or lowercase?
- Phonemic task - Does the word rhyme with "zoo"?
- Semantic task - Is the word a synonym for "enlightened"?
- Self-reference task - Does the word describe you?
Which of the following graphs shows the fraction of adjectives committed to memory after reading the list?
Title
A list of fifty adjectives was read with
Your Result
Correct
Difficulty
Easy
Your Pace
0:06
Others' Pace
1:04
Text Explanation
: This answer choice is correct. Here the MCAT is simply testing you on whether you have memorized that far and away the most effective way of committing something to memory is to make it personally relevant.
This is known as the self-reference effect. If something applies to you, it is easier to remember. This graph shows that the self-reference task resulted in almost 30% memorization of the adjectives, much more than any of the other tasks. Therefore, it is the correct answer choice.
: This answer choice is incorrect, because you would expect the self-reference task group to memorize more, not fewer adjectives than the other tasks. When something is personally relevant, it is easier to memorize than it is in any other condition, a phenomenon known as the self-reference effect.
: This answer choice is incorrect, because you would expect the self-reference task group to memorize more, not fewer adjectives than the other tasks. When something is personally relevant, it is easier to memorize than it is in any other condition, a phenomenon known as the self-reference effect.
: This answer choice is incorrect, because you would expect the self-reference task group to memorize more, not fewer adjectives than the other tasks. When something is personally relevant, it is easier to memorize than it is in any other condition, a phenomenon known as the self-reference effect.
Related Lessons
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