Question

Participants in one study were asked to respond with a yes or no to questions on a series of words. When later asked to recall as many of the words as possible, participants recalled words best when they had been asked:

A) Positive questions
B) Negative questions
C) Neutral questions
D) Questions related to personal experiences

Answer 1

Participants in a study recalled words best when they had been asked questions related to their personal experiences, as this engages semantic processing, which enhances memory recall.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asked is related to the memory recall of participants in a study based on different types of questions they were asked. In the experiments conducted by Fergus Craik and Endel Tulving, they found that participants had the best memory recall when they processed the words at a semantic level, which involves thinking about the meaning of the words. Therefore, the answer to the student's question is: D) Questions related to personal experiences, since these would most likely require the participant to relate the words to their own experiences, thus engaging in semantic processing.

Engaging with material semantically greatly enhances the likelihood of recalling it later, as it's encoded more deeply into long-term memory. This is because semantic processing requires a more meaningful engagement with the material, linking it to existing knowledge and personal experiences, which strengthens memory traces.