Jenny Is Taking a Quiz, Which Asks for the Chemical

question 65

Multiple Choice

Jenny is taking a quiz, which asks for the chemical symbols of 20 elements. She remembers 19 of them but cannot remember the symbol for mercury. As she walks home from school, she suddenly remembers that the symbol for mercury is Hg. Jenny's memory problem during the quiz can best be explained in terms of:

• A) decay
• B) repression
• C) construction error
• D) failure to retrieve

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Definitions:

Person-Situation Controversy

A debate in psychology about the relative influence of personality traits versus situational factors on human behavior.

Reciprocal Determinism

A concept in psychology that proposes an individual's behavior is both influenced by and influences their personal factors and the environment.

Defensive Self-Esteem

A form of self-esteem that is fragile and highly sensitive to criticism or perceived threats.

Self-Serving Bias

The common tendency to attribute one's successes to personal characteristics and one's failures to external factors.