In cognitive psychology, which phenomenon describes the tendency for people to remember only information that is consistent with their existing schema?

• A. Retroactive interference
• B. Serial position effect
• C. Schema-consistent memory bias
• D. State-dependent memory

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of a schema in cognitive psychology. A schema is a mental framework or organized pattern of thought that helps individuals process and interpret information based on prior knowledge and experiences.
2. Step 2: Recognize that memory can be influenced by existing schemas, leading to selective recall of information that fits these mental frameworks.
3. Step 3: Identify the phenomenon where people tend to remember information consistent with their existing schemas as 'schema-consistent memory bias.' This means that memory is biased toward information that aligns with what one already believes or expects.
4. Step 4: Differentiate this from other memory phenomena: Retroactive interference involves new information interfering with old memories; Serial position effect relates to the tendency to remember items at the beginning or end of a list better; State-dependent memory refers to better recall when in the same state as when the memory was formed.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the tendency to remember only schema-consistent information is best described by the schema-consistent memory bias, which highlights how existing mental frameworks shape memory recall.