Some researchers contend that sleep plays no role in the consolidation

Question

New Project RC Butler 2019  -  Practice 2 RC Passages Everyday   
Passage # 430, Date: 03-Nov-2019
 This post is a part of New Project RC Butler 2019 .  Click here for Details

Some researchers contend that sleep plays no role in the consolidation of declarative memory (i.e., memory involving factual information). These researchers note that people with impairments in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep continue to lead normal lives, and they argue that if sleep were crucial for memory, then these individuals would have apparent memory deficits. Yet the same researchers acknowledge that the cognitive capacities of these individuals have never been systematically examined, nor have they been the subject of studies of tasks on which performance reportedly depends on sleep. Even if such studies were done, they could only clarify our understanding of the role of REM sleep, not sleep in general.

These researchers also claim that improvements of memory overnight can be explained by the mere passage of time, rather than attributed to sleep. But  recent studies  of memory performance after sleep — including one demonstrating that sleep stabilizes declarative memories from future interference caused by mental activity during wakefulness — make this claim unsustainable.  Certainly there are memory-consolidation processes that occur across periods of wakefulness, some of which neither depend on nor are enhanced by sleep.  But when sleep is compared with wakefulness, and performance is better after sleep, then some benefit of sleep for memory must be acknowledged.   1 
 C 
 1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

A present the evidence that supports a particular claim regarding REM sleep and memory
B describe how various factors contribute to the effect of sleep on memory
C argue against a particular position regarding sleep’s role in memory
D summarize the most prevalent theory regarding sleep and memory
E defend the importance of the consolidation of declarative memory

2 
 A 
 2. According to the author of the passage, which of the following generalizations about memory and sleep is true?

A There are some memory-consolidation processes that have nothing to do with sleep.
B Sleep is more important to the consolidation of declarative memory than to the consolidation of other types of memory.
C REM sleep is more important to memory consolidation than is nonREM sleep.
D There are significant variations in the amount of sleep that people require for the successful consolidation of memory.
E It is likely that memory is more thoroughly consolidated during wakefulness than during sleep.

3 
 E 
 3. Which of the following best describes the function of the sentence in  Highlighted  lines?

A It provides the reasoning behind a claim about the role of sleep in memory consolidation.
B It explains why a previous claim about sleep and memory is unsustainable.
C It demonstrates why wakefulness is central to the process of declarative memory consolidation.
D It emphasizes the limited role sleep plays in the process of declarative memory consolidation.
E It concedes that the consolidation of declarative memory does not depend entirely on one factor.

4 
 B 
 4. The importance of the study  Highlighted  is that it

A reveals the mechanism by which declarative memory is stabilized during sleep
B identifies a specific function that sleep plays in the memory consolidation process
C demonstrates that some kinds of mental activity can interfere with memory consolidation
D suggests that sleep and wakefulness are both important to memory consolidation
E explains how the passage of time contributes to memory consolidation

698/826

Skywalker18 · Answer

All correct except Q3 in 7 mins, including 2 mins 45 seconds to read.
Para 1- Some researcher's view- sleep plays no role in the consolidation of declarative memory, but concede that cognitive capacities of these individuals have never been systematically examined
Para 2- More claims of these researchers- improvements of memory overnight can be explained by the mere passage of time, Author's opinion

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to 
C argue against a particular position regarding sleep’s role in memory- Correct, Author disagrees with the position of some researchers

But when sleep is compared with wakefulness, and performance is better after sleep, then some benefit of sleep for memory must be acknowledged.

2. According to the author of the passage, which of the following generalizations about memory and sleep is true?

A There are some memory-consolidation processes that have nothing to do with sleep.- Correct
Certainly there are memory-consolidation processes that occur across periods of wakefulness,  some of which neither depend on nor are enhanced by sleep .

3. Which of the following best describes the function of the sentence in  Highlighted  lines?

A It provides the reasoning behind a claim about the role of sleep in memory consolidation.
B It explains why a previous claim about sleep and memory is unsustainable.
C It demonstrates why wakefulness is central to the process of declarative memory consolidation.
D It emphasizes the limited role sleep plays in the process of declarative memory consolidation.
E It concedes that the consolidation of declarative memory does not depend entirely on one factor.

I chose option B over option E.

These researchers also claim that improvements of memory overnight can be explained by the mere passage of time, rather than attributed to sleep.--> Sleep is not a factor in the improvement of memory overnight as per these researchers

But recent studies of memory performance after sleep — including one demonstrating that sleep stabilizes declarative memories from future interference caused by mental activity during wakefulness — make this claim unsustainable.--> recent studies question the claim in the previous statement

Certainly, there are memory-consolidation processes that occur across periods of wakefulness, some of which neither depends on nor are enhanced by sleep.--> Some memory-consolidation processes DO NOT depend on sleep or aren't enhanced by it.
In the last line, the author acknowledges some benefit of sleep

4. The importance of the study  Highlighted  is that it  
B identifies a specific function that sleep plays in the memory consolidation process

Certainly there are memory-consolidation processes that occur across periods of wakefulness, some of which neither depend on nor are enhanced by sleep. But when sleep is compared with wakefulness, and performance is better after sleep, then some benefit of sleep for memory must be acknowledged.

yogeeraj · Answer

But when sleep is compared with wakefulness, and performance is better after sleep, then some benefit of sleep for memory must be acknowledged.  - But this is not addressed by highlighted part.
This is highlighted study -  But  recent studies  of memory performance after sleep — including one demonstrating that sleep stabilizes declarative memories from future interference caused by mental activity during wakefulness — make this claim unsustainable.

mindsf · Answer

I think the highlighted part for Q4 is not entirely correctly identified. In the book, it says line 12-14, which would be "But recent studies of memory performance after sleep — including one demonstrating that sleep stabilizes declarative memories from future interference caused by mental activity during wakefulness — make this claim unsustainable"

NOT the one highlighted above "Certainly there are memory-consolidation processes that occur across periods of wakefulness, some of which neither depend on nor are enhanced by sleep."

4. The importance of the study Highlighted is that it

A reveals the mechanism by which declarative memory is stabilized during sleep
B identifies a specific function that sleep plays in the memory consolidation process
C demonstrates that some kinds of mental activity can interfere with memory consolidation
D suggests that sleep and wakefulness are both important to memory consolidation
E explains how the passage of time contributes to memory consolidation

The answer for Q4 lies here " sleep stabilizes declarative memories. " That is sleep's function is identified in the memory consolidation process

MihirJha · Answer

Questions level:
1)Moderate 
2)Moderate 
3)Hard 
4) Hard

VerbalBot · Answer

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Some researchers contend that sleep plays no role in the consolidation

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Some researchers contend that sleep plays no role in the consolidation

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