Latoya describes the museum field trip she took with her fourth-grade class last year as she answers a history question in fifth grade. she fills in her memory gaps with logical missing parts of the experience, but other classmates correct latoya's recounting of the story. they all recall seeing a different exhibit just before leaving. latoya's misremembering is an example of

Schemas

Explanation:

A schema is a generalization that is  formed in the mind based on experience.   Instead of remembering precise details about an event, people use previous or typical experiences to fill the gaps. The brain has the tendency to fill in blanks and inconsistencies in a memory by making use of the imagination and similarities with other memories.

As Latoya and  her friends remember her visit to the museum, since one year has already passed, they tend to forget specific details and fill these gaps with similarities and other memories.

d. i assume the underlined word is "role." reformat if it isn't.

explanation:

role is closest to part because when replacing words, "playing a vital decision," "playing a vital activity," and "playing a vital dollar" don't make logical sense. the only meaningful choice is "playing a vital part."

this fits one of merriam-webster's definitions of role: "a function or part performed especially in a particular operation or process."