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(edexcel) psychology a level > 2.1 content (cognitive) > Flashcards

2.1 content (cognitive) Flashcards

1
Q

what are the stores of memory in the multi store model of memory?

A
  1. sensory memory
  2. short term memory
  3. long term memory
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2
Q

what is sensory memory?

A
  • receives information from the environment
  • unlimited capacity
  • for information to get into the STM, you have to pay attention to it otherwise it will get lost
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3
Q

what is the short term memory?

A
  • limited capacity, ranging from 5-9 items
  • duration of around 30 seconds
  • memories will only stay through maintenance rehearsal
  • an example is when you repeat information verbally
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4
Q

how does information get to long term memory?

A
  • through elaborative rehearsal
  • when you link information to pre-existing knowledge
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5
Q

what is long term memory?

A
  • unlimited capacity and duration
  • you can forget by retrieval failure and interference
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6
Q

what is an example of retrieval failure?

A

when ur in an exam and don’t remember the answer to a question but yk that you’ve revised it

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7
Q

what’s an example of interference?

A

when ur in an exam and a song is stuck in ur head so u can’t remember the answer to a question cos the song is interfering with your memory

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8
Q

what is a strength of the multi store model?

A
  • there is evidence from people with brain damage that support the distinction between STM and LTM
  • Clive Wearing shows this as he has long term memory (he can remember his wife) but damaged short term memory (he can’t remember that he saw his wife a few mins ago)
  • therefore, this shows the existence of seperate STM and LTM stores as suggested by the MSM
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9
Q

what is the weakness of the MSM?

A
  • research suggests the description of the STM is wrong
  • Baddeley and Hitch conducted an experiment where participants had to do two visual tasks simultaneously and they struggled. they didn’t struggle with one visual task and one auditory task simultaneously though
  • therefore, STM has separate processes for visual and auditory tasks which the MSM does not take into account for
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10
Q

what are the parts of the working memory model?

A
  • central executive
  • visuo-spatial sketchpad
  • phonological loop
  • episodic buffer
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11
Q

what is the visuospatial sketchpad?

A
  • holds information we see
  • capacity of 3-4 objects
  • visual cache stores information about form and colour
  • inner scribe briefly records arrangement of objects in the field to maintain in the visual cache
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12
Q

what is the phonological loop?

A
  • phonological store stores auditory information
  • e.g a song you listened to
  • articulatory process allows maintenance rehearsal to keep sounds in the background phonological store
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13
Q

what does reconstructive memory mean?

A

memory is broken down when stored and reconstructed when it is recalled

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14
Q

what are schemas?

A
  • parcels/packages of information that stores our knowledge about the world based on our experiences
  • helps us shape expectations of events or people
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15
Q

what is confabulation?

A

details are added or changed so that the story makes more sense to the person

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16
Q

what is levelling?

A

memories are shortened, only leaving what your schemas suggest are important

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17
Q

what is rationalisation?

A
  • parts of the story are changed
  • sections deemed irrational to the persons schema are changed
  • e.g changing order of events
18
Q

what is a strength of reconstructive memory?

A
  • Bartlett - war of ghosts
  • 20 british participants were asked to recall an unfamiliar, american story called “war of ghosts”
  • found that memories were shortened and details were changed to better bit british vocabulary and expectations
  • therefore, suggests memories are susceptible to changes based on schemas
19
Q

what is a weakness of reconstructive model?

A
  • Wynn and Logie
  • tested memory of first year psychology students recalling places and events of their first week of uni
  • fewer changes of students memories compared to bartlett due to them having schemas
  • therefore, events that are more familiar and more relatable to the person changes less. Bartlett’s observations may only be applicable to some events
20
Q

what are the parts of the working memory model?

A
  • central executive
  • visuo-spatial sketchpad
  • phonological loop
  • episodic buffer
21
Q

what is the central executive and its function?

A
  • it is the attentional controller for the phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketch pad
  • focusses and divides attention between tasks and controls supply of mental resources
  • acknowledges when a task has been completed
22
Q

what is the phonological loop and what does it do?

A
  • consists of 2 subcomponents: phonological store and articulatory process
  • phonological store is considered our inner ear that stores auditory information from the environment and retrieves it from LTM
  • articulatory process enables subvocalisation allowing maintenance rehearsal from STM
23
Q

what is the visiospatial sketchpad?

A
  • it is visual short term memory
  • processes and stores what we see
  • manipulates images we see in both 2D and 3D
24
Q

what is a strength of the working memory model?

A
  • case studies of brain damaged patients supports idea of separate short term memory stores
  • case of KF
  • KF had a digit span of one suggesting an impairment in his phonological store but his visual memory was intact
  • therefore, this supports proposal that working memory has two subsystems to deal with verbal and visual information differently
25
Q

what is a weakness of the working memory model?

A
  • shows the role of central executive as quite vague
  • Damasiado’s study shows participants did well in reasoning but did bad in problem solving, which both include central executive
  • therefore, there may be components to the central executive that have different decision making and reasoning functions
26
Q

what does tulving’s model suggest?

A

there are two separate stores in the LTM, semantic and episodic

27
Q

what is episodic memory?

A
  • a memory you have that you can recall as an episode, like a tv episode
  • you remember how you felt, what you were doing etc
28
Q

what is semantic memory?

A
  • a memory that you get information or meaning out of
  • you don’t recall how you gained the knowledge
  • e.g name of the PM
29
Q

what are the natures of memory in tulving’s model?

A
  • time referencing
  • spatial referencing
  • retrieval
  • forgetting
30
Q

how is time referencing linked to semantic and episodic memory?

A

semantic —
• things can be recalled without time cues, as the order does not matter
• memories are not attached to time they occurred

episodic —
• memories are recalled in chronological order
• memories of events are linked to time in which they occurred

31
Q

how is spatial referencing linked to semantic and episodic memory?

A

semantic —
• can be put in a fragmented way
• we join together memories which has been learned at different times

episodic —
• memory is continuous over a time frame
• all experiences are contained together

32
Q

how is retrieval linked to semantic and episodic memory?

A

semantic —
• recall is not dependent on context of learning
• it is based on inferences, generalisation and logical thought
• semantic memory is not affected by retrieval as the factual info. remains unchanged

episodic —
• recall is dependent on context in which event was learned
• context aids retrieval of memory

33
Q

how is forgetting linked to semantic and episodic memory?

A

semantic —
• memories more strong so less likely to change as they are facts

episodic —
• memories can be more easily changed

34
Q

what is a strength of tulving’s model?

A
  • evidence from brain damaged patients which supports idea there is two different stores in LTM
  • KC suffered brain damage and left him unable to form or recall memories of personal events in his life (episodic)
  • however he could recall factual information (semantic)
  • therefore, the case study supports idea of separate LTM stores
35
Q

what is a weakness of tulving’s model?

A
  • clive wearing demonstrates only two LTM stores is inaccurate
  • wearing had knowledge of facts such as his name, his wife’s name, and facts ab his life
  • he was able to play piano which is not semantic nor episodic
  • therefore, there must be a third LTM for practiced skills
36
Q

how can schemas be different for different people?

A
  • there is evidence that shows schemas can lead to different perceptions and recalls of memories
  • bartlett told his participants a native american story and participants changed subjects of the story to make it fit into their own culture, for e.g ‘canoe’ to ‘boat’
  • therefore, this demonstrates that schemas affect our memories as memories of the story were changed to British schemas
37
Q

how can you know that memory capacity differs between individuals?

A
  • palombo
  • tested the memory components of semantic and episodic memories in 598 volunteers
  • she found that an individual scores the same in episodic and semantic memory
  • men scored higher in spatial memory
  • therefore, this demonstrates people have overall good or poor memories and there are differences in the memories of individuals
38
Q

how can languages cause development differences? (AO1)

A
  • memory can be affected by factors of development that people experience in their lives
  • language we are raised with can impact how we process and recall information
  • for e.g when recalling a story set in winter a brit may recall it to be rainy but a finnish can recall snow
  • own example: memory capability will change with age, with ability to recall and retain improving throughout childhood
39
Q

how can developmental differences from languages been shown?

A
  • sebastian and hernandez-
  • they found out children raised speaking english have a larger digit span than children raised speaking spanish
  • therefore, the language you were brought up speaking affects your memory
40
Q

how can developmental differences from languages been shown?

A
  • sebastian and hernandez-
  • they found out children raised speaking english have a larger digit span than children raised speaking spanish
  • therefore, the language you were brought up speaking affects your memory

(edexcel) psychology a level (13 decks)

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