Briefly describe the model of episodic memory developed by Tulving

Question 1

What are the 3 categories in the model?

Answer 1

1) Observables
2) Processes
3) States

Question 2

How many parts are there to each category?

Answer 2

Observables: 4
Processes: 4
States: 5

Question 3

What are the parts to the Observables category?

Answer 3

1) Original Event
2) Interpolated Event
3) Retrieval Que
4) Memory Performance

Question 4

What are the parts to the Processes Category?

Answer 4

1) Encoding
2) Recoding
3) Ecphory
4) Conversion

Question 5

What are the parts to the States category?

Answer 5

1) Cognitive Environment
2) Original Engram
3) Recoded Engram
4) Ecphoric Information
5) Recollective Experience

Question 6

Original Event

Answer 6

• Observable
• Happens at a particular time and place.
• What is stored depends on the original event and state of mind.
• Memory that is stored includes emotional and physical states of the observer.
• EXAMPLE: A car accident that happens at a particular intersection at a specific time would be an example of an original event.

Question 7

Interpolated Event

Answer 7

• Observable
• Happens after the original event.
• May lead to a recoding of the original engram into a recoded engram.
• People may not know the difference btwn the recoded engram and the original.
• Don’t know if new memory overwrites the old memory or if new memory is just more accessible.
• EXAMPLE: If the original event was a car accident, you might be asked to provide a description of the car accident in a police report. Providing a description of the accident might actually change your memory of the event.

Question 8

Retrieval Cue

Answer 8

• Observable
• For retrieval to occur, retrieval cues must be there.
• Is an external (or sometimes internal) event that initiates the memory retrieval process of ecphory.

-A retrieval cue could be something like the
question “describe what you saw”, but can also be a physical stimulus (e.g., pictures, sounds, smells, etc.).

-Example: If you were called as a witness to a traffic accident, you might be asked to describe what you witnessed. Note that is possible for an external cue to serve BOTH as a retrieval cue and as an interpolated event.

Question 9

Memory Performance

Answer 9

• Observable
• Is the observable outcome of the memory retrieval processes.

EXAMPLE: Your verbal description of a car accident would be one form of memory performance.

Question 10

Encoding

Answer 10

• Processes
• Is the process of converting an event into an engram.
• The encoding process takes the original event as well as current cognitive states and transforms that information into an episodic memory (i.e., the original engram).
• Example: If you witnessed an accident (the original event), the encoding process would take that information along with your cognitive state at the time of the accident (the cognitive environment) and produce an episodic memory (the original engram).

Question 11

Recoding

Answer 11

• Processes
• The process that take place after the original event which changes the engram.
• Recoding processes reflect the fact that memories tend to change over time.
• Research in episodic memory has shown that reference to the original event after it has occurred can change what a person reports (or remembers) about the original event.
• There is current debate as to whether recoding modifies the original event or creates a new memory (the recoded engram). In either case, the recoding process plays a critical role in what we remember – and has significant implications for the legal system.

Question 12

Ecphory

Answer 12

• Processes
• Is the process that combines the information in the retrieval cue and the engram into ecphoric information.
• This process is a constructive activity that combines the episodic information from the engram and the information in the retrieval cue.
• The state of ecphoric information leads to the recollective experience and is used by the conversion process to produce memory performance.
• Note that the term ecphory, like the term engram was coined by Richard Semon in 1904.

Question 13

Conversion

Answer 13

• Processes
• The process of transforming the state of ecphoric information into some form of memory performance.
• For example, if you verbally describe an episodic memory, your verbal description is a product of the conversion process.

Question 14

Cognitive Environment

Answer 14

• States
• Refers to the internal states of the observer at a particular time.
• Information from the cognitive environment and the original event are combined by the process of encoding to produce the original engram.
• The cognitive environment plays an important role in state-dependent learning.
• EXAMPLE: If one learns material when inebriated, they are more likely to remember that information at a later date if they are inebriated than if they are sober – the inebriated state is encoded into the original engram and serves as a retrieval cue for subsequent memory performance.

Question 15

Original Engram

Answer 15

• States
• Is the episodic memory that is created by the process of encoding.
• The original engram combines the original event with the cognitive environment to produce a long-term episodic memory.
• Engrams contain information (features) about a specific events occurring at particular time encoded in a particular cognitive environment.

Question 16

Recoded Engram

Answer 16

• States
• The episodic memory that is created by the process of recoding.
• The recoded engram combines the information from the original engram with information from the interpolated event to produce a new long-term episodic memory.
• The observer may not be able to differentiate between the original engram and the recoded engram. Inaccurate or misleading information from an interpolated event can become part of the recoded engram and the observer cannot differentiate between portions of the engram that are “real” and those that are created through the process of recoding.
• There are many cases where therapy has led to the creation of “false memories”. To the observer, the false memories are real.

Question 17

Ecphoric Information

Answer 17

• States
• Is a mental state created by the process of ecphory.
• The ecphoric information leads to the recollective experience and is used by the conversion process to create memory performance.

Question 18

Recollective Experience

Answer 18

• States
• The mental state commonly associated with the feeling of remembering.
• The recollective experience refers to the remembers subjective awareness of the ecphoric information.
• When a person remembers a past event, s/he has a mental image of it and is consciously aware of its being a mental replay of what happened once before.

Question 19

Use this framework to describe why state dependent learning occurs:

Answer 19

State dependent learning is the effect the cognitive state and cognitive environment has on encoding original engrams.

For example, if you learn something while intoxicated you will recall the information if you are in a similar cognitive state (intoxicated).

Question 20

Use this framework to account for Loftus’s research on eye witness testimony:

Answer 20

For the last part to this question, recall Loftus’s research and the video “What Jennifer Saw” and explain why memories are often faulty, especially during traumatic events.

Provide examples for all parts of this question. It may be helpful for you to draw out Tulving’s model.