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A-level Psychology > Chapter 2 - Memory > Flashcards

Chapter 2 - Memory Flashcards

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1
Q

Define memory.

A

The process by which we retain information about events that have happened in the past.

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2
Q

What are the three types of memory.

A
  • Sensory memory (SM)
  • Short term memory (STM)
  • Long term memory (LTM)
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3
Q

What is short term memory.

A

The information we are currently aware of or thinking about.

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4
Q

What is long term memory.

A

Continual storage of information which can be called into working memory to be used when needed.

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5
Q

What is a more longer term of memory sensory or short term memory?

A

Short term memory usually

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6
Q

What was Bahrick’s memory experiment showing eveidence for?

A

It showed eveidence of very LTM in a real life setting.

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7
Q

Briefly summarise Bahrick’s memory study.

A

392 participants were first asked to list names of their ex class mates and then shown photos and asked to recall the names of people shown.

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8
Q

What were the results of Bahrick’s memory experiment?

A

Within 15 years of leaving school, participants could recognise 90% of names and faces.

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9
Q

What was Jacob’s memory study attempting to show?

A

The capacity of short term memory

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10
Q

Briefly describe how Jacob’s memory study was done.

A

Participants were shown a string of letters or digits and were told to repeat them back in order. The number of digits or letters would increase until they failed to recall the sequence.

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11
Q

What were the results of Jacob’s memory experiment and what did this suggest about STM.

A

Partcipants would mostly recall about 9 digits and 7 letters which suggested that STM has a limited storage of 5-9 items.

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12
Q

Describe the serial position effect.

A

When people attempt to remember a list of words greater than the capacity of their STM, they usually remember words from the beginning and end.

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13
Q

Describe the primary effect.

A

The tendency for people to remember the first 5 words from the beginning of the list.

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14
Q

Describe the recency effect.

A

The tendency for people to remember the last 5 words from the end of a list

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15
Q

2 things about STM which support the multi store memory model.

A
  • Information in the STM will disappear (decay) if not rehearsed.
  • Information will also disappear if new information enters STM and pushes out the original information.
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16
Q

2 points about the LTM which support the multi store memory model.

A
  • Information is moved from the STM to the LTM via rehearsal.
  • Rehearsal just maintains the information in STM but the more something is rehearsed the more lasting the memory will be.
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17
Q

What is the key idea about memory in the multi store model?

A

Memory is a series of three separate stores. Attention and rehearsal explain how information flows through the memory stores.

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18
Q

What does the primary and recency effect show evidence for.

A

The multi store memory model

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19
Q

What is the working memory model and what does it suggest about working memory?

A

A theory for memory which suggests that working memory is a multi-part system and each system is responsible for a different function.

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20
Q

What are the 4 systems which make up the working memory model?

A

1) Central executive
2) Phonological loop
3) Episodic buffer
4) Visuospatial sketch pad

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21
Q

What are the two things the central executive does in the WMM?

A

1) Directs attention to tasks

2) Decides what working memory pays attention to

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22
Q

What can the central executive be compared to?

A

A company boss as it makes decisions about what to pay attention to.

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23
Q

2 points about the phonological loop (WMM)

A
  • Has a limited capacity

- Deals with auditory information and preserves word order.

24
Q

What type of information is stored in the visuo-spatial sketch pad? 2

A

Viusual and spatial (realtionships between things).

25
Q

What is the main function of episodic buffer in the WMM?

A

It buffers extra storage for information from all other areas

26
Q

What is the one main difference between the MSM and the WMM?

A

The working memory model only focuses on short term memory while the MSM focuses on both long term and short term memory.

27
Q

What are the 3 slave systems in the WMM?

A
  • The phonological loop
  • The visuo-spatial sketch pad
  • The episodic buffer
28
Q

What is WMM and MSM?

A
  • Working memory model

- Multi store model of memory

29
Q

Define capacity (memory)

A

The amount of information that can be held in a memory store.

30
Q

Define duration (memory)

A

The length of time information can be held in memory.

31
Q

What is the weapon focus effect?

A

This is where in violent crimes, the witness focuses on the weapon rather than other factors such as the individuals skin colour.

32
Q

How does the tunnel theory provide an explanation for the weapon focus effect

A

The theory states that the weapon narrows the field of attention and reduces the information to be stored.

33
Q

What is an eye witness testimony (EWT)

A

The ability of people to remember the details of events they have seen.

34
Q

What is a leading question?

A

A question that suggests a certain answer.

35
Q

What was Loftus’ experiment attempting to show?

A

How leading questions can affect the accuracy of people’s memories of an event.

36
Q

Briefly summarise the method of Loftus’ experiment.

A

Participants were shown a film of a car crash. They were then asked questions such as how fast do you think the cars were going when they hit. In different conditions they would change the verb ‘hit’ with ‘smashed’ or ‘contacted’ to see how it would effect their recall of the car crash.

37
Q

What were the results of Loftus’ experiment?

A

Participants given the word ‘smashed’ recalled that the cars were going 41mph while the participants given the word ‘contacted’ recalled that the cars were going 32mph.

38
Q

What was the conclusion of Loftus’ experiment?

A

That leading questions can greatly affect peoples memories of an event.

39
Q

What is interference (memory)?

A

Where one memory block another, causing one or both memories to be forgotten.

40
Q

What are two forms of interference?

A
  • Proactive interference

- Retroactive interference

41
Q

What is proactive interference and provide an example.

A

When forgetting occurs due to older memories disrupting the recall or newer memories. For example, you have difficulties learning the names of students in your new class because you keep remembering the students in your old class.

42
Q

What is retroactive interference and provide an example.

A

When forgetting occurs due to newer memories disrupting the recall of older memories. For example, you cannot remember the names of your old class as you’ve learnt the names of your new class.

43
Q

What is retrieval failure?

A

A form of forgetting which occurs when we don’t have the necessary cues to access the memory

44
Q

What is a cue and provide an example.

A

A ‘trigger’ of information that allows us to access a memory. For example, if we learnt an equation whilst chewing gum, we are more likely to recall it whilst chewing gum.

45
Q

What is a cognitive interview?

A

A method of interviewing eyewitnesses to help them retrieve more accurate memories.

46
Q

What are the 4 components the witness needs to do during a cognitive interview?

A

1) Report every single detail remembered.
2) Recall the context of the situation e.g weather.
3) Recall the event from different perspectives.
4) Recall the events in reverse order

47
Q

Why are cognitive interviews so important?

A

As they are used for police interviews and they may help witnesses recall events much more effectively.

48
Q

What is the main disadvantage for the cognitive interview?

A

It is much more time consuming than the standard police interview.

49
Q

What are the 3 characteristics to a memory?

A
  • Coding
  • Capacity
  • Duration
50
Q

What are the 3 types of long term memory?

A
  • Episodic memory
  • Semantic memory
  • Procedural memory
51
Q

What is episodic memory?

A

A long term memory store for personal events. E.g people we meet.

52
Q

What is semantic memory?

A

A long term memory store for our knowledge of the world. E.g facts.

53
Q

What is procedural memory?

A

A long term memory store for our knowledge of how to do things. E.g driving a car.

54
Q

What type of long term memory is usually recalled unconsciously?

A

Procedural memories

55
Q

Who constructed the idea of the MSM?

A

Atkinson

56
Q

Who constructed the idea of the WMM?

A

Baddeley

A-level Psychology (4 decks)

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