Cognitive Approach - Models of Memory

Question 1

Atkinson & Shiffrin (1986)

Answer 1

Multi Store Model of Memory

Question 2

What is the MSM?

Answer 2

1) sensory register
2) short term memory
3) long term memory

Question 3

What are the strengths of the MSM?

Answer 3

1) There is a large amount of scientific evidence to support this theory (Glanzer & Cunitz, HM’s case study)
2) It makes sense that memories are encoded semantically (you wouldn’t remember every single word in a book, but you would remember the overall message)

Question 4

What are the weaknesses of the MSM?

Answer 4

1) Low ecological validity as many of the experiments used artificial tasks
2) The model is over simplified
3) It does not make sense that all information will be encoded semantically (such as learning to ride a bike through it’s meaning)
4) It is assumed LTM has limitless capacity and duration as research has been unable to measure this accurately

Question 5

Study MSM supports?

Answer 5

Glanzer & Cunitz (1966)

Question 6

Glanzer & Cunitz sample

Answer 6

46 males who all enlisted in the US army

Question 7

Glanzer & Cunitz aim

Answer 7

To investigate the serial position effect as evidence for there being two seperate stores of memory; STM and LTM

Question 8

Glanzer & Cunitz procedure

Answer 8

Each participant was individually shown 15 lists, each containing 15 words. Then depending on the condition, the participants had to recall as many words either immediately, after 10 seconds or after 30 seconds

Question 9

Glanzer & Cunitz conditions

Answer 9

1) Immediate recall
2) Recall after a 10 second interference task
3) Recall after a 30 second interference task

Question 10

Glanzer & Cunitz results

Answer 10

• Participants in the immediate recall condition showed the expected ‘U’ curve of the serial position effect. -
• Participants in the 10 second delay condition showed a similar primacy effect but less of a recency effect.
• Participants in the 30 second delay condition showed a high primacy effect but the biggest difference was the recency effect had disappeared

Question 11

Glanzer & Cunitz conclusion

Answer 11

By preventing rehearsal with a 30 second interference task items from the end of the list have not been rehearsed in the STM (which happens with items earlier in the list) so cannot pass into the LTM so the recency effect is prevented. In other words, there appears to be two sepereate memory stores at work

Question 12

Glanzer & Cunitz strengths

Answer 12

1) This is a well controlled laboratory experiment that uses a standardised procedure which makes it high in reliability
2) The results support Atkinson & Shiffrin’s (1968 multi store model of memory)

Question 13

Glanzer & Cunitz limitations

Answer 13

1) The sample cannot be generalised to females or males outside of the demographic, decreases the generalisability
2) The procedure lacks ecological validity due to the artificial conditions in which it was conducted

Question 14

Baddeley and Hitch (1974)

Answer 14

Working Memory Model

Question 15

What is the WMM?

Answer 15

1) Central Executive
2) Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad
3) Phonological Loop
3. 1) Phonological Store - (Inner ear)
3. 2) Articulatory Loop - (Inner voice)
4) The episodic buffer

Question 16

What are the strengths of the WMM?

Answer 16

1) Explains a lot more than the multi store model of memory such as comprehension, reading, problem solving and navigation. And has lots of scientific evidence to support it
2) Supported by dual task studies (Baddeley and Hitch 1976)
3) Does not over emphasize the importance of rehearsal for STM retention

Question 17

study WMM supports?

Answer 17

Robbins et al. (1996)

Question 18

Robbins et al aim

Answer 18

To investigate the role of working memory in chess moves

Question 19

Robbins et al sample

Answer 19

20 male chess players from the University of Cambridge chess club. 90% were under 30

Question 20

Robbins et al conditions

Answer 20

1) Articulatory Loop Supression - participants had to repeat the word ‘the’ in time to a metronome
2) Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad Suppression - participants had to press the keys on a calculator in time to a metronome
3) Central Executive Suppression - participants had to call out a sequence of letters at random in time to a metronome
4) Control - no suppression task

Question 21

Robbins et al procedure

Answer 21

Participants were shown a chess board with 16 black and white pieces, position like in the middle of game. They were given 10 seconds to memorise the positions (during which they would perform a suppression task) then they had to recreate the same positioning on an empty chess board. They were given as much time as they wanted to do this

Question 22

Robbins et al results

Answer 22

participants in the central executive and visuo-spatial sketchpad suppression conditions performed more poorly than the articulatory loop suppression and control conditions. participants classed as stronger chess players performed significantly better than those classed as weaker players

Question 23

Robbins et al conclusion

Answer 23

working memory for chess does not seem to be affected by verbal processing suppression but visual suppression does seem to create an overload effect, preventing visual material from being remembered as easily

Question 24

Robbins et al strengths

Answer 24

1) This is a well controlled laboratory experiment with a standardised procedure which makes it high in reliability
2) The blocking of the operation in the visuo-spatial sketchpad did produce a difference in conditions, supporting the idea of different slaves systems in WMM

Question 25

Robbins et al limitations

Answer 25

1) This is a biased sample which cannot be generalised easily
2) The procedure may have exerted some pressure on the participants which may have affected their ability to use their WM in the same way as they might have done under less pressuring circumstances

Question 26

what is the sensory register?

Answer 26

sensory register is where information from the senses is stored. It has a duration of about half a second. If attention is not paid then the information is lost. It can be encoded visually, acoustically or semantically

Question 27

what is short term memory?

Answer 27

STM has capacity of 5-9 items and a duration of 30 seconds. The information must be rehearsed to move to LTM otherwise it is displaced and forgotten

Question 28

what is long term memory?

Answer 28

The LTM has a potentially limitless capacity and duration and the information is common stored semantically.

Question 29

what is the central executive?

Answer 29

Central Executive - Allocates information to the subsystems and also deals with cognitive tasks like mental arithmetic and problem solving

Question 30

what is the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 30

Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad - Stores and processes visual and spatial information like navigation

Question 31

what is the phonological loop?

Answer 31

Phonological Loop - Processes spoken and written material, it is subvided into two sub stores

Question 32

what are the two sub store of the phonological loop?

Answer 32

1) Phonological Store - (Inner ear) Stores and processes speech perception for 1-2 seconds
2) Articulatory Loop - (Inner voice) processes speech production and rehearses and stores verbal information from the phonological loop

Question 33

what is the episodic buffer?

Answer 33

The episodic buffer was added after failing to explain the results of several experiments. It communicates between the short term memory and the long term memory