Cognitive Psychology Flashcards
Name two assumptions of cognitive psychology
- thoughts influence behaviour
- humans are information processors (like a computer)
Name two applications of cognitive psychology
Uses in education techniques such as revising for exams, and in therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy.
What part of H.M’s brain was removed in the surgery and how much?
2/3 of his hippocampus
What methods was H.M studied with?
Observation, interviews, memory tests.
How long did the observation of H.M last?
51 years, from 1957 till his death in 2008
3 main results of H.M case study
- His memory up till the age of 16 was intact, 11 years after his surgery.
- He was unable to encode temporary STM into his LTM
- He had an average digit span which showed STM was not affected.
Ethics of H.M
He could not give informed consent as he would not be able to remember what he consented to. Could be considered exploitative.
Applications of H.M
Allows us to understand how memory is localised within the brain. Helps to develop strategies for people with memory loss/brain injury.
Two conclusions of H.M
There are multiple memory systems in the brain. Memory is a distinct cerebral function.
What is the capacity and storage time of the sensory memory?
capacity 3-4, stored for 0.5 seconds
What is the capacity and storage time of the STM?
capacity 5-9, stored for 30 seconds
What is the capacity and storage time of the LTM?
Capacity and storage are infinite
What did Brady et al (2008) show?
Showed the limitless capacity of the LTM by showing participants pairs of objects and asking which they had seen previously. 92% of people correctly identified.
What did Peterson and Peterson (1959) find?
They used an interference task to stop people transferring memory to LTM and found that decay occurs in the STM after 15 seconds.
Evidence against the MSM
Berkerian and Baddely (1980) showed that rehearsal does not always transfer memory to the LTM.
