Improving Memory Flashcards
Outline bowers study into imagery for improving memory recall
He asked participants to learn a list of pairs of words. One groups were asked to form images to link the 2 words on a pair together. The other group were simply asked to learn the words.
Participants were tested by being shown the 1st word in each pair and saying what the word paired to it was.
Participants using imagery remember 80% of the word pairs with 45% in the control group.
Outline Bousfield’s study of categorical clustering
He said that we could remember items more readily is they can be divided up into meaningful clusters.
Participants had to recall 60 items onto 4 categories. The words were presented in a random order.
At recall they tended to remember in clusters showing they had organised them into categories
Outline the method of loco technique
Involves placing items along a well known route (your house). The more integrated and bizarre the visual image the more change there is of it being remembered. During recall you have to retrace you steps on your imagination along the same route and items associated with that group will be remembered
Name 2 strengths of the memory improvement studies
They are all carried out under controlled conditions so the variables are controlled so the test can be replicated to test reliability.
Also some studies have real life application such as learning shopping lists or foreign languages for exams.
Outline 2 weaknesses of the memory improvement methods.
Many of the studies lack ecological validity because it involves remembering long lists with have no meaning to the participant.
Also many of the studies test for memory of the past but I’m real life we often have to remember things for the future (going to the dentist)
