Individual Differences in Memory

Question 1

Define ‘individual differences’.

Answer 1

Differences in characteristics between different people.

Question 2

Give an example of an individual difference in cognitive psychology.

Answer 2

Someone having a different schema due to the different experiences they’ve had in life creating the framework for an idea of what situations will be like.

Question 3

How can chunking expand the capacity of STM?

Answer 3

Chunking similar information into groups increases the capacity of the STM as 10 may become 5 groups of 2.

Question 4

Give evidence to support the idea of chunking.

Answer 4

P - Miller’s (1957) research supports
E - He found that when chunking phone numbers more than 7 digits long into groups it increases the likelihood of remembering the full phone number
E - Therefore showing how chunking can increase the capacity of the STM

Question 5

Define ‘processing speed’.

Answer 5

The rate at which information is processed.

Question 6

Using the Working Memory Model, explain how people may experience individual differences in their memory.

Answer 6

People with dyslexia have individual differences in their memory as they face impairment in their phonological loop which slows down the processing of words due to not being able to subvocally rehearse and so the capacity of their STM may be lower, decreasing ability to chunk.

Question 7

Evaluate a strength of using the WMM as an explanation for individual differences in memory.

Answer 7

P - WMM has high credibility due to its practical application
E - Suggests that people with dyslexia face impairment in their phonological loop and so subvocal rehearsal
E - Therefore this theory has been used to help students with dyslexia by suggesting extra time in exams

Question 8

Evaluate a weakness of using the WMM as an explanation for individual differences in memory.

Answer 8

P - The model is too simplistic
E - It explains very little about the processes and function of the LTM
E - And so it is limited as an explanation of individual differences in memory as a whole which reduces its credibility

Question 9

How can processing speed be affected at younger ages?

Answer 9

Due to no subvocal rehearsal under the age of 7, children below that age may have a slower processing speed.

Question 10

Define ‘digit span’.

Answer 10

The capacity of how many items you can hold in your STM at any one time.

Question 11

How do the results of Sebastian and Hernandez-Gil’s (2012) study explain individual differences in memory?

Answer 11

• Spanish words are longer than English words and so it would take longer to subvocally rehearse them
• This leaves more items open to decaying sooner
• Therefore there are individual differences here as the digit span of a Spanish person will likely be lower than the average 7 of an English person
• Alzheimer’s patients had an average digit span of 4.2 which didn’t differ from healthy ppts’ digit span of 4.4
• Older groups performed significantly better than 5 year olds showing individual differences in memory with age

Question 12

Evaluate a strength of using Sebastian and Hernandez-Gil’s (2012) study as an explanation for individual differences in memory.

Answer 12

P - High validity
E - The 570 Spanish ppts were matched for the task due to not having any learning disabilities
E - And so there were no individual differences to affect the outcome making the study more credible

Question 13

Evaluate a weakness of using Sebastian and Hernandez-Gil’s (2012) study as an explanation for individual differences in memory.

Answer 13

P - Low task validity
E - The task of recalling digits in order with another being added each time the order is recalled correctly is not an everyday activity to do with memory
E - Findings therefore lack mundane realism and so won’t reflect individual differences in memory in real life

Question 14

Define a ‘schema’.

Answer 14

A framework of information compiled to form an idea of what a situation will be like based on information from past life experiences.

Question 15

Give an example of a schema.

Answer 15

Having an idea of restaurant etiquette based on previous experiences.

Question 16

How do the results of Bartlett’s (1932) War of the Ghosts study as an explanation for individual differences in memory.

Answer 16

• Some ppts used confabulation to make sense of it (e.g. someone dying at sunset instead of sunrise)
• Some ppts used rationalisation to make sense of it (e.g. no ghosts)
• People’s schemas are different due to their different life experience which makes up their idea of a situation
• Therefore different people will reconstruct different parts of the original story, showing an individual difference in memory

Question 17

State a strength of using Bartlett’s (1932) study as an explanation for individual differences in memory.

Answer 17

P - Barlett’s theory can be scientifically tested
E - Operationalising memory in the form of a story having features that can be counted each time they are recalled will measure accuracy
E - Therefore reductionism is scientific as it allows for things to be measurable leading to easy replication

Question 18

State a weakness of using Bartlett’s (1932) study as an explanation for individual differences in memory.

Answer 18

P - Low validity
E - The folk tale of the War of the Ghosts is deliberately ambiguous
E - Due to the weird way in which it was written, it wouldn’t represent memory in real life because it was so obscure

Question 19

Define an ‘episodic’ memory.

Answer 19

A memory of a life experience/event.

Question 20

Give an example of an episodic memory.

Answer 20

A memory of the first day at school.

Question 21

How are there individual differences in episodic memories?

Answer 21

Individuals have different life experiences.

Question 22

Define a ‘semantic’ memory.

Answer 22

A memory of facts and knowledge.

Question 23

Give an example of a semantic memory.

Answer 23

The capital of France is Paris.

Question 24

Define a ‘spatial’ memory.

Answer 24

A memory of the environment/setting.

Question 25

Give an example of a spatial memory.

Answer 25

Remembering the location of your first house.

Question 26

Define a ‘prospective’ memory.

Answer 26

A memory that involves remembering to a planned action/intention at a future point.

Question 27

Give an example of a prospective memory.

Answer 27

Remembering to wish someone a happy birthday tomorrow.

Question 28

How do the results of Palombo’s (2012) study as an explanation for individual differences in memory.

Answer 28

• Conducted a 5 point Likert scale survey on autobiographical memory containing 102 items
• The findings suggest that those scoring high on episodic memory will also score high on semantic memory and vice versa (either having good or bad memory recall)
• Also found that men score higher on spatial memory showing individual differences in memory with gender

Question 29

State a strength of using Palombo’s (2012) study as an explanation for individual differences in memory.

Answer 29

P - High reliability
E - Evidence of consistency with biological evidence from brain imaging of activity shows that men use the left side of their brain more which is where spatial skills are located there
E - Therefore supporting Palombo’s findings with scientific and credible data

Question 30

State a weakness of using Palombo’s (2012) study as an explanation for individual differences in memory.

Answer 30

P - Low validity
E - The questionnaire uses self-report, retrospective data in which people may not make accurate judgements on their own memory
E - Therefore reduces credibility of results as there may be bias inaccuracies