Information Processing and MSM A01 and A03

Question 1

Processing

Answer 1

The operations we perform on sensory information in the brain.

Question 2

Input

Answer 2

For human memory, this refers to the sensory information we receive from our environment.

Question 3

Storage

Answer 3

The retention of information in our memory system.

Question 4

Encoding

Answer 4

Turning sensory information into a form that can be used and stored by the brain.

Question 5

Acousting Encoding

Answer 5

The process of storing sound in our memory system.

Question 6

Visual Encoding

Answer 6

The process of storing something that is seen in our memory system.

Question 7

Semantic Encoding

Answer 7

The process of storing the meaning of information in our memory system, rather than the sound of a word, we store the definition/meaning of that word.

Question 8

Output

Answer 8

The information that we recall, e.g. the behavioural response.

Question 9

Retrieval

Answer 9

The recall of stored memories.

Question 10

What are the three parts to information processing?

Answer 10

Input
Encoding
Output

Question 11

Short Term Memory

Answer 11

Our initial memory store that is temporary and limited.

Question 12

Long Term Memory

Answer 12

A memory store that holds potentially limitless amounts of information for up to a lifetime.

Question 13

Duration

Answer 13

The length of time information can be stored in short term and long term memory.

Question 14

Capacity

Answer 14

The amount of information that can be stored in short term and long term memory.

Question 15

Rehearse

Answer 15

When we repeat information pver and over again to make it stick.

Question 16

Displacement

Answer 16

When the short term memory becomes full and new information pushes out older information.

Question 17

Interference

Answer 17

When new information overwrites older information, fo example when a new phone number takes the place of an old number in your memory.

Question 18

What is the capacity of STM?

Answer 18

Between 5-9 items (7+/- 2)

Question 19

Which Psychologist found that there are between 5 and 9 items held in the STM?

Answer 19

George Miller (1956)

Question 20

What is the duration of STM?

Answer 20

15-30 seconds

Question 21

What is the duration of LTM?

Answer 21

LTM can last for minutes up to a lifetime.

Question 22

What is the capacity of LTM?

Answer 22

LTM can hold an unlimited amount of information.

Question 23

What are the three separate memory stores in the Multi-Store Model of Memory?

Answer 23

Sensory Register
Short Term Memory
Long Term Memory

Question 24

Who developed the MSM?

Answer 24

Atkinson & Shiffrin (1968)

Question 25

What is the sensory register?

Answer 25

Our immediate memory of sensory information. It is the store that receives all of the sensory information around us and holds it very briefly.

Question 26

How many stores is the sensory register thought to have?

Answer 26

One for each of our senses (5)

Question 27

What is Iconic memory?

Answer 27

The sensory register for visual information that lasts for around 1 second before visual information decays.

Question 28

What is Echoic memory?

Answer 28

The sensory register for auditory (sound) information that lasts a few seconds before sound information decays.

Question 29

What is Gustatory memory?

Answer 29

The sensory register for for taste.

Question 30

What is Olfactory memory?

Answer 30

The sensory register for smell.

Question 31

What is tactile memory?

Answer 31

The sensory register for touch.

Question 32

What does modality free mean?

Answer 32

It is not linked to a specific type of sensory information. STM is modality free because it can store information from any of our senses.

Question 33

What is the meaning of attention?

Answer 33

Focusing on certain sensory information.

Question 34

How is sensory information transferred to the STM?

Answer 34

By paying attention to it.

Question 35

How is information transferred from STM to LTM?

Answer 35

By rehearsal, which means repeating things out loud or in our heads over and over again.

Question 36

What is a Trigram?

Answer 36

A set of three letters such as GPX that makes a meaningless string of letters rather than a word.

Question 37

Who researched the duration of the STM?

Answer 37

Peterson & Peterson (1959)

Question 38

What is the primacy effect?

Answer 38

The tendency to recall words at the beginning of a list when asked to remember it.

Question 39

What is the recency effect?

Answer 39

The tendency to recall words at the end of a list when asked to remember it.

Question 40

What is a strength of MSM?

Answer 40

There is a lot of evidence to support the theory of separate memory stores. Cases of amnesia show how brain injury can damage long-term memory while short term memory remains intact.

Question 41

Who provided evidence for the MSM?

Answer 41

Ben murdock (1962) - he conducted an experiment that discovered the serial position effect (primacy and recency). This supports the concept of rehearsal.

Question 42

What is a criticism of MSM?

Answer 42

It overstates the role of rehearsal. Clearly we don't need to repeat every piece of information over and over again in order to remember it. Sometimes we remember things because they are more meaningful to us.