INTRO TO COGNITION: Quiz 7 Flashcards
Memorable Events
Significant, emotional, or transition events are typically remembered well.
Flashbulb Memories
Vivid, detailed memories of surprising or emotionally intense events
Highly confident memories, but not always accurate (subject to distortions).
Details like location, weather, and people present are often recalled.
What is the controversy of flashbulb memories
Some argue these are “special” memories, while others see them as susceptible to typical memory errors.
Explain what Neisser & Harsch (1992) found in their study?
Found that students’ memories of the Challenger disaster were inaccurate after 32 months, despite high confidence.
Explain what Loftus (1992) found in his study?
Introduced the Discrepancy Detection Principle
Memories can change if discrepancies between the memory and new information go unnoticed.
The Misinformation Effect
Memories can be altered by misleading post-event information.
What was Loftus et al. (1978) study on The Misinformation Effect
Showed participants pictures of a red car at a stop sign, then asked misleading questions (e.g., about a “yield sign”), leading to inaccurate recall.
What was Loftus & Palmer (1974) experiment on The Misinformation Effect
Demonstrated how wording in questions (e.g., using “smashed” vs. “hit”) could change participants’ memory of a car accident’s speed and the likelihood of recalling broken glass that wasn’t there.
What are False Memories?
What did Hyman et al. (1995) find in his experiemnt?
Recollections of events that did not actually happen or are distorted versions of real events
25% of participants falsely recalled a fictional event (a wedding incident) after repeated suggestions.
What are Schemas? What did Bartlett (1932) find in his experiement?
Cognitive structures that help organize and interpret information about common events (e.g., office setting).
Participants altered details in memory to fit their cultural expectations when recalling unfamiliar stories.
What are scripts ad what are their functions?
A type of schema that organizes knowledge about common sequences of events, such as dining at a restaurant.
Help predict upcoming events and facilitate memory by structuring routine experiences.
What are some errors in Eyewitness Memory and Identification
Factors such as low lighting, time pressure, and stress can reduce accuracy.
What did Lindsay et al. (1981) find in their experiment about Eyewitness Memory and Identification
Found that conditions like time spent viewing a “thief” affected identification accuracy.
What did Schooler & Engstler-Schooler (1990) find in his experiment about Eyewitness Memory and Identification
Verbal descriptions can impair recognition accuracy.
What is Weapons Focus
Tendency for witnesses to focus on a weapon, diverting attention from other details (like the perpetrator’s face), especially under stress.
