L1-6 Flashcards
what is memory?
memory is the process of retaining info + accessing info when it’s needed
what are the three processes of memory?
- coding
- storage
- retrieval
what is coding?
process in memory:
- the way info is changed so it can be stored in memory
what is storage?
process in memory:
- keeping info within the memory system until it’s needed
what is retrieval?
process in memory:
- recovering info stored in the memory system when it’s required
what are the three memory stores?
- sensory register
- short-term memory
- long-term memory
what is the sensory register? (SR)
SR is a memory store:
- contains unprocessed impressions of info received through senses = environmental stimuli
- separate sensory stores for each sensory input
- iconic store = visual info
- echoic store = auditory info
what is short-term memory? (STM)
STM is a temporary memory store for info received from the SR
what is long-term memory? (LTM)
LTM is a permanent memory store, holding limitless amounts of info for long periods of time, potentially a lifetime
what is capacity?
capacity is the amount of info that can be held in memory before new incoming information displaces it –> info is ‘pushed out’
what is duration?
duration is the amount of time info can be held in a memory store before it is lost due to decay –> the info ‘fades away’
describe coding in the SR
coding in SR is modality specific = each sensory store (iconic/echoic) codes info differently
describe coding in STM (Baddeley 1996)
Baddeley (1966) investigated this:
- participants given 4 lists of words to recall:
- List A = words that sounded similar
- List B = words that sounded dissimilar
- List C = words that had similar meanings
- List D = words that had dissimilar meanings
he argued that STM coded acoustically (STM organises info according to how it sounds = similar sounding words become muddled) = when parts performed worse in List A than list B, no difference between lists C and D
describe coding in LTM (Baddeley 1966)
Baddeley repeated experiment (re-explain) to test coding for LTM:
- tested recall after 20 min delay to ensure info passed into LTM
- parts recall of List C was worse than list D + no difference between A and B
- concluded that LTM organises info according to meaning = similar meaning words become confused
what is the +ves/ads of Baddeley’s (1966) experiment on tesing coding - STM + LTM?
Baddeley tested coding in STM + LTM:
- study is lab experiment + easy to replicate as variables have been closely controlled = reliability can be assessed
what is the -ves/disads of Baddeley’s (1966) experiment on tesing coding - STM + LTM?
- findings have low ecological validity = material parts needed to recall was artificial + lab setting
describe capacity of the SR
capacity of SR is unlimited
describe capacity of STM
- Jacobs (1887) used a digit span test to determine the capacity of STM
- gave participants several sequences of digits or letters, asking them to repeat each sequence immediately after he had given it, in the correct order
- sequences got longer by one item each time
- found that on average we can hold 9.3 digits + 7.3 letters
- Miller (1956) reviewed psychological research studies+ concluded that the span of STM is 7 (+/) 2
- If we try to recall more information than we have the capacity for then new incoming information displaces old information
what did Miller (1956) also find on his research of capacity of STM?
Miller (1956) also found that people can recall five words as easily as five letters, + so chunking (grouping large amounts of information into smaller groups) can help us remember more
what is an ad of Jacob’s (1887) research on capacity of STM?
his research was the first to acknowledge that STM capacity gradually improves with age
what is a disad of Jacob’s (1887) research on capacity of STM?
study was conducted a long time ago, so may not have been done to the same scientifically rigorous standard as research today = validity of findings questioned