Lecture 1 - Introduction to memory

Question 1

what is cognitive psychology

Answer 1

• Neisser - cognition = all processes by which the sensory input is transformed, reduced, elaborated, stored, recovered and used. cognition takes place in transformation
• development of computers = idea of a processing flow through a series of analysers and processors
• cognition begins at level of perception and is how we transform sensory input
• gibson (ecological theory of perception). perception = sensation. believes in object affordance - function/meaning already at level of sensation
• gregory (constructive theory) - perception is constructed through knowledge, context and expectations. perception is individual = can lead to errors.

Question 2

How to study cognitive psychology

Answer 2

1. assumptions/hypotheses about cog mechanisms help formulate model/theory
2. empirical evidence
3. any methods that produce valid. objective and reliable data

Question 3

basic memory components (James 1980)

Answer 3

• primary memory - momentary state of consciousness. like an after image of real world. sensory/st
• secondary memory - knowledge of an event or fact of which we have not been thinking with the additional consciousness that we have thought or experienced it before. lt

Question 4

modal model of memory (atkinson & shiffrin 1968)

Answer 4

• stimuli > sensory memory > STM > LTM

Question 5

sensory memory

Answer 5

• stimuli > perception > illusory motion
• sensory memory stores incoming visual info forming a continuous image
• modality specific
• iconic (visual info) and echoic (auditory)

Question 6

sperling (1960) evidence for sensory memory - whole report

Answer 6

• pp’s presented with stimuli (12 letters) which flash for 50ms. then asked to freely recall.
• could only recall about 4 = items fade during retention

Question 7

sperling (1960) evidence for sensory memory - partial report

Answer 7

• tested how quick they were fading
• same presentation but asked to recall 4 letters from one out of the three lines of letters.
• pp’s only knew which letter to report after an auditory cue that told them which line to recall from
• the auditory cue with variable delay from stimulus onset tells which of the lines must be reported
• variable delay between 0-1s
• if cue comes simultaneously with stimuli, performance is maximal (9/12 overall or 3/4 for each line)
• performance dec as delay inc - more time for memory trace to decay.
• total capacity of memory store = 9 letters
• within 1s capacity of iconic memory is reached (4 items)
• iconic memory decays within a second

Question 8

crowder (1971) speech suffix effect

Answer 8

• serial auditory presentation of 9 random digits
• task: repeat in correct order. auditory cue prompts recall at end of trial.
• either cued with verball cue (‘recall’) or non-verbal cue (buzzer). important as sensory info is modality specific.
• tried to recall as many as possible.
• when cue is buzzer, digits presented at start and end were best recalled, while those in middle show dec (primacy and recency)
• when cue is spoken there is still a primacy effect but recency effect disappears
• therefore presentation of verbal item before recall overwrites verbal memory trace but non-verbal cue does not affect echoic memory performance for verbal material
• = echoic memory modality specific, short lived (1s for iconic, 2 for echoic) & can be replaced by new info

Question 9

STM

Answer 9

• short duration (<1min) but not as short as sensory (1-2s)
• limited capacity (3-4 items) while sensory larger (9)
• info is reduced when it is transferred from sensory to STM
• attention selects relevant info which gains higher cog functions such as memory

Question 10

working memory

Answer 10

• WMM (Baddeley and hitch 1974) accounts for temp ST storage of info and ability to perform complex cog tasks