Memory Flashcards
Human memory
Human memory is the process by which we retain information about events that happened in the past
Sensory memory (SM)
Initial contact for stimuli. Sensory memory is only capable of retaining information for a very short time
Short term memory (STM)
The information we are currently aware of thinking about. The information found in short term memory comes from paying attention to sensory memories. Unless rehearsed lasts a very short period of time.
Long term memory (LTM)
Continual storage of information which is largely outside of our awareness, but can be called into working memory table when needed. Can last from 2 mins to many years
Peterson and Peterson (1959)
Studied the length of STM with 24 university students, asking them to recall three digit codes. Participants remembered 90% with a 3 sec interval but only 2% with an 18 second interval showing STM is 18 seconds long.
Peterson and Peterson evaluation
+ showed forgetting information occurs without rehearsal
+ identified duration of STM (18 seconds)
+ highly controlled therefore limited the effect of extraneous variables
- lacked mundane realism, meaning generalisability to other memory tasks would be difficult
- therefore lacks external validity
- small sample size of 24 students
Bahrick (1975)
392 participants were asked to recall from their school year book, with photos and without photos. The results were: After 15 years 90% accurate in photo recognition, After 48 years 70% accurate in photo recognition, After 15 years 60% accurate for free recall, After 48 years 30% accurate for free recall
Bahrick evaluation
+ high external validity- real life meaningful memories were studied
- confounding variables are not controlled in these experiments
- these pictures could have been rehearsed over the years
Coding
The process of converting information from one form to another
Digit span
A way of measuring the capacity of STM. Participants have to recall a string of digits in order. Capacity is 7+/-2
Coding evaluation
- artificial stimuli
- generalisation
- lacks validity as research is very old
- corral (2011) reviewed research suggesting STM was 4 chunks
Encoding
The way information is changed so it can be stored in memory. Information enters the. Rain via the senses but is then stored in different forms:
- visual
- acoustic
- semantic
Sub divisions of LTM (2)
Explicit (declarative): these have been Igor about to be recalled. Often formed through several combined memories.
Implicit (non-declarative): which is more difficulty to put into words. These can be recalled without conscious thought.
Episodic memory
Personal experiences, these are time stamped. Conscious effort to recall. Strength of memory is influenced by emotion
- right prefrontal cortex: The prefrontal cortex in the forward part of the frontal lobe is associated with initial coding of episodic memory
- Hippocampus: Memories of the different parts of an event are located in the different visual, auditory, olfactory areas of the brain but are connected together in the hippocampus to create a memory of an episode.
Right prefrontal cortex (e)
The prefrontal cortex in the forward part of the frontal lobe is associated with initial coding of episodic memory
Hippocampus (e)
Memories of the different parts of an event are located in the different visual, auditory, olfactory areas of the brain but are connected together in the hippocampus to create a memory of an episode.
Semantic memory
Concerns factual knowledge an individual has learned. These are not time stamped. Linked to episodic as new knowledge is linked to experience
- hippocampus: Some disagreement over which brain areas are involved in the semantic memory however the hippocampus is thought to be involved
- left prefrontal cortex: Coding associated with the frontal and temporal lobes
Hippocampus (s)
Some disagreement over which brain areas are involved in the semantic memory however the hippocampus is thought to be involved
Left prefrontal cortex (s)
Coding associated with the frontal and temporal lobes
Procedural memory
Concerned with learning motor skills. Without conscious effort. Difficult to explain in words. Also involved in language
- motor cortex and prefrontal cortex: these areas are associated with procedural LTM and aid in the memories of how to walk etc
- cerebellum: helps with timing and coordination of movements, making them smooth and precise, recent research also suggests a role in higher cognitive processes
Clinical evidence
+ episodic memory was severely impaired as a consequence of amnesia. They had great difficulty recalling events that had happened in the past
+ semantic memory was unaffected-they understood the meaning of words
+ procedural memory was also intact-they could walk, tie shoelaces etc
+ this supports Tulvings view that there are different memory stores in the LTM
- case studies are very unique to the individual and it therefore can be difficult to make generalisations regarding information gathered
Neuroimaging evidence
+ Brain scans have been conducted whilst performing memory tasks
+ Tulving (1994) found that episodic and semantic memories were both recalled from the prefrontal cortex (divided into left and right)
+ supports the idea in different physical locality of different parts of memory
Real life application (LTM)
+ Specific treatments developed to help with episodic memory impairment especially as people get older through mild cognitive impairment
Two or three types of LTM
- Cohen and Squire (1980) think there are into 2 types of LTM
- procedural-non declarative
- declarative (combination of episodic and semantic)
Spelrling (1960): sensory memory experiment
- Ppts were given a grid of 12 letters and then given high middle or low and the letters should then be recalled. They also had to recall the whole grid.
- theoretically ppts should have got 4/4 for the rows however most only got 3 suggesting sensory memory cannot hold information for long and that it decays rapidly in that store
+ supports the existence of the sensory store
