Memory Flashcards
Describe the different types of LTM.
Episodic memory - Memory for events from your life.
Semantic memory - Memory of what things mean (your own encyclopedia).
Procedural memory - Memory of how to do things.
Declerative and non-declarative:
Declarative = episodic and semantic
Non-declarative = procedural
Evaluate the different types of LTM.
Specific locations in the brain:
Brain scans show different types of LTM relate to different brain locations, e.g. procedural memory associated with motor area.
Amnesic patients:
Amnesiacs like Clive Wearing support LTM types as most of his procedural but not episodic memories were intact.
It’s not that simple:
Distinctive types of LTM are difficult to separate so it may be an oversimplification.
Describe the theory of reconstructive memory.
The theory:
People rebuild memory as an active process.
Memory is innaccurate:
Memory is not a process of exact reproduction of experiences.
Reconstruction:
Record pieces of information, recombine to tell the whole story.
Social and cultural influences:
Expectations come from the world/culture we live in, and affect storage and recall.
Effort after meaning:
We focus on the meaning of events and make an effort afterwards to make sense of fragments of memory.
Evaluate the theory of reconstructive memory.
More realistic research:
Reflects how we use memory in everyday life because it uses a story not word lists.
Some memories are accurate:
Not all recall is reconstructed as some memories of the story are accurate.
Real-world application:
It explains problems with eyewitness testimony as people do not always recall accurately.
Describe Murdock’s study.
Aim:
To see if memory of words is affected by location in a list.
Method:
Participants listened to 20 word lists with 10-40 words on them, recalled words after each list.
Results:
Recall related to position of words. Higher recall for the first words (primacy effect) and last words (recency effect) than in middle.
Conclusion:
Shows the serial position effect and supports the MSM stores.
Evaluate Murdock’s study.
Controlled lab study:
There was a high level of control so it could be concluded position of words determined recall.
Artificial task:
Word lists were used which is only one type of memory, so the study lacks validity.
Supporting research:
Some amnesiacs can’t store LTM, which shows the primary effect is related to LTM (Carlesimo et al.).
What are the primacy and recency effects?
Words at beginning are remembered more (rehearsed, so in LTM).
Words at end are remembered more (heard recently, so in STM).
Describe a study on interference.
McGeoch and McDonald’s study:
Aim:
To see the effect of doing two activities on accuracy of memory.
Method:
Learned a list of 10 words and then another list of varying types, e.g. synonyms and antonyms.
Results:
Memory was affected by the second list, most of all if second list had similar meaning (synonyms).
Conclusions:
Shows interference affects accuracy of memory and is strongest when you try to remember two similar things.
Evaluate a study on interference.
McGeoch and McDonald’s study:
Controlled research:
High control, e.g. counterbalancing, was used to reduce bias.
Artificial task:
It does not reflect real-life memory as we don’t often have to remember very similar words.
Not really forgetting:
It may be information is not forgotten but just cannot be accessed, so isn’t actually forgotten (Tulving and Psotka).
Describe a study on context.
Godden and Baddeley’s study:
Aim:
To see if context improved recall.
Method:
Divers listened to and recalled words in the same or different settings on the beach and underwater.
Results:
Recall was highest in the same environment for learning and recall.
Conclusions:
Context of learning acts as a trigger or cue, improving the accuracy of memory.
Evaluate a study on context.
Godden and Baddeley’s study:
Artificial task
Lists of words were used. When more complex materials were used, better recall was found.
Recall was short term:
Participants recalled the words almost immediately, unlike in everyday life.
Similar context:
Context only acts as a cue if context at learning and recall are very similar, which rarely happens (Smith).
Describe a study on false memories.
Loftus and Pickrell’s study:
Aim:
To see if false memories could be created in participants through suggestion.
Method:
Four stories about childhood events were read where three were true and one was false (shopping mall).
Results:
6 out of 24 (25%) of participants recalled the false story fully or partially.
Conclusions:
Imagining an event can implant a false memory in a person, reducing accuracy of memory.
Evaluate a study on false memories.
Loftus and Pickrell’s study:
Artificial task:
Harmless events could be implanted easily but traumatic events may not, so conclusions are limited.
Ethical issues:
Participants may be left with implanted false memories which lingered after the study, causing distress.
Real-world applications:
Research has implications for eyewitness testimony as police questioning could accidently implant false memories.
