Memory Flashcards
What is coding
To enter memory, info must be ‘written’ in a particular format or code
Different memory stores use different codes
What are the different memory codes
Visual (images)
Acoustic (sound)
Semantic (meaning)
What is capacity
The amount of storage space available in memory
Different memory stores have different storage capacities which is measured by number of items that can be held at once
What is duration
Refers to how long information lasts before it is no longer available or forgotten about
Info may be available for less than a second or for many decades
What is the duration of short term memory
18-30 seconds
What is the duration of the long term memory
Potentially forever
What is the capacity of short term memory
7 + / - 2
What is the capacity of the long term memory
Potentially unlimited
How is short term memory coded
Acoustically
How is long term memory coded
Semantically
What is the capacity of the sensory register
9 items
How is information coded into the sensory register
Visual - iconic store
Acoustic - echoic store
What is the duration of information in the sensory register
less than 1s iconic store
2s echoic store
What is the case study of HM
HM had hippocampus removed to control epilepsy.
After surgery was unable to produce long term memories. Short term memory was unaffected
Suggests memory is not unitary
What research reflects the idea memory comprises separate stores
HM
What are the 3 main assumptions about memory (MSM)
There are 3 separate stores
These stores are unitary
Information is transferred through rehearsal
Who conducted research into the sensory register
Sperling
Explain sterling’s research into the sensory register
To investigate capacity and duration of iconic store
Used a tachistoscope to present 12 symbols to participants for 1/20 of a second. PP’S had to recall high, medium, low row of letters
As long as sound was sounded within 250 Millie seconds participant could report 3 out of 4 symbols
Capacity or iconic store is about 75% duration is about 1 second
Who researched duration of STM
Brown-Peterson
Explain Brown-Peterson technique study on STM
PP’S shown nonsense trigrams asked to remember, prevented rehearsal by counting backwards in intervals, told to recall trigrams
3 second interval = 80% correct
18 second interval = 10% recalled correct
Some people can retain info up to 30s but this is max
Who conducted research into the capacity of STM
Jacobs
Explain jacobs research into STM
Investigate capacity
List of digits presented at half second intervals - PP’S to recall list in correct order
Participants on average could hold 5-9 items
Who investigated coding in STM
Conrad
How did Conrad investigate coding STM
PP’S shown series of random sequences of six consonants in rapid succession and asked to write letters in correct order
PP’S found it more difficult to recall acoustically using similar sounds than dissimilar
STM codes acoustically
Who researched the duration of LTM
Bahrick
Explain Bahrick’s research into the duration of LTM
Graduate yearbooks traced, time since graduation was two weeks to 57 years. PP’S asked to match pictures with names after free recalling names
Free recall was 50% at 3 months but dropped to 20% after 40 years
LTM may last forever but whether it can be accessed depends on circumstances
Who conducted research into coding of LTM
Baddeley
Explain Baddeley research into coding of LTM
70 young servicemen split into 4 groups presented with same words but order changed for each group, asked to write down in order
Difference in recall between semantically similar words (55% accurate) and semantically dissimilar words (85% accurate)
Evaluate multi store memory model
Supporting evidence from study’s (bahreck and Baddeley)
Challenging evidence
Some challenge idea of unitary STM AND LTM
Suggested multiple components instead of one store as working memory model claims. Tulving argued LTM is subdivided.
MSM too simplistic
Researcher challenge rehearsal importance
Not always required - sometimes remember unrehearsed info but unable to recall rehearsed info
Hyde and Jenkins found no difference in recall between group who told to be expected to recall words and group who wasn’t
Role of rehearsal less important than claimed
Who created the working memory model
Baddeley and Hitch
What are the different components of the working memory model
Central executive
Phonological loop
(Primary acoustic store)
(Articulately control process)
Episodic buffer
Visuospatial sketchpad
(Inner scribe)
(Visual cashe)
Long term memory
Describe the role of the central executive in the WMM
Pay attention to tasks and allocate working memory recourses to complete tasks
Can take over slave systems when overloaded
Recourses are ‘slave systems’
Capacity = very limited
Coding = modality free
Describe the role of the phonological loop
Slave system concerned with auditory and speech based info
Phonological store - (inner ear) holds words that are heard for a brief period of time
Articulating rehearsal system - (inner voice) allows maintenance rehearsal of spoken words - silently repeated in a loop until needed
Coding = acoustic
Capacity = 2 seconds worth of what’s said
How is the central executive coded
Modality free
What is the capacity of the central executive
Very limited
What are the names of the two stores in the phonological loop slave system
Phonological store
Articulatory rehearsal system
How is the phonological loop coded
Acoustically