Memory Flashcards
what is encoding
how sensory input is represented by the memory system by converting its form
STM = acoustic
LTM= semantic (meanings)
what is capacity
how much info can be stored
digit span of 7
George Miller: noted things came in 7 & people can recall 5 items by chunking
research into encoding
Baddeley
gave different lists of words to 4 groups of participants
either acoustically similar/dissimilar or semantically similar/ dissimilar
findings:
STM - acoustically similar
LTM- semantically similar
CON: artificial stimuli - material was not meaningful to participants, more likely to remember words if have meaning = limited application
what is duration
how long information can be stored
1-4 seconds sensory store
STM:30 seconds
LTM :unlimited
Peterson & Peterson
24 students given a syllable and a 3 digit number
asked t count backwards (prevent rehearsal)
= STM has very short duration
Bharick
photo recognition test of year books AND free recall test of recalling names
15years = 90% accurate
48 years = 70% accurate
what is spontaneous decay
memory disappears if not rehearsed
- STM has a limited capacity and are informed will push out what is currently there
what is STM
temporary place for storing Information received thorough the senses where it receives little processing
- capacity: 7+/-2
- duration: unto 30 seconds
displacement & decay
what is LTM
encoding is mainly somatic
capacity is unlimited
life long duration
the multi store model of memory
Atkinson & shiffrin
a representation of how memory works in term of 3 stores
describes how information is transferred and how its forgotten
MSM: sensory register
a stimulus from the environment pass into the sensory registers (5 senses)
iconic: sight memories last half a second
echoic: sound memories last a couple seconds
- high capacity
BUT very little is transferred unless you pay ATTENTION to it
MSM: STM
limited capacity store 7+/-2 items
encoded acoustically
lasts 30 seconds unless is REHEARSED
DECAY + DISPLACMENTS OCCURS
MAINTENANCE REHEARSAL: repeat materials to ourselves
ELABORATE REHEARSAL: using Information and changing Ir (writing it down)= transfer to LTM
MSM: LTM
encoding semantically
unlimited capacity AND duration
BUT interference or retrieval failure can occur
STRENGHT OF MSM: different stores
case of KF
damage to brain in area corresponded with STM but LTM remained in tact
WEAKNESSES OF MSM:case studies
case studies are very unique = lacks generalsiabilty & ignores individual differences
the working model of memory
CENTRAL EXECUTIVE
CENTRAL EXECUTIVE
controls and coordinates the operation of 3 other systems
very flexible - process information from any of the senses
store for a short period of time
deals with reasoning and decision making
the working model of memory
phonological loop
responsible for processing sound based information
- phonological store: stores words we hear
-articulatory process: allows maintenance rehearsal
the working model of memory
VISUO-SPATIAL SKETCHPAD
stores visual and/or spatial information when required. has limited capacity 3-4 objects
-VISUAL CACHE stores the visual data
- INNER SCRIBE records the arrangement of objects in the visual field
eg: counting how many windows are in your house
the working model of memory
EPISODIC BUFER
records events that are happening
brings together information form a number of fields (verbal, visual, spatial and chronological information)
limited capacity of 4 chunks
temporary store for information
used to access different sub systems
links working memory to LTM
working memory model’s predictions
if two tasks use the same component they cannot be successfully performed together
if two tasks use different components, it should be possible to perform them as good as together or separately
working memory model strength clinical evidence
explain pattern deficits observed in patients with brain damage
eg: if visuospatial sketchpad is damaged then the performance on tasks which rely on the articulatory loop will remain unimpaired (case of KF)
working memory model weaknesses
lack of clarity over central executive
difficult to describe its precise function as it carries out large variety of processing activities
strength of working memory model
role in cognitive tasks
present an active rather than passive system
emphasises the active processing of information rather than the storage of information
= plays a significant role in complex cognitive tasks
different types of memory
episodic
semantic
procedural
what is interference
two pieces of information conflict with each other
explanation for forgetting in LTM
proactive interference - older memory interferes with a newer one
retroactive interference- new memory interfere with an older one
*worse when memories are similar
McGoech and McDonald interference
studied retroactive interference by changing the amount of similarity between two sets of materials
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participants had to learn a list of 10 new words until they could remember them with 100% accuracy then learned a new list
findings: when participants recalled the original list of work their performance depends on the second list. synonyms produced the worse recall
retroactive interference
evaluation of interference
LAB STUDIES
lab experiments (eg Mc Goech and McDonald) are able to control the effects of irrelevant influences- increase the validity of the findings
evaluation of interference
ARTIFICAL MATERIALS
words learnt have less meaning to us and therefore are more likely to be interfered and forgotten compared to everyday life
evaluation of interference
REAL LIFE STUDIES
Badly waned to find out if interference was a better explanation than passing of time
asked rugby players to remember the names of teams they had played
= results did not depend on how long ago it was but the number of games they had played (recall better of a match played 3 weeks ago if they hadn’t payed any games since)
retrieval failure
insuffienct cues
when a memory is stored there are associated cues stored
if these are not present at time of recall then memory cannot be retrieved
context cues - external
state cues- internal
context dependent forgetting
study
baddeley
divers learned a list of words either underwater or on land and was to recall them underwater or onland
accurate recall was 40%in non matching conditions. cues available at storage and retrieval were too different
state dependent forgetting
study
Carter and Cassidy
gave an antihistamine drugs to participants - a mild sedative , different from being alert
four conditions learning list of words
conditions with mismatch at learning and recall performance on test was worse
Loftus and Palmer + leading questions
watch clops of car accidents and gave them questions about the crash
asked to describe how fast the cars were travelling when they hit each other (critical question)
changing the verb for hit
changed the recall of the event
mean speed for contacted 31.8 mph
mean speed for smashed 40.5mph
why do leading questions affect accuracy
the response bias explanation affects how they decide to answer the question
what is post event discussion
eyewitnesses discuss the events, may become contaminated as they combine memories
evaluation of misleading information
REAL LIFE APPLICATION
practical application
understand the lack of security when using eye witness testonmies
change the legal system and prevent injustice
evaluation of misleading information
ARTIFICAL TASKS
Loftus and palmer
watch film clips of car accidents
very different from experiencing a real accident - lacks stress of real event
emotion can affect memory
anxiety, negative affect on recall
creates a physical arousal in the body which prevents is paying attention to important cues = worse recall
EWT and effect of weapons + accuracy of recall
Johnson and Scott - ppts seated in a waiting room and participants heard arguing next door -
low anxiety - pen and grease
high anxiety- paper knife with blood
49% could identify correctly in low anxiety
33% in high anxiety
TUNNEL THEORY- witness’s attention narrows to focus on a weapon because its a source of anxiety
anxiety has a positive effect on recall
flight or fight response is triggered = increases alter less and improve our memory of event as become more aware of cues
Yuille and Cutshall
study of a real life shooting in a gun shop
interviews 4 months after the incident and compared to the original police interviews at the time of the shooting
asked to rate how stressed they were using a 7 point scale
- witnesses were accurate with little change from original
participants who reported the highest levels of stress were most accurate
Yerkes and Dodson
explain the contradictory findings with anxiety on recall
lower levels of anxiety= lower levels of accuracy recall
memory becomes more accurate as he level increases
optimum level of anxiety
after accuracy declines
4 stages of cognitive interview
report everything
reinstate the context
reverse order
change perspective
DRAW working memory model
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