Memory

Question 1

what is encoding

Answer 1

how sensory input is represented by the memory system by converting its form
STM = acoustic
LTM= semantic (meanings)

Question 2

what is capacity

Answer 2

how much info can be stored
digit span of 7

George Miller: noted things came in 7 & people can recall 5 items by chunking

Question 3

research into encoding
Baddeley

Answer 3

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

Question 4

what is duration

Answer 4

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

Question 5

what is spontaneous decay

Answer 5

memory disappears if not rehearsed
- STM has a limited capacity and are informed will push out what is currently there

Question 6

what is STM

Answer 6

temporary place for storing Information received thorough the senses where it receives little processing
- capacity: 7+/-2
- duration: unto 30 seconds
displacement & decay

Question 7

what is LTM

Answer 7

encoding is mainly somatic
capacity is unlimited
life long duration

Question 8

the multi store model of memory
Atkinson & shiffrin

Answer 8

a representation of how memory works in term of 3 stores
describes how information is transferred and how its forgotten

Question 9

MSM: sensory register

Answer 9

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

Question 10

MSM: STM

Answer 10

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

Question 11

MSM: LTM

Answer 11

encoding semantically
unlimited capacity AND duration
BUT interference or retrieval failure can occur

Question 12

STRENGHT OF MSM: different stores

Answer 12

case of KF
damage to brain in area corresponded with STM but LTM remained in tact

Question 13

WEAKNESSES OF MSM:case studies

Answer 13

case studies are very unique = lacks generalsiabilty & ignores individual differences

Question 14

the working model of memory
CENTRAL EXECUTIVE

Answer 14

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

Question 15

the working model of memory
phonological loop

Answer 15

responsible for processing sound based information
- phonological store: stores words we hear
-articulatory process: allows maintenance rehearsal

Question 16

the working model of memory
VISUO-SPATIAL SKETCHPAD

Answer 16

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

Question 17

the working model of memory
EPISODIC BUFER

Answer 17

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

Question 18

working memory model’s predictions

Answer 18

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

Question 19

working memory model strength clinical evidence

Answer 19

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)

Question 20

working memory model weaknesses
lack of clarity over central executive

Answer 20

difficult to describe its precise function as it carries out large variety of processing activities

Question 21

strength of working memory model
role in cognitive tasks

Answer 21

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

Question 22

different types of memory

Answer 22

episodic
semantic
procedural

Question 23

what is interference

Answer 23

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

Question 24

McGoech and McDonald interference

Answer 24

studied retroactive interference by changing the amount of similarity between two sets of materials
.
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

Question 25

evaluation of interference
LAB STUDIES

Answer 25

lab experiments (eg Mc Goech and McDonald) are able to control the effects of irrelevant influences- increase the validity of the findings

Question 26

evaluation of interference
ARTIFICAL MATERIALS

Answer 26

words learnt have less meaning to us and therefore are more likely to be interfered and forgotten compared to everyday life

Question 27

evaluation of interference
REAL LIFE STUDIES

Answer 27

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)

Question 28

retrieval failure

Answer 28

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

Question 29

context dependent forgetting
study

Answer 29

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

Question 30

state dependent forgetting
study

Answer 30

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

Question 31

Loftus and Palmer + leading questions

Answer 31

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

Question 32

why do leading questions affect accuracy

Answer 32

the response bias explanation affects how they decide to answer the question

Question 33

what is post event discussion

Answer 33

eyewitnesses discuss the events, may become contaminated as they combine memories

Question 34

evaluation of misleading information
REAL LIFE APPLICATION

Answer 34

practical application
understand the lack of security when using eye witness testonmies
change the legal system and prevent injustice

Question 35

evaluation of misleading information
ARTIFICAL TASKS

Answer 35

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

Question 36

anxiety, negative affect on recall

Answer 36

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

Question 37

anxiety has a positive effect on recall

Answer 37

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

Question 38

Yerkes and Dodson

Answer 38

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

Question 39

4 stages of cognitive interview

Answer 39

report everything
reinstate the context
reverse order
change perspective

Question 40

DRAW working memory model

Answer 40

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