Memory

Question 1

What is one strength of coding research?

Answer 1

Demonstrated separate STM and LTM- supporting multi-store model

Question 2

What is one limitation of coding research?

Answer 2

Artificial stimuli- STM may use semantic coding, so limited real-world application

Question 3

What is one strength of capacity research?

Answer 3

Valid study- Jacobs’ study was old but confirmed (eg. Bopp and Verhaegan)

Question 4

What is one limitation of capacity research?

Answer 4

Miller overestimated STM capacity- 4 plus or minus 1 chunks may be the average (Cowan)

Question 5

What is one strength of duration research?

Answer 5

Bahrick et al’s study high external validity- tested everyday meaningful memories

Question 6

What is one limitation of duration research?

Answer 6

Peterson and Peterson used meaningless stimuli (consonant syllables), low external validity

Question 7

What is one strength of the multi-store model?

Answer 7

Research support- research shows STM and LTM use different coding and have different capacity

Question 8

What is the counterpoint to research support for the multi-store model?

Answer 8

Studies do not use everyday materials (eg. consonant syllables) so low validity

Question 9

What are two limitations of the multi-store model?

Answer 9

• More than one type of STM in amnesiac KF (Shallice and Warrington)
• Elaborative rehearsal needed for LTM transfer, involves making meaningful links (Craik and Watkins)

Question 10

What are two strength of long-term memory?

Answer 10

• Clinical evidence- in HM and Clive Wearing only episodic memory damaged
• Real-world application- targeting episodic memory can improve it (Belleville et al)

Question 11

What is the counterpoint to clinical evidence for long-term memory?

Answer 11

Clinical studies lack control (eg. don’t know memory before injury)

Question 12

What is one limitation of long-term memory?

Answer 12

Conflicting neuroimaging evidence- research links semantic to left prefrontal cortex and episodic to right (Buckner and Petersen), others reverse this (Tulving et al)

Question 13

What are two strengths of the working memory model?

Answer 13

• Clinical evidence- KF had damaged PL but VSS was fine (Shallice and Warrington)
• Dual task- poor performance on two simultaneous visual tasks, shows existence of VSS

Question 14

What is the counterpoint to clinical evidence for the working memory model?

Answer 14

KF may have had other impairments that affected performance on memory tasks

Question 15

What is one limitation of the working memory model?

Answer 15

Nature of CE lacks clarity- vague and may have several components

Question 16

What are two strengths of interference?

Answer 16

• Real-world interference- rugby players recalling teams they played against (Baddeley and Hitch)
• Drug studies- taking diazepam after learning reduces interference and forgetting= retrograde facilitation (Coenen and van Luijtelaar)

Question 17

What is the counterpoint to real-world interference for interference?

Answer 17

Everyday interference is unusual, conditions rare (eg. similarity)

Question 18

What is one limitation of interference?

Answer 18

Cues remove interference effects- words forgotten through interference become accessible (Tulving and Psotka)

Question 19

What are two strengths of retrieval failure?

Answer 19

• Real-world application- context cues can be useful (eg. trigger recall by returning to place of initial experience)
• Supporting evidence- many studies support theory (Godden and Baddeley, Carter and Cassaday)

Question 20

What is the counterpoint to supporting evidence for retrieval failure?

Answer 20

Everyday contexts of learning/recall not actually that different

Question 21

What is one limitation of retrieval failure?

Answer 21

Recall vs recognition- no context effects when using recognition test (Godden and Baddeley)

Question 22

What is one strength of misleading information?

Answer 22

Real-world application- insights applied to police interviews, expert witnesses

Question 23

What is the counterpoint to real-world application for misleading information?

Answer 23

Film clips/lack of consequence create less stress than real event, EWT may actually be more reliable

Question 24

What are two limitations of misleading information?

Answer 24

• Evidence against substitution- central details relatively unaffected by misleading information (Sutherland and Hayne)
• Evidence challenging memory conformity- witnesses told hair colour and blended different versions, supporting contamination (Skagerberg and Wright)

Question 25

What is one limitation of anxiety affecting EWT?

Answer 25

Unusualness not anxiety causes weapon focus eg. chicken and handgun in hand (Pickel)

Question 26

What are two strengths of anxiety affecting EWT?

Answer 26

• Support for negative effects- higher anxiety in London Dungeon, poorer recall (Valentine and Mesout)
• Support for positive effects- anxious witnesses to bank robbery were most accurate (Christianson and Hubinette)

Question 27

What is the counterpoint of support for positive effects for anxiety affecting EWT?

Answer 27

Interviews were 4-15 months after event, confounding variables not controlled

Question 28

What is one strength of the cognitive interview?

Answer 28

Support for effectiveness- recall 41% more correct information than standard interview (Kohnken et al)

Question 29

What is the counterpoint of support for effectiveness for the cognitive interview?

Answer 29

CI increases inaccurate recall (Kohnken et al), even more true for ECI

Question 30

What are two limitations of the cognitive interview?

Answer 30

• Some elements more useful- eg. report everything, undermines credibility of CI (Milne and Bull)
• Time-consuming- full version unrealistic for police, better to focus some key elements