Memory Flashcards
Multi store model
✅Controlled experiments
Controlled laboratory studies on capacity, duration and coding. This supports existence of separate short and long term stores which make up the MSM.
Also, neuroimaging studies show difference between STM and LTM. Prefrontal cortex active - STM Tasks
Hippocampus active- LTM
Multi store model
✅Study to support STM and LTM are different memory stores.
Conrad found we tend to mix words up that sound similar when using STM. We also mix up works that have similar meanings when using LTM. Shows that coding in STM is acoustic and LTM is semantic.
Supports MSM as memory stores are separate.
Multi store model
❌Low ecological validity
MSM is based on laboratory experiments which is an artificial setting- does not reflect real life.
Peterson and Peterson study of nonsense triagrams are artificial and do not reflect how we use memory in our day to day life.
Participants may have found this activity meaningless and may not have performed as well as they might have if they could relate to it.
Multi store model
❌Too simplistic
MSM oversimplifies LTM saying it’s a single store.
Research shows there are different storage systems within LTM.
EG. Storage systems for procedural memories, semantic and episodic
So MSM limited because does not reflect different types of LTM
Types of long term memory
✅Research evidence for different types of LTM
Much of research has been done by looking at adults with specific brain injuries and memory changes.
Clive wearing
Damage from virus that made his brain swell. He could not encode any new personal information.
Procedural and semantic memory still intact - he could still play piano
Suggests there are different memory stores and gives credibility to tulvings research of Multiple types of LTM
Types of long term memory-
✅Evidence for Neuroimaging
Study by Tulving et al- participants preformed various memory tasks while brain was actively scanned by PET scanner. Found that episodic and semantic were both activated in area of brain called prefrontal cortex.
Left prefrontal cortex- semantic
Right prefrontal cortex- episodic
Support LTM as different stores
Types of long term memory
❌low population validity
Evidence based on case studies of patients with brain damage. May not be representative of wider population.
Clive wearing memory was selectively damaged- doesn’t mean others will be too with same memory problems.
Before Clive’s Illness he was very intelligent so cannot generalise these findings
Reduces credibility
Types of long term memory
❌how different are episodic and semantic memories
May not be totally distinct memory types- there is a lot of overlap
This is because many semantic memories originate as episodic memory
Cohen and Squire- episodic and semantic memories are stored together in one LTM store called declarative memory
Procedural is distinctively different called a non declarative memory.
Influences how memory is researched
Eye witness testimony and misleading information
✅well controlled experiments allow replication
Took place in highly controlled setting. This means experimenter could control / eliminate extraneous variables eg. Demand characteristics
Researchers confident in establishing casual relationship between misleading question and accuracy of memory recall.
Easily repeated so reliable and valid
EWT and misleading information
✅ real life application
Real life applicability and importance
Practical use for police and investigators as consequences of inaccurate EWT can be very serious
Loftus- police careful how phrase questions
Research into EWT is an area where psychologists can help make difference
- improving legal system
EWT and misleading question
❌ low in ecological validity
Witnessing a video of a crash in a laboratory is different than experiencing it in real life.
Participants aware something interesting was going to be shown to them- attention level higher
IRL- taken by suprise and fail to pay close attention
Reduces credibility
EWT and misleading question
❌limited sample type
Loftus- used uni students
These differ from general population
Due to age and education
Also students in are where they are continually memorising thins
However in Gabbert tested uni students and older adults and found little difference
Provides good population validity
EWT and anxiety
❌The inverted U explanation is too simplistic
Anxiety is difficult to define and measure because of its many elements
The explanation fails to account for other factors
-emotional experience of witnessing a crime on memory
EWT and anxiety
❌low internal validity for Johnson and Scott’s study
Pickel argued Johnson and Scott research may be testing surprise rather than anxiety
In experiment using scissors, a handgun, a wallet and a raw chicken as handheld items in a hairdressers
EWT was significantly poorer in unusual conditions
This suggests the weapon focus effect is due to surprise rather than anxiety
Tells us nothing specific about anxiety on EWT
Reduces power
EWT and anxiety
❌low external validity of Johnson and Scott’s study
Lacking ecological validity
Although participants waiting in reception area outside the lab setting
They may have anticipated
Affected accuracy of their judgments
Care is needed before generalising findings to real world
