Memory Flashcards
Coding
Information is stored in memory in different forms, depending on the memory state
Process of converting informations between different forms
Coding
Baddeley
Gave different lists of words to four groups of participants to remember
Group 1- acoustically similar
Group 2- acoustically dissimilar
Group 3- semantically similar
Group 4- semantically dissimilar
Asked to recall them in order
STM- did worse with acoustically similar words
LTM- did worse with semantically similar words
LTM and STM coding
STM- acoustically coded
LTM- semantically coded
Coding
Ao3
Strength- separate memory stores
- identified a clear difference between two memory stores
Limitation- artificial stimuli
- word lists had no personal meaning to participants
Capacity
The amount of information that can be held in a memory store
Capacity
Digit Span
Jacobs
Researcher read out four digits and participants recalls out loud
Increased the digit span each time
Found the mean digits across all participants was 9.3 items
Mean span for letter was 7.3
Capacity
Span of memory and chunking
Miller
Made observations of everyday practice
Noted that things come in sevens
Span of STM is 7 plus or minus 2
Chunking
Grouping digits or letters into units or chunks
Capacity
Ao3
Strength- A valid study
- Jacobs study has been replicated
Limitation- Not so many chunks
- Cowan; reviewed other research and concluded that STM capacity was 4 plus or minus 1
Duration of STM
Peterson and Peterson (1959)
Students counted backwards from a 3 digit number to prevent any mental rehearsal of the consonant syllable
Told to stop counting after varying periods of time 3,6,9,12,15,18
Found after 3 seconds, recall was 80%
After 18 seconds, recall was 3%
STM duration may be about 18 seconds
Duration of LTM
Bahrick
Studied American participants using their high school year books
Photo recognition and free recall
If tested within 15 years, photo recognition we as 90% and free recall was 60%
If tested after 48 years, photo recognition was 70% and 30% for free recall
Duration
Ao3
Limitation- Meaningless stimuli in STM
- stimulus material was artificial, lacked external validity
Strength- High external validity for LTM
- investigated meaningful memories
Multi-store memory model
Stimulus— Sensory register—STM—LTM
Multi-store memory model
Sensory register
All stimuli from the environment pass into the sensory register
Comprises of a register per sense
Duration is less than a second
Info only passes through if you pay attention to it
Multi-store memory model
Short term memory
Temporary store
Coded acoustically
Duration of 18 seconds unless rehearsed
Maintenance rehearsal
If rehearsal is long enough, passes into LTM
Multi-store memory model
Long term memory
Potentially permanent memory store
Information has been rehearsed for a prolonged time
Coded semtnatically
Recall information from LTM to STM is called retrieval
Multi-store memory model
Ao3
Strength- Research support
- studies show that STM and LTM are different
Limitation- More than one STM store
- KF study
Limitation- Elaborative rehearsal
- Prolonged rehearsal not needed for transfer to LTM
Types of long term memory
Episodic
Ability to recall events from out lives
Conscious effort to recall
Time stamped
Interwoven to produce a single memory
Types of long term memory
Semantic
Shared knowledge of the world
Less personal
Immense collection of material which is constantly being added to
Less vulnerable to distortion
Types of long term memory
Procedural memory
Memory for actions, skills and how we do things
Recalled unconsciously
Difficulty to explain to someone else
How to ride a bike
Types of long term memory
Ao3
Strength- Clinical evidence
- HM and Clive Wearing
Limitation- Conflicting neuroimaging evidence
- Conflicting research findings linking types of LTM to areas of the brain
Strength- Real-world application
- Understanding types of LTM allows psychologists to help people with memory problems
Working memory model
Explanation of how STM is organised and how it functions
Concerned with the mental space that is active when we are temp rotation storing and manipulating information