Memory Flashcards
Outline the difference between the capacity of short-term memory and the capacity of long-term memory. (2 marks)
Short term memory’s capacity is 7+- 2 (millers magic number)
Long term memory’s capacity is potentially unlimited.
How is STM encoded?
Acoustically - refers to the sound of the word
How is LTM encoded?
Semantically - refers to meaning of the word
What were the 4 groups in Baddley’s research?
Group1 - acoustically similar
Group 2 - acoustically dissimilar
Group 3 - semantically similar
Group 4 - semantically dissimilar
What were the findings of Baddley’s research for LTM? +explanation.
LTM: When asked to remember words after a longer period of time, they did worse with semantically similar words this indicates we code semantically.
Explanation: This is because the words that have similar meanings are competing for space in the LTM and may have become distorted or confused as they all have the same meaning.
What were the findings of Baddley’s research for STM? + explanation.
STM: When participants were asked to recall words directly after they heard them they had poorer recall or words which were acoustically similar compared to words which were acoustically dissimilar.
Explanation : We are more likely to become confused with similar sounding words because they sound similar. Words become distorted in the STM .
Give one strength of research into duration (Bahrick et al)
-Use of meaningful stimuli
-Real life memories were studied as ppts were asked to recall names which is something we do in everyday life and is a real representation of how our LTM works
-These findings have high ecological validity because they can be generalised to real life.
-Strengthens our acceptance of the research
One weakness of Peterson and Peterson’s research into duration
-Research is artificial
-Ppts were asked to recall consonant symbol triagrams.
-This is a weakness because the stimuli is artificial
-This doesn’t represent how our memory works in real life scenarios
-In everyday life we dont use our memories to learn random syllables
-Therefore we should accept the findings from Peterson and Peterson with some caution and more meaningful stimuli should be used to to test STM
What were Baddley’s conclusions?
Information is coded acoustically in the STM and semantically in the LTM.
Describe Peterson and Peterson’s research
-Lab experiment
-24 participants
- triagrams were presented 1 at a time to the participants and had to be recalled after intervals of 3,6,9,12,15,18 seconds in each trial
- after hearing the triagram they were asked to count backwards in 3s out loud from a specified random digit number until they saw a red paper
- This is known as the Peterson technique which is aimed TO PREVENT REHEARSAL
Explain semantic memory
-Contains our knowledge of the world, includes facts about everything
-Memories are not time stamped
-Not as personal
e.g. meaning of words
Explain procedural memory
-Muscle memory
-Recall these memories without conscious awareness
-Almost automatic
-These memories are taught
-Not time stamped
e.g. how to ride a bike
Explain episodic memory
-Events/stuff that happened in our lives
-Time stamped (you know when they happened)
-You make a conscious effort to remember them (declarative memory)
-You remember specific details, context and emotion.
What is a declarative and non-declarative memory?
-Declarative = The recall requires conscious effort to retrieve information
-Non-declarative = The recall doesn’t require conscious effort to retrieve information
Explain primacy effect (MSM)
Occurs because this information was the first to be rehearsed and transferred to LTM
Explain recency effect (MSM)
Recency effect occurs because this information is the last information to be presented therefore these are the words that are remembered.
Give a strength of MSM
-Supported by case study of CW
-It appears that the rehearsal mechanism which transfers information from STM to LTM is not working with CW
- This suggests that there are two different stores and also a process that transfers information from one store to another
-These assumptions are in line with what the MSM suggests about memory processing
Give a weakness of MSM
-CW had problems with his LTM but has procedural memory
-He cant retain any memories of his own lifetime but he can still play the piano with great skill
-This evidence undermines the MSM explanation as it appears that there must be more types of LTM which the MSM doesn’t talk about
How do brain scans provide evidence for different types of LTM?
-Different areas of the brain are active when different kinds of LTM are active
-Episodic memory is associated with frontal lobe
-Procedural memory is associated with cerebellum and motor cortex
-Semantic memory relies on Temporal lobe
Scans are objective and factual meaning this strengthens our acceptance of types of LTM
Give features of the Episodic buffer in WMM
-Acts as a general store for central executive
-Temporary store that integrates visual, spatial and verbal info from other slave systems
-Links working memory to LTM
How does research from brain scans make acceptance of MSM stronger?
Beardsly found that prefrontal cortex is active during STM tasks but not LTM tasks
Squire found that hippocampus is active during LTM task but not STM task
This provides evidence for the existence of different memory stores as suggested by MSM
How does research from brain scans provide evidence for different types of LTM?
Episodic - Hippocampus and frontal lobe
Semantic - Temporal lobe
Procedural - Cerebellum and motor cortex
(AO3)
Weakness of LTM
lack of generalisability
-Lack of generalisability for the supporting research
-Both HM and CW had had brain injuries that lead to amnesia, due to the uniqueness of their experiences we cant apply this to other individuals. Case studies use such a small sample that they can be said to lack external validity. This means that such findings cant be generalised to the population.