Memory Flashcards
Coding
the process of changing information from the environment to store it in memory.
Capacity
the amount of information that can be stored
Duration
he time period that information is held in the memory stores
What is the Sensory register store?
A store that is constantly getting information from all our senses. The information is quickly discarded or transferred to short-term memory
What are the two types of memory in the sensory register store?
Iconic Memory: Visual Stimuli
Echoic Memory: Auditory Stimuli
What is the duration of the sensory register?
250 milliseconds
What is the capacity of the sensory register?
large (all sensory experiences that we encounter in our day-to-day life).
What is the coding of the sensory register?
specific to each sense
What is short term memory?
the point of processing sensory memory. This then determines whether information is moved into long-term memory or not.
What is the duration of the STM?
18-30 seconds
What is the capacity of STM?
seven +/- two items
what is the coding of STM?
primarily acoustic
what is the duration of LTM?
unlimited
What is long term memory?
refers to unlimited storage information to be maintained for long periods, even for life
what is the capacity of LTM?
unlimited
What is the coding of LTM?
primarily semantic
who proposed the idea that there are two LTM stores with 3 sub stores?
Endel Tulving (1985)
what ate the two types of LTM?
Explicit (declarative) and Implicit (non-declarative)
What is the explicit memory made up of?
Episodic and Semantic memory
What is the implicit memory made up of?
Procedural memory
What is the definition of explicit memory?
Memories that we consciously try to remember and recall.
What is semantic memory?
knowledge about words, concepts, and language-based knowledge and facts.
What is episodic memory?
information about events we have personally experienced
What is the definition of implicit memory?
Memories that are not part of our consciousness. They are memories formed from behaviours.
What is procedural memory?
it stores information about how to do things. There is no conscious recall of procedural memory e.g., how to crawl or swim
What did Hodges and Patterson (2007) found out about patients with Alzheimers?
They could form new episodic memories but not semantic memories. This suggests that episodic and semantic memory is in different stores.
How does the case of Clive Wearing prove that there are different types of LTM?
Wearing’s procedural memory seemed intact (e.g. being able to dress himself and even play the piano) as well as his semantic memory (as he still understood the meaning of words), but his episodic memory was severely damaged. For example, the time stamp of when he last saw his wife Deborah
How does Glanzer & Cunitz’s study (1966) (The Serial Position Effect) show support for the MSM?
Participants were given a list of common words to memorise. They were then asked to recall as many as possible.
Participants remembered more words from the beginning of the list (primary) because they had been transferred by rehearsal to the long-term memory. Words at the end of the list were still in the short-term memory (recency). This known as the serial position effect. This supports the theory that the STM and LTM are separate stores
What are the limitations on the Serial Position Effect?
Lacks ecological validity – not how we use memory in everyday life.
What is the case of HM?
HM suffered from severe epilepsy. He underwent surgery. However, the surgery went wrong and destroyed his hippocampus, leaving him with severe anterograde amnesia. This meant he was unable to make any new memories.
What was the result of HM’s condition?
HM did have the ability to learn new motor skills, so his procedural memory was intact.
But HM could not make new episodic or semantic memories. He had a working memory as he was able to hold conversations.
HM’s issue was that his STM and LTM were no longer connected.
How does Korsakoff’s syndrome support the MSM?
Chronic alcoholics sometimes develop Korsakoff’s syndrome, which causes brain damage.
However, it has little effect on STM, but severely impairs LTM. This suggests that STM and LTM are stored in different areas of the brain. This provides further evidence to support the multistore model of memory.
What are the strengths of the MSM?
Researchers agree that the short-term memory and long-term memory are two distinct stores with supporting research showing information needs rehearsal and both stores have different capacity and duration.
The model was the first to provide a testable basis for further research into memory. This is done through various methods with much research agreeing on the MSM and its principles.
Much evidence comes from lab studies meaning they are reliable and can be replicated. Therefore, we can trust it making the model more valid.
What are the limitations of the MSM?
The model appears too simple to explain the entirety of human memory as each store is very complex to be approached by a single idea.
The role of rehearsal cannot be enough to lead to duration of long-term memory as shown by studies such as Clive Wearing whose short-term memory damage prevented him from rehearsal.
While the model explores how much we can remember it doesn’t give much focus to what types of memory we can remember giving an incomplete model of memory.
The artificial setting of a lab is used in much research surrounding the model. Cannot be sure behaviour seen is reflective of true life.
It is unlikely that memory is linear. It is more likely to be interaction between the memory stores.
What did Logie (1999)n state about LTM and STM?
stated that the short-term memory relies on long term memory so therefore the STM cannot come first. You can recall through meaning, and this is stored in the LTM
What is the WMM?
proposed a multi-component model of STM, initially consisting of:
The central executive (CE).
The phonological loop (PL).
The visuo-spatial sketchpad (VSS).
Episodic buffer (EB)
What is the function of the central executive?
This manages attention, and controls/delegates information from the two ‘slave stores’.
What are the sub stores of the Phonological loop?
- Phonological store (inner ear)
- Articulatory process (inner voice)
What is the function of the articulatory rehearsal process?
acts like an inner voice rehearsing information from the phonological store. It circulates information round and round like a tape loop. This is how we remember a telephone number we have just heard
What is the function of the phonological loop?
holds auditory speech information and the order in which it was heard (or any visually presented language converted by the articulatory process)
What is the episodic buffer’s function?
Facilitates communication between the central executive and long-term memory.
