Memory

Question 1

What is coding?

Answer 1

The format in which information is stored in various memory stores

Question 2

What is capacity?

Answer 2

The amount of information that can be held in a memory store at a given time

Question 3

What is duration?

Answer 3

The lengths of time information can be held in a memory store

Question 4

What is short term memory?

Answer 4

The limited capacity memory store

Question 5

What is the coding of short term memory?

Answer 5

Acoustic

Question 6

What is the capacity of short term memory?

Answer 6

5-9 items

Question 7

How long is the duration of short term memory?

Answer 7

18-30 seconds

Question 8

What is long term memory?

Answer 8

The permanent memory store

Question 9

What is the coding of long term memory?

Answer 9

Semantic

Question 10

What is the capacity of long term memory?

Answer 10

Unlimited

Question 11

How long is the duration for long term memory?

Answer 11

Unlimited

Question 12

What is the multi-store model of memory?

Answer 12

A representation of how memory works. It describes how information is transferred from one store to another, how it is remembered and forgotten

Question 13

What are the three stores called?

Answer 13

Sensory register, short term memory and long term memory

Question 14

What is sensory register?

Answer 14

The memory store where information first comes in through the senses

Question 15

What is the coding of the sensory register?

Answer 15

Iconic, echoic, haptic, gustatory, and olfactory

Question 16

What is the capacity of the sensory register?

Answer 16

High

Question 17

What is the duration of the sensory register?

Answer 17

Less than half a second

Question 18

Who developed the multi-store model of memory?

Answer 18

Atkinson and Shiffrin

Question 19

Explain the multi-store model of memory

Answer 19

-There are three permanent storage systems of memory: the SR, STM and LTM

-The SR is where information is stored, but only for half a second before it is forgotten. It is modality specific

-However, if attended to, sensory information moves into the STM for temporary storage,

-STM is thought to have a capacity of 5-9 items and for a duration of approximately 18-30 seconds. This capacity is increased by chunking

-Rehearsing information via the rehearsal loop helps to retain information in the STM, and consolidate it to LTM

Question 20

Evaluate the strengths of the multi-store model of memory

Answer 20

1) P- There is a large base of research that supports the idea of distinct STM and LTM systems

E- For exmple, brain-damaged case study patient KF’s STM was impaired following a motorcycle accident, but his LTM remained intact

E- This shows that STM and LTM are different memory stores

Question 21

Evaluate the strengths of the multi-store model of memory (2)

Answer 21

2) P- It makes sense that memories in the LTM are encoded semantically

E- For example, you might recall the general message put across in political speech, rather than all the words as they were heard

E- The MSM therefore has face validity

Question 22

Evaluate the limitations of the multi-store model of memory

Answer 22

1) P- Some reasearch into the duration of STM has low ecological validity as the stimuli was artificial

E- For example, Peterson and Peterson used trigrams, such as “XQF” to investigate STM duration

E-This means that the findings regarding memory may not be accurate when applied to “real life” stimuli

Question 22

Evaluate the limitations of the multi-store model of memory (2)

Answer 22

2) P- There is evidence to suggest that there are different types of LTM

E- K.F. had poor recall of information read to him, but could recall the same information if he read it to himself

E-The view that STM is only one store is therefore not correct and overly simplified

Question 23

What are the three types of long term memory?

Answer 23

Semantic, episodic and procedural

Question 24

What is semantic memory?

Answer 24

A long term memory store for personal events. It includes memories of when the events occurred and of the people, objects, places and behaviours involved. Memories from this store have to be retrieved consciously and with effort

Question 25

What is episodic memory?

Answer 25

A long term memory store for our knowledge of the world. This includes facts and our knowledge of what words and concepts mean. These memories usually also need to be recalled deliberately

Question 26

What is procedural memory?

Answer 26

A long term memory store for our knowledge of how to do things. This includes our memories of learned skills. We usually recall these memories without making a conscious or deliberate effort