Memory Flashcards
what is a procedural memory?
Knowledge of how to do something-
we can recall these without lots of effort
eg driving a car
Is a procedural memory long or short term memory?
long term
what is a semantic memory?
memory of facts-
we don’t usually remember where we learned the fact
eg. Paris is the capital of France
what is an episodic memory?
memory of life events- time stamped, may remember people and emotion
eg 10th birthday party
who developed the multi store model of memory
Atkinson and Shiffrin
what 3 main memory stores did the multi store model of memory include
sensory register, short term and long term memory
what is the multi store model of memory also known as
informational processing model
what does the multi store model propose?
memory has structural features which cannot be changed
describe the multi store model
stimulus from the environment enters the sensory register and is transferred to STM by attention, if not it is forgotten. then with rehearsal it is transferred to LTM, if not forgotten. it comes back to the STM by retrieval
how is memory received at the beginning
senses - object are remembered by a visual image
is the sensory register modality specific
yes
what is the capacity of the sensory register
approximately 4 items
what is the duration of the sensory register
less tan 1/2 second- unless you pay attention to it
how is it encoded in the sensory register
form appropriate to the senses
how is memory encoded in the STM
tends to be acoustic
what is the capacity in the STM
5-9 items
can be increased by chunking, but displacement occurs if too many items
what is the duration of the STM
15-30 seconds
how is memory encoded in the LTM
semantic(facts)
what is the capacity in the LTM
unlimited
What is the duration of the LTM
unlimited
what is the role of rehearsal
if you rehearse the information it will go into your LTM and will recall them forever
name 2 advantages of the multi store model
- supporting research, model is supported by research studies that show STM and LTM are different (badeley)
- supporting research from studies on brain damage shows they are separate processes (HM)
What did baddeley find? (supporting msm)
found we tend to mix up words that sound similar in STM, and mix up words with similar meaning when using LTM- clearly shows memory are separate stores and interdependant.
What was found in the HM case study?
HM could still use active STM but not LTM giving evidence these are separate stores in memory processes in the brain
name 2 disadvantages of the multi store model of memory
- model is too simple, model suggests we only have 1 STM and LTM when research shows each has separate stores(reductionist)
-artificial tasks used to test memory, studies often require pp to recall words. this means results would not illustrate different ways we use memory
what study supports the reconstrutive theory of memory
war of the ghosts
what does bartlette say about memory is inaccurate(RT)
-challenges that we dont alter memory
-memory is an active process
-memories are not an accurate representation of what happened
what does bartlette say about reconstruction of memory(RT)
-we record small pieces of info and when recalling the event we recombine pieces to tell the whole story
-each time you retell it elements are combines slightly differently
what does bartlette say about social and cultural influences (RT)
- the way we store and recombine memory can be related to social and cultural influence
-may influence storage and recall
what does bartlette say about effort after meaning (RT)
- we focus on the meaning of events then try and make an effort to interpret the meaning
name 2 strengths of the reconstructive memory theory
- supporting evidence, did his own studies to support evidence
- his way of investigating memory reflects how we actually use memory in everyday life- realistic
name 1 weakness of the reconstructive theory of memory
- suggested scheme recall is very flawed but opposing studies show we need to be careful saying memory is unrealistic
what is the aim of the war of the ghosts study
to find out if cultural background and unfamiliarity with a story would lead to distortions of memory to recall
what is the method of the war of the ghosts
each participant reads the story twice, and asked to reproduce it. the first reproduction was done after 15 mins.
there was no set interval at this point, pp recalled the story from 20 hrs to 10 yrs
what was the sample for the war of the ghosts study
20 british pp, 7 women and 13 men
did the pp of war of the ghosts know the study
were not told the aim f the study, believed they were being tested on accuracy of recall
what did bartlette use in his study
repeated reproduction
what were the results of the war of the ghosts study
- pp changed the story as they remembered it
-pp remembered order of events and main themes in the story - much content was changed so it was more acceptable to them
- 7 pp left the title
- 10 changed it
what is the conclusion of the war of the ghosts study
- all pp reduced material to a form that was more accessible to them- this reflected the character and individuality of the person
- after repeated reproductions the form and items of the story become sterotyped and dont change after
name 1 strength of the war of the ghosts study
supports the idea that memory can be biased
name 3 weaknesses of the war of the ghosts study
- study lacks control , not given specific instructions( found recall is better when they are told what to do)
- story was unusual so may not reflect everyday memory processes
- low in generalisability with a limited sample, not representative and likely to be non generlisable
