Memory Flashcards
define duration
The length of time
information can be held in memory
define coding
The format in which
information is stored in memory
define capacity
the amount of information
that can be held in memory
Describe how Jacobs (1887) investigated short term memory capacity.
By measuring both digit span and number span, by calling out letters/numbers of increasing length and
participants recalling them.
What is the duration of short term memory? Who researched this?
18 sec by Peterson and Peterson
What is the capacity of short term memory? Who research this?
7 +-2, Miller (or cowan 4+-1)
State one strength of the multistore model of memory.
Supporting research evidence
State one weakness of the multistore model of memory
Issues with supporting evidence methodology, More than
one type of rehearsal, STM and LTM
Who researched into coding into STM & LTM? And what were
the findings?
Baddeley found that STM is coded acoustically and LTM is coded semantically.
Define procedural LTM?
Knowledge for actions or skills.
Which LTM have a time and place stamp?
Episodic
Which type of LTMs need conscious or deliberate
recalled with effort?
Episodic & Semantic
Who proposed these 3 types of long term memory?
Tulving
Give one strength LTM research and one weakness of LTM research?
+ Case study evidence (HM & Clive Wearing), Real life application (improving memory in the elderly)
- Conflicting neuro imaging research, issues with case studies.
How can we tell that STM is coded acoustically?
Acoustically similar words get mixed together in STM producing worse recall, showing that STM is coded acoustically.
What are the 3 slave systems in the WMM?
VSS, PL, EB
Give a weakness of the MSM of memory?
Simplistic model, more than one STM and LTM, elaborative rehearsal not prolonged rehearsal.
Who researched into Duration of STM?
Peterson & Peterson
State a strength of the WMM
Clinical evidence KF, Dual task performance research.
What is a strength of the MSM of memory?
Research support from characteristics studies or serial position curve.
Explain the difference between proactive and retroactive interference.
Proactive: old memories interfere with new memories. (Acting forwards)
Retroactive: new memories interfere with old memories.(Acting backwards)
Explain how McGeoch and McDonald (1931)
supports interference as a cause of forgetting.
Gave participants lists of items to learn.
Recall poorest for most similar items (ie synonyms)
Similar items more likely to interfere and cause
forgetting.
Who researched into Context dependent forgetting? And what was the best condition to recall in?
Godden and Baddeley, Beach, beach
Who researched into State dependent forgetting? And what was the best condition to recall in?
Cassaday and carter, no drug, no drug
Who researched into the effects of similarity in
interference?
McGeoch and McDonald
Briefly outline Loftus and Palmer’s (1974) research
into leading questions.
Participants show clip of car accident and changed the verb
when asked, ‘how fast were the cars going when they ……’
Give two explanations of leading questions in EWT.
Response-bias – questions affect the way witnesses answer.
Substitution – memory itself is changed.
Give 2 explanations of post event discussion in
EWT?
Memory contamination – combine information (memory is
changed)
Memory conformity- win social approval or others have more info’ (memory in unchanged)
What are the 2 types of misleading information?
Leading Q’s and PED
What are 2 types of retrieval failure in forgetting?
Context and state
What are the components of the WMM?
Central executive, phonological loop, visuo spatial sketch pad, episodic buffer
Why does anxiety have a negative effect on recall?
Anxiety may increase alertness and attention to details (fight
or flight).
Why does anxiety have a positive effect on recall?
Anxiety may cause narrow focus on some details, leading to
forgetting others (tunnel theory).
What did Deffenbacher show regarding the effects of anxiety on EWT?
As anxiety increases it has a positive effect on recall up to a
point (the optimum), then has a negative effect.
What are 2 weakness of the multistore model of
memory?
- There is more than one STM, LTM and rehearsal.
- The studies which the model is built upon are mostly lab
studies which lack ecological validity so if there are flaws in the research there must be flaws in the model.
