Memory Flashcards
What makes up the Multi-Store Model of Memory?
- Stimuli
- Sensory register
- Short term memory
- Long term memory
What makes up the Working Memory Model?
- Central executive
- Visuo-spatial sketchpad
- Episodic buffer
- Phonological loop
What are the 3 types of long term memory?
Semantic, episodic and procedural
What is semantic memory?
Knowledge of the world: facts and concepts. Less vulnerable to distortion than episodic memory
What is episodic memory?
Personal events, time stamped. Require conscious effort to be retrieved.
What is procedural memory?
Actions and skills, (e.g. driving a car). Difficult to explain to others but can easily be recalled without conscious awareness or effort.
Strength of the multi store model of memory?
Research support from Baddeley (1966), showing that STM and LTM are separate.
Weaknesses of the multi store model of memory?
- Contradictory evidence from case studies showing more than one STM store. KF (amnesia): STM recall better when reading digits to himself rather than hearing them from others.
- Prolonged rehearsal aspect is possibly incorrect due to evidence suggesting elaborative rehearsal is better for info transfer to LTM.
Strength of the working memory model?
- Supporting evidence from case studies showing more than one STM store. KF (amnesia), could process visual information better than auditory.
Weaknesses of the working memory model?
- Case study methodological concerns.
- Lack of clarity concerning the central executive; some psychologists believe it to be more complex and made up of multiple aspects.
Example of a research study on LTM and STM coding?
Baddeley (1966)
What does LTM stand for?
Long term memory
What does STM stand for?
Short term memory
What was the procedure of Baddeley (1966)?
Gave different word lists to 4 groups of participants:
1. Acoustically similar
2. Acoustically dissimilar
3. Semantically similar
4. Semantically dissimilar
Groups were asked to recall the words in order.
What were the findings of Baddeley (1966)?
When asked to recall immediately (using STM), they did worse with acoustically similar words. When asked to recall after 20 mins (using LTM), they did worse with semantically similar words.
- Information is coded acoustically in STM.
- Information is coded semantically in LTM.
What is a strength of Baddeley (1966)?
Identified a clear difference between 2 memory stores, leading to the multi store model.
What is a weakness of Baddeley (1966)?
Limited generalisability due to artificial stimuli.
Example of 2 research studies on STM capacity?
Jacobs (1887)
Miller (1956)
What did Jacobs (1887) specifically study about STM capacity?
Digit span
What did Miller (1956) specifically study about STM capacity?
Span of memory and chunking
How is information coded in LTM?
Semantically
How is information coded in STM?
Acoustically
Findings of Jacobs (1887)
Mean digit span = 9.3
Mean letter span = 7.3
Findings of Miller (1956)
Mean digit span = 7+/-2
What is the mean digit span (capacity) of STM?
7+/-2
What is the capacity of LTM?
Unlimited
What is a strength of research on STM capacity?
Despite being an old study, Jacobs (1887) has been successfully replicated and the results have been confirmed.
What is a weakness of research on STM capacity?
Miller’s research may have overestimated mean digit span. It may be more like 4+/-1.
Example of a research study on STM duration?
Peterson and Peterson (1959)
Example of a research study on LTM duration?
Bahrick (1975)
What was the procedure of Peterson and Peterson (1959)?
Tested 24 students in 8 trials:
- Each student given a consonant syllable (e.g. YCG), and a 3 digit number, and asked to count backwards to prevent mental rehearsal.
- On each trial they were told to stop at varying times (3,6,9,12,15,18 seconds)
What were the findings of Peterson and Peterson (1959)?
After 3 seconds, recall = 80%
After 18 seconds, recall = 3%
Suggests that STM duration is 18 seconds, but may be improved by verbal rehearsal.
What is the duration of STM in seconds?
18 seconds
What might the duration of STM be improved by?
Verbal rehearsal
What was the procedure of Bahrick (1975)?
392 Americans aged 17 to 74. Recall of High School Yearbooks tested, including:
1. Photo recognition of 50 photos
2. Free recall of names of their graduating class.
What were the findings of Bahrick (1975)?
Within 15 yrs of graduation = 90% accuracy for photos
60% accuracy for free recall
48 yrs after graduation =
70% accuracy for photos
30% accuracy for free recall
- Suggests LTM may last up to a lifetime.
What is the duration of LTM?
Up to a lifetime
What is a weakness of Peterson and Peterson (1959)?
Lack of external validity due to artificial stimuli
What is a strength of Bahrick (1975)?
High external validity through the use of meaningful memories
What are iconic and echoic memory stores a part of?
The sensory register
What is iconic memory?
Visual information
What is echoic memory?
Acoustic (sound) information
What process does information require to transfer from the sensory register to STM (MSM)?
Attention
What process does information require to transfer from the STM to the LTM (MSM)?
Prolonged rehearsal
What process keeps information within the STM (MSM)?
Maintenance rehearsal
What process does information require to transfer from the LTM to the STM (MSM)?
Retrieval
What happens when the capacity of the STM is reached (MSM)?
Forgetting
What does MSM stand for?
Multi store model
What does WMM stand for?
Working memory model
What is the role of the central executive (WMM)?
Monitors incoming data (supervisory role)
What is the role of the phonological loop (WMM)?
Deals with auditory information
What is the role of the visuo-spatial sketchpad (WMM)?
Deals with visual and/or spatial information
What is the role of the episodic buffer (WMM)?
Storage component of the central executive
Who proposed that there are multiple types of LTM?
Tulving
Evaluation of the theory of multiple LTM types?
- Case study evidence: HM and Clive Wearing
- Real world application
- Case study methodological issues
What is proactive interference?
When an older memory interferes with a new memory
What is retroactive interference?
When a new memory interferes with an older memory
What are the 2 types of interference?
- Proactive interference
- Retroactive interference
If information is similar, is interference more or less likely to occur?
More likely
What is a strength of interference as an explanation for forgetting?
Research support: Baddeley and Hitch (1977) - found that rugby players who played the most games had the poorest recall for the names of teams they played against.
What are weaknesses of interference as an explanation for forgetting?
- Methodological issues of research studies (lab based)
- Interference is temporary and can be overcome by using cues, so isn’t an explanation of actual forgetting.
What is a supportive study (rugby study) for interference?
Baddeley and Hitch (1977)
What are the 2 main explanations for forgetting?
- Interference
- Retrieval failure
What are the 2 types of forgetting according to retrieval failure theory?
- Context dependent forgetting
- State dependent forgetting
What is context dependent forgetting?
Recall depends on external cue
What is state dependent forgetting?
Recall depends on internal cue
What is an example of an external cue (CDF)?
Weather/place
What is an example of an internal cue (SDF)?
Feeling upset, drunk etc
Example of a research study (diver study) on context dependent forgetting?
Godden and Baddeley (1975)
Example of a research study (sober/drunk study) on state dependent forgetting?
Cassaday (1998)
What is a cue?
A ‘trigger’ of information that allows us to access a memory.
What were the findings of Godden and Baddeley (1975)?
