memory Flashcards
memory and the multi store model AO1 intro
memory canbe defined as a system of retaining information from our daily experiences- it involves 3 basic features coding (how much info can be stored), duration (how long info can be stored) and encoding (the formate information is held in)
memory and the multi store AO1
the sensory register has a very large capacity however it has a very limited suration of less then 2 seconds- often 0.5 secs. It first gathers information through our surroundings/ enviornments affect on our sensory organs (eyes, mouth, hands etc.) If we pay attention to sensory information - it is passed on to STM, if not we lose it through decay.
athe STM gets info from the sensory register- it has a capacity of 5-9 items, with a duration of 18-30 seconds. It is coded accoustically(through sound). Rehersal is when you repeat information, and it allows it to be held and for you to transfer information into LTM.We can use thr process of chunking to hold more items. If we do not rehearse it it is lost through displacement. Its existence is support from Jacobs digit span task. (evals)
The LTM gets information from the STM which was rehearsed. It has unlimited capacity and duration can be up to a lifetime. Information in this store is coded semantically(through meaning) and its existence is supported by Bahricks research in 1975(evals)
multi store model - strength research support for capacity of STM
Jacobs digit span task was where ppts were given a list of digits , then asked to recall them in the correct order- this would continue until ppts messed up the order (add a number each time). In the digit spans, the mean results for letters were 7.3 and for numbers 9.3. This proves that the capacity of 5-9 items applies to information through letters and numbers. Therefore increasing the validity of MSM as a model of memory.
Multi store model- strengths, research support for duration in LTM
Bahrick 1975- tests peoples ability to remember classmates faces 15 years after graduation(each given 50 photos, some of people in their class some were fake) and found 90% recgnition. This test was repeated when it has been 48 years after graduation and they found 70% recognition. Therefore, this can act as evidence of the duration of LTM and helps increase the validity of LTM in the MSM.
weakness LTM is not unitary -MSM
Clive Wearing lost his memories , he cannot remember his wedding day however he can remember how to play the piano. He therefore lost his declarative memory however his procedural memory was still in tact. If the LTM wasnt working, all LTM types should not be remembered. Therefire, LTM cannot be unitary and must be split into subsections.
One strength of MSM - there is research support for coding in LTM and STM.
Baddeley gives a list of accoustically similar, accosutically different, semantically similar, semantically different words. When tested on STM with a list of accoustically similar words, there was worse performance because the STM codes information accoustically it caused confusion. Similarly when tested on LTM with a list of semantically similar words, there was worse preformance because the LM codes information semantically.
Working Memory Model - AO1
replace idea of unitary STM- can complete 2 different tasks at the same time.
The central executive controls over slave components- allocates tasks to components. It is involved in higher material processes and processing information from different senses. It decides which task is most important and what WM should pay attention to.It has no storage capacity- some tasks become automated = taking less capacity freeing us to preform other tasks
The Phonological loops codes information accoustically- it has 2 parts. The primary accoustic store- is linked to speech perception, holds accoustic information for 1-2 seconds. Remembers in the same order information is presented. The articulatory process rehearses and stores sounds collected by PAS, it has a capacity of 2 secs of speech- it repeats information to prevent decay.
The visual spacial sketchpad rehearses info from visualising processes. it has a capacity of 3-4 objects. The visual cache stores individual visual information about size and colour. The inner scribe handles spatial relations (mental map). It rehearses and transfers infromation from the visucal cache into the central executive.
The inner buffer- added in the 2000s. integrates infromation from VSSP and PL for tasks requiring both systems. Capacity of about 4 chunks of information. It has a 2 way connection with LTM.
strength WMM- research support from dual task studies.
Baddeley and hitch - found that when ppts were given different tasks from different store, their recall was unaffected. However, when ppts were given 2 similar tasks= the recollection of the first was worse. This is because using 2 different slave systems means no overload, however if using the same slave systems- the slave systems cap is overloaded leading to worse performance. Therefore, this increases the validity of WMM.
evidence agaisnt Central executive being unitary - AO3, WORKING MEMORY MODEL
EVR preforms well in reasoning tests which indicates their CE is still intact, However they preform badly at decision making, therefore, if the Central executive is unitary - both should be damages, however if only 1 is damaged- it shows there has to be several components in the central executive. therefore decreasing the validity of WMM.
WMM doesnt account for all types of memory - AO3, WORKING MEMORY MODEL
Berz in 1995, found that instrumental music doesnt effect productivity in other acoustic tasks. This lack of effect, means there may be amusical memory to prevent overlap of PAS capacity. Therefore decreasing the validity of WMM because it is not accounting all memory.
LTM AO1
LTM is a multi part system made up of 2 or more componentswith different types of information.
Episodic memories are personal experiences/ events from ones own life. They require concious recall, are time stamped and are often linked with emotions- theirfore, coded with the emotion. In example, rmemebering your first day of school because you were very nervous. This type of memory can include people places and objects in one episode.
Semantic memory is facts you are aware of. It is always being added to and requires exokicit effort to recall a particular fact. It is not time stamped/ linked with an emotion. It is our knowledge base. an example would be pars is the capital of france.
Procedural memory is action motor skills memory. it does not require explicit effort to recall. Actions happen without needing to recall how- depending on the developed skill- PM automatically accesses. For instance walking. This can be supported by Clive Wearing, who was missing his declarative memory yet retained his procedural memory.
strength of the long term memory is there is clinical evidence
For example, Clive wearing who caught a virus which damaged his memory. His declarative/ episodic memory was lost however he maintained his procedural memory. If the LTM was unitary, both should not work. Therefore increasing the validity of LTM having multiple stores theory.
one weakness of the LTM (AO3) semantic and episodic memorys are linked
episodic memory acts as a gateway to semantic memory- i.e learning a fact at school is initially stored as episodic, and then becomes semantic.The LTM theory implies they are completely seperate stores- therefore, LTM presents an incomplete picture and decreases the validity of the theory.
AO3, LTM: Real life application, strength
Belleville et all (2006)- improve episodic memory of old people(ften type of memory is effected by mild cognitive impairments). They had better preformance then the control group following training= LTM has multiple stores, we can target specific stores to improve lives.
interference as an explanation of forgetting - AO1
interference theroy believes that forgetting can be identified as failure to retrieve memorys in the LTM. Because of this interference- when one set of information competes- overwrites another piece.
In proactive interference- old information disrupts learning and retention of new information(i.e telling someone your new phone number but u keep saying your old one.)
In retroactive interfernce, new information disrupts recall and retention of old information (i.e new alevel knowledge stops recall of GCSE knowledge.)
The effect of similarity is there is increased interference if the informations are similar- as they are harder to differentiate leading to confusion.
The postman srudy - 2 groups were asked to learn paired word lists. The control group were given only one list, the experimental group were given 2 lists, where the second lists words had similar words to the first. They found greater recall for the control then the experimental group for the 1st list. Therefore, this shows the effect of retroactive interfernce whereby new information interupts recall of old information.
one strength of interference as an explanation of forgetting (AO3) is tehre is support for the role of similarity
McGeoch and Mcdonald in 1931- had a study of two groups with 2 lists both ahd the same 1st list. in group 1 the second list was synonyms of the 1st list. whilst in the 2nd group, the second list was nonsense syllabels. The findings of the study were that there was increased recall in the nonsense syllables second list group with 26% recall, over the 12% recall of the synonyms list.Therefore, interfernce is increased when similar items because of increase confusion. Therefore, increasing the validity of interference
one weakness of interference theory is that it is artificial (AO3)
It is supported by artificial lab experiments, requiring special conditioning- with word pair stimuli. This is very rare in day to day life and therefore irrelevent to real life. as it only accounts for specific instances of forgetting in LTM, therefore limits the ecological validity of research. If the research is invalid- it decreases the validity of the theory itself.
one weakness of interfence (AO3) is that its an incomplete explanation of forgetting - only temperary not permanent.
Careso (1967) found that if tested 24 hours later there would be a spontanious recovery of memory, suggesting it only occurs because memories are temprorarily inaccessible- not lost permanentlly. therefore decreasing the validity of the theory.
retrieval failure as an explanation of forgetting. AO1
the encoding specificity principle- the cue which helps trigger recall must be present at encoding and retrieval. If cues absent/ different at recall it can lead to forgetting. Tulving named this in 1983 as the encoding specificity principle.
Context dependent forgetting can be external such as sooms or objects. when we learn information, the enviornmental cues encode alongside- if tehy are not present at recall, context dependent forgetting occurs.
Godden and Baddley, had 18 divers learn 36 unrelated words on water or on land with free recall in opposite or same enviornment. They found that same conditions meant greater recall of words, however different conditions meant worse recall because of a lack of enviornmental cues. Therefore increased memory if encoded and retrieved in the same place.
State dependent forgetting is whem internal cues(such as mood, physiological state) when learning information are different from when recalling said information. IF in a different state at retrieval, there will be a lack of cues to trigger the recall.
Goodwin et als study supports this- he had male volunteers learn a list of words drunk or sober and then recall that list 24 hours later. Some sober, some drunk again. He found that there was an increase in recall if in the same state as learning and recalling when in different states. Therefore, showing that physiological state impacts memory and can lead to forgetting.
strength research support retrievalmfailure AO3
Carter and Cassady 1998- gave ppts antihistamine to make them drowsy or a placebo. They found ppts had greater recall i in the same state then if in a difefrent state. Therefore, internal cues at encoding which are different or absent at recall can lead to increased forgetting, theyrefire increasing the validity of the theory .
ao3 retrieval failure- it has artificial evidence, weakness
Godden and Baddeleys 1975 reseach the contexts of learning and recall are very different. In real life, the enviornments are similar, thus even if the enviornment changes, forgetting is not as likely. Therefore it has limited application to everyday life, decreasing validity.
ao3 retreival faulure- weakness is it is influenced by method of testing used
when tested for recognitioninstead of free recall, there was no state dependnt forgeting, and they found same accuracy no matter context of learning or recall. Therefore absense of cues at recall only effects forgetting when memory is tested in a certain wat, therefire undermining the validity of retrieval failure as it is only applicable to certain circumstances.
effect of anxiety on EWT- AO1
Johnson and scott study on the weapon focus effect. Ppts told to wait outside and split into 2 groups. Group 1(experimental group) heard 2 men having a heated conversation and saw one man walk out with a knife and bloody hands then they were asked to identify from 50 photos . Group 2(control) overhear 2 men having a normal conversation, 1 walks out with a pen and grease on his hands. They were then also aske dto recall the man from 50 photos. They found that the control group with low anxiety conditions had 49% able to identify him, whilst the experimental (high anxiety)- had 33 % able to identify him .
Therefore, high anxiety when weapon is present leads to decreased accuracey of violent crimes, as te weapon distracts attention. This is the weapon focus effect.
Loftus and Burnses research had ppts watch films of a simulated robbery, with the control groups robbery being non violent whilst the experimental groups robbery was violent with a boy being shot in the face. PPts were then asked to recall the robbery. The results were there was higher recall in the group with the non violent robbery then the group with the violent one. Therefore, the researchers concluded that greater shock of high enxiety events can increase arousal and theirfore disrupts memory storage.
AO3 anxiety on EWT- strength of reliability in research
Loftus used a range of experiments to show different EWT examples. With great control of extrenious varuables and standardisation, he was able to replicate and repeat his research to check for consistency. Therefore, reliable results showing the effect of anxiety on EWT.
