Memory Flashcards
Visuo-spatial scratch pad
Inner eye-processes and stores mental images, limited cap, independent from phonological loop
Episodic buffer
Binds together (integrates) info into episodes, Lim cap, binds info from LTM with that being processed in the WM, binds LTM to form novel episodes (elephant playing hockey)
Evidence supporting wmm
Baddeley and hitch dual task technique- investigated if participants can use different parts of working memory at the same time- participants were asked to perform two tasks at the same time - a digit span task which required them to repeat a list of numbers, and a verbal reasoning task which required them to answer true or false to questions- As the number of digits increased in the digit span tasks, participants took only slightly longer to answer the questions which shows they were using Phon loop and cen exec.
Phonological loop
Inner voice and ear- ear-phonological store-allows acoustically coded items to be stores for brief periods(melodies)
Voice-articulatory control process-allows sub repetitions of items in phonological store
Encoding
The way memory is stored-acoustically, semantically
Central executive
Decision making and problem solving, controls attention, processes (synthesises) info, lim cap, can do lim amount of things at once
Capacity
How many memories can be stored at once
Multi store model
Developed by Atkinson and Shiffrin- Consists of 3 unitary, separate stores; sensory memory, stm and ltm, information runs through these stores in a one way linear flow. Information is received by the sensory and if attended to it will be processed into stm (or disappear). If it is then rehearsed it will be passed on to the LTM (or lost) where it can be stored for a lifetime.
STM
Duration- 30 seconds, capacity- 7+- 2 memories, encoding- acoustically -can be lost through decay or displacement
duration
How long a memory lasts
LTM
Duration and Capacity- unlimited, encoding- semantically can be lost through interference or retrieval failure.
MSM strengths
It distinguishes between STM and LTM in terms of capacity, duration and encoding
MSM weaknesses
SOAR-
Simple- It assumes a single STM or LTM however other types have been identified.
Other memory models- The WMM has cast doubt upon the MSM idea of STM being
Artificial- Much of it’s supporting evidence comes from lab studies which lack mundane realism
Rehearsal- In daily life people devote very little to active rehearsal but they can still put info into LTM.
Further Evidence supporting wmm
Brain scans have shown that different areas of the brain area activated when verbal or visuo-spatial tasks are carried out, supporting the existence of different stores existing in short term memory, since the different stores are contained in different parts of the brain.
wmm limitations
Can’t account for smell, taste or touch, the central executive- remains unclear how it works- does it deal with things the phon and vis don’t, doesn’t look at the link between LTM and working memory.
EWT
An eye-witness can be someone who observes an event, such as a crime or car crash, from distance and is not directly involved, or someone directly involved with an event, research into EWT has shown that a number of factors can lead to an incorrect recollection of the facts during a testimony.
EWT age 1
Anastasi and Rhodes used individuals from three age groups (18–25; 35–45; and 55–78) who were shown 24 photographs (representing the three different age groups), which they had to rate for attractiveness. After a short ‘filler’ activity, they were then presented with 48 photographs, 24 of which had been seen previously. they found that the young and middle-aged participants were more accurate than the older participants, and all age groups were more accurate in identifying photographs from their own age group.
EWT age 2
Yarmey stopped 651 adults in public places and asked them to recall the physical characteristics of a young woman to whom they had spoken for 15 seconds just 2 minutes earlier. Although young (18–29) and middle-aged (30–44) adults were more confident in their recall than the older (45–65) adults, there were no significant differences in the accuracy of recall that could be attributed to the age group of the witness.
A study to see if anxiety effects later identification in EWT
Loftus- Participants either Overheard a discussion in a lab about an equipment failure. A person them emerged from the laboratory holding a pen in grease covered hands.
2. Overheard a heated and hostile debate between people in the lab. After the sound of breaking glass and crashing chairs. A man came out of the lab holding a paper knife covered in blood.
Participants were then asked to recall the person from 50 photos. 49% recalled pen man, 33% recalled knife man. This shows that a weapon narrows the focus of attention, resulting in less accurate peripheral details.
A study to see if anxiety effects later identification in EWT 2
Loftus and burns- Participants were allocated to one of two conditions.
1. Watched a violent short film where a boy was shot in the head
or
2. Watched a non-violent short film of a crime
Participants were less accurate in recall when they saw the violent short film than those who watched the non-violent movie.
EWT anxiety evaluation
Research is lab based- mundane realism, The participants in Loftus were deceived as they were led to believe it was a real situation, this it may have caused psychological harm to the participant. In addition; they did not provide fully informed consent.
Loftus strengths
easily replicable as it was an experiment that maintained high control over the extraneous variables. uses a scientific method, this means that we can state that the IV effects the DV.
EWT misleading questions study
To test whether the language used in eyewitness testimony can alter memory Loftus and Palmer (1974) asked people to estimate the speed of motor vehicles using different forms of questions.
EWT misleading questions study procedure
150 students were shown a film which featured a car in an accident. Afterwards the students were questioned about the film. The independent variable was the type of question asked. 50 students were asked ‘how fast were the car going when they hit each other?’, another 50 ‘smashed’ and the remaining 50 participants were not asked a question at all (i.e. the control group). A week later they were asked Did you see any broken glass? There was no broken glass on the original film.
