Memory Flashcards
What is Capacity and study of it
Amount of info held in a memory store
STM - 5/9 items
LTM - unlimited
Jacobs study
Repeat numbers & letters in the same order
7.3 letters
9.3 numbers
Lab environment
Similar results from other studies
Conducted in 1887
Chunking
Combining digits/numbers to remember them
What is Duration and study of it
Length of time that info can be held for
STM - 18/30 seconds
LTM - up to a lifetime
Peterson & peterson
Given a nonsense syllables and asked to count backwards for an amount of time
2 practice trials and 8 real trials
Remembered 90% when 3 second interval but 2% at 18s interval
Recall decreases as time increases
+ lab experiment and controlled
- artificial and meaningless stimuli
What is coding and study of it
Info is changed into visual, acoustic and semantic so that it can be stored
STM - acoustic
LTM - semantic
Baddeley 1 - acoustic similiar 2 - semantic similar 3 - acoustic dissimilar 4 - semantic dissimilar Asked to recall the words immediately or after 20mins \+ lab experiment, controlled - artificial stimuli, limited application - only looks at one type of LTM
Decay of info
The info fades away
Displacement of info
Another memory takes its place
Multi store model (Atkinson & Shiffrin)
Environmental stimuli (5 senses)
- > sensory memory store
- > attention (only remains for a brief time)
- > short term memory store (rehearsal or recall)
- > elaborative rehearsal/retrieval (apply meaning)
- > long term memory store
Evaluation of multi store memory model
+ supporting research, two separate stores for memories
+ HM had damage to his LTM but STM was unaffected
- STM as a unitary store, KF had problems with verbal but not visual (suggests separate stores)
- LTM requires different types of rehearsal
Working memory model (Baddely & Hitch)
Central executive controls visuospatial sketch pad, episodic buffer and phonological loop, to put info into LTM
What is the central executive
Determines how resources are allocated
Can only handle a limited number of jobs at a time
Very limited capacity
What is the Phonological loop
Auditory info stored
Holds words heard and seen
Repeats like an inner voice
Contains phonological store and articulatory control system
What is the visuospatial sketchpad
Visual and spacial info
What you see
Relationship between things
What is the episodic buffer
General extra storage
Limited to 4 chunks
Integrates info from all areas
Evidence for phonological loop
Baddely et al
Recall words in serial order
1) five one syllable words
2) five polysyllabic words
Recalled shorter words better
amount held in STM is determined by length of time it takes to say words, not the amount that there is
Evidence for visuospatial sketchpad
Baddely et al
Visualise a letter and describe it whilst completing a visual task
1) imagine a letter, say yes if the angle is on a top of bottom line and no if its not
WHILST
2) tracking the movement of a dot of light with a pointer
Both tasks are had to complete at the same time because they’re in the same store
Evaluation of working memory model
+ studies of dual task performance prove that people have more trouble doing tasks if the same slave system is being used at once
+ KF struggled to remember verbal info but had no problem with visual
- central executive is poorly explained even though its the main system that has control
- evidence from brain damaged people may not be reliable as we dont know what a persons memory was like before the accident
- baddely conducted most of the research so it could be unreliable
What is an episodic memory
More personal memory such as associations of a place or time
Can depend on mood
E.g. First day of school
Argument with parents
Stored in prefrontal cortex/temporal lobe
What is a semantic memory
Concerns facts taken of independent context (general knowledge)
E.g. what a cat is
What 2+2 is
Stored in hippocampus/temporal lobe
What is a procedural memory
Knowing how to do something ( implicit motor skills)
E.g. How to walk
Riding a bike
Stored in basal ganglia/cerebellum
What is interference
Forgetting because one memory block another, causing both or one memory to be distorted/forgotten
Proactive interference
Old memory interferes with a new one
E.g. Learning so many names in the past that you have difficulty remembering new ones
Retroactive interference
New memory interferes with an older one
E.g. Remembering so many new people that you cant remember old ones
Evidence for interference theory (baddely & hitch)
Rugby players recalling the names of teams they had played against
Some players missed games inbetween
Players recall of a team from three weeks ago was better if they had played no matches since then
This means they had no memories inbetween to interfere
+ real life study
+ mostly in lab
- artificial research
- only explains some situations
Encoding specificity principle
A cue must be present when the memory is first encoded as well as when we retrieve it
Context-dependent forgetting
The context present at encoding and retrieval should be the same
State-dependent forgetting
Memory is best when someones physical or psychological state is similar at encoding/retrieval
Eyewitness testimony
Ability of people to remember the details of events such as accidents and crimes, which they have observed
Leading questions
A question that either by form or content, suggests a desired answer or leads a witness to believe a desired answer
Misleading information
Incorrect info given to the eyewitness after the event
Post-event discussion
More than one witness to an event discussing what they’ve seen which could influence their accuracy
Case study into leading questions
Loftus and palmer
150 participants
Shown a car accident
Split in 3 groups and asked questions about broken glass and the speed they were going at
Highest mean speed - smashed
Lowest mean speed - hit
Broken glass - yes - smashes
No - hit/control (not leading)
Case study for post event discussion
Participants in pairs and watched same video of a crime but filmed from different points of view
71% of participants recalled aspects that only their partner had seen
People go along with eachother
Study for anxiety having a negative effect on recall
Participants hear an argument Man walks out of room holding a pen and with grease on hands/breaking glass and paper knife covered in blood Low anxiety - 49% identified man High anxiety - 33% identified man 'Weapon focus effect'
Emotional arousal and performance
Inverted U
Memory becomes more accurate as anxiety levels increase
Optimal level is reached
Point of maximum accuracy
Components of cognitive interview
1- reinstatement of context
2- report everything
3- change order
4- change perspective
Reinstatement of context (cognitive interview)
Recreate the same physical/psychological environment mentally
Makes memories more accessible
Report everything (cognitive interview)
Encourage reporting of every tiny detail as memories are interconnected
Recall of one may make u remember another
Change order (cognitive interview)
Try alternative ways through the event
E.g. Recall backwards to prevent schema
Change perspective (cognitive interview)
Recall it from a different persons POV
Evaluation of cognitive interview
+ meta analysis of studies prove that it has practical benefits
+ police can develop a better understanding
- mostly in lab settings so it lacks ecological validity
- takes a lot longer to complete than traditional interview
- not all police forces use the same 4 components
