Memory Flashcards

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1
Q

Coding

A

The format in which information is stored in the various memory stores.

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2
Q

Capacity

A

The amount of information that can be held in a memory store.

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3
Q

Duration

A

The length of time information can be held in memory.

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4
Q

Short term memory (stm)

A

The limited-capacity memory store. Coding is mainly acoustic (sounds), capacity is between 5 and 9 items on average, duration is between about 18 and 30 seconds.

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5
Q

Long term memory (ltm)

A

The permanent memory store. Coding is mainly semantic (meaning), it has unlimited capacity and can store memories for up to a lifetime.

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6
Q

Research on coding

A

The process of converting information from one form to another is called coding.
Alan Baddeley gave different lists of words to four groups to remember. Group1- words sounded similar. Group2- words sounded different. Group3- words with similar meanings. Group4- words with different meaning. When recall was immediate, words that were similar sounding was worse. After 20 mins recall was worse with similar meaning words.

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7
Q

Research on capacity

A

Jacobs, gave 4 digits if they recalled right he would increase by one each time, the mean span for digits was 9.3 items, the mean span for letters was 7.3.
Miller, 7+-2.

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8
Q

Research on duration (stm)

A

Peterson, tested 24 undergraduate students. They were given 8 trials and on each trial they were given 3 letters, and a 3 digit number which they had to count back from (for 3,6,9,12,15 or 18 seconds). Found that the stm has a short duration unless we repeat rehearsal.

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9
Q

Research of duration- ltm

A
Bahrick, 392 participants from ohio age 17 to 74. Photo recognition from year book or recall names from class with nothing.
If tested within 15 years it was 90% accurate in photo 60% in recall. If tested within 48 years, it was 70% accurate for photo and 30% in recall.
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10
Q

Evaluation on coding

A

Baddeley’s study used artificial stimuli, the words had no personal meaning, so can’t generalise or apply the findings.

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11
Q

Evaluation on capacity

A

Jacobs study lacks validity, it was done a long time ago and lacks adequate control. Could be distracted whilst recalling, confounding variables that were not controlled.
However since then more studies have confirmed his research, supporting his validity

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12
Q

Evaluation on duration

A

Meaningless stimuli in stm study, remembering letters doesn’t reflect real life, lacks external validity. But we do remember numbers.
Higher external validity in ltm, real life, but confounding variables aren’t controlled, they may have looked through their year books throughout the years.

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13
Q

The multi store model of memory

A

See picture. It described how information is transferred from one store to another, how it os remembered and forgotten.

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14
Q

Sensory register

A

The memory stored for each of our senses. Coding in the iconic (vision) sensory register is visual and in the echoic (hearing) sensory register is acoustic. The capacity of sensory registers is huge and information lasts for a very short time.

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15
Q

Maintenance rehearsal

A

When we repeat material to ourselves over and over again. If we rehearse it long enough it passes into long term memory.

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16
Q

The multi store model of memory evaluation

A

There’s more than one type of stm, KF suffered from amnesia, recall was very poor when they read out the digits but much better when he was able to read the digits himself. One for listening and one for visual.

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17
Q

Types of long term memory

A

Episodic
Semantic
Procedural

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18
Q

Episodic memory

A

Personal events. It includes memories of when the event occurred, people, objects, places and behaviours involved. They have to be retrieved consciously and with effort.

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19
Q

Semantic memory

A

Knowledge of the world. This includes facts and our knowledge of what words and concepts mean. Need to be recalled deliberately.

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20
Q

Procedural memory

A

Knowledge of how to do things. This includes memories of learned skills. No deliberate or conscious effort.

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21
Q

Evaluation of types of long term memory

A

Clive wearing, had amnesia and couldn’t remember events in the past but could understand words and remember how to play the piano and read music.
Brain scans support this.

22
Q

The working memory model

A

A representation of stm. It suggests that stm is a dynamic processor of different types of information using sub units coordinated by a central decision making system.

23
Q

Central executive

A

It co ordinates the activities of the three subsystems in memory. It also allocates processing resources to those activities.

24
Q

Phonological loop

A

The component of the working memory model that processes information in terms of sound. This includes both written and spoken material. Its divided into the phonological store and the articulatory process.

25
Q

Visuo-spatial sketchpad

A

The component of the working memory model that processes visual and spatial information in a mental space often called our inner eye.

26
Q

Episodic buffer

A

The component of the working memory model that brings together material from the other subsystems into a single memory rather than separate strands. It also provides a bridge between working memory and long term memory.

27
Q

Evaluation of the working memory model

A

Lack of clarity over the central executive, its the most important part but the least understood.
Explains why you can’t use your phone and drive, two tasks with the same components so can’t focus on both.

28
Q

Explanations of forgetting- interference

A

Forgetting because one memory blocks another, causing one or both memories to be forgotten or distorted.

29
Q

Two types of interference

A

Proactive

Retroactive

30
Q

Proactive interference

A

Occurs when old memories disrupt newer ones. Happens more with similar memories. Eg. The teacher has learnt so many names in the past she can’t remember the new ones.

31
Q

Retroactive interference

A

Occurs when newer memories disrupt older memories. Greater if memories are similar. Eg. A teacher has learnt so many new names she cant remember the old.

32
Q

Effects of similarity, McGeoch and McDonald

A
Learnt 1 list then separated into 6 groups with different lists.
Group 1, words with the same meanings.
Group 2, words with opposite meanings.
Group 3, unrelated words.
Group 4, nonsense syllables.
Group 5, three digit numbers.
Group 6, no new list.
Found that the most similar lists produced worst recall.
33
Q

Evaluation of interference

A

Artificial materials, not same as peoples faces, birthdays.

Loads of lab studies, control irrelevant influences so makes interference a valid explanation for some forgetting.

34
Q

Explanation for forgetting, retrieval failure

A

It occurs when we dont have the necessary cues to access memory. The memory is available but not accessible until a suitable cue is provided.

35
Q

Cue

A

Can be external, context dependent forgetting (environment) or internal state dependent forgetting (mood or degree of drunkenness).

36
Q

Context dependent forgetting, Godden and Baddeley

A

Divers learnt a list of words.
Four conditions: learned on land, recall on land. Learned on land recalled in sea. Learned in sea, recalled in sea. Learned in sea, recalled on land.
Found that accurate recall was 40% lower in the non matching conditions.

37
Q

State dependent forgetting, Carter and Cassaday

A

Similar but gave anti histamine drugs which made them slightly drowsy, 4 different conditions. Found that mismatched internal states made performance significantly worse.

38
Q

Evaluation of retrieval failure

A

Baddeley, replicated water experiment but used recognition of words from their list instead, there was no difference in the 4 conditions.
Suggests why you forget something walking down the stairs then remember when you walk back upstairs.

39
Q

Eyewitness testimony

A

The ability of people to remember the details of events which they themselves have observed. Accuracy can be affected by factors such as misleading information, leading questions and anxiety.

40
Q

Misleading information

A

Incorrect information given to the eyewitness usually after the event. Such as leading questions, post event discussion between co witnesses or other people.

41
Q

Leading questions

A

It suggests a certain answer, “was the knife in the left hand” this suggests the answer is left hand.

42
Q

Post-event discussion

A

Occurs when there is more than one witness. They discuss with each other. This may influence the accuracy of each witness’s recall of the event.

43
Q

Evaluation of misleading information

A

Loftus and Palmers study of watching car crash videos was artificial. Its very different to watching a real life car crash, less stress.
Demand characteristics, want to be helpful so lie to help.

44
Q

EWT- anxiety

A

Worried thoughts and is a normal reaction to stressful situations, but can affect accuracy and detail.

45
Q

Anxiety has a negative effect on recall

A

Anxiety creates physiological arousal in the body which prevents us paying attention to important cues so recall is worse.

46
Q

Anxiety- negative effect on recall- Johnson and Scott

A

Hear a heated argument next door, one condition is the man comes out with a pen and greasy hands (low anxiety) and one comes out after smashing glass with a paper knife covered in blood. (high anxiety).
Findings- they have to identify the man- in low anxiety 49% recognised him in high anxiety 33% recognised him. This supports tunnel theory, where they focus on the weapon.

47
Q

Anxiety has a positive effect on recall

A

Fight or flight response is triggered, which increases alertness. Yuille and Cutshaw- real life shooting in a gun shop, 21 witnesses 13 agreed to take part. Done 4/5 months after.
Findings- Little change in the amount or accuracy after 5 months. Those who reported highest levels of stress were most accurate.

48
Q

EWT- anxiety evaluation

A

Ethical issues, creating anxiety in people may cause psychological harm.

49
Q

The cognitive interview

A

4 main techniques. Fisher and Geiselman.

  1. report everything.
  2. return to original crime scene in mind.
  3. reverse the order.
  4. change perspective.
50
Q

The cognitive interview evaluation

A

Its more time consuming than a standard police interview. CI also needs special training.