Memory Flashcards
Stores in Atkinson’s+Shiffrin’s MSM
Sensory Register
Short Term Memory
Long Term Memory
Capacity
The AMOUNT of memory that can be held in memory at any time
Duration
The length of time the memory store can hold info
Encoding
Transforming information into a form that can be stored in memory
Sensory Register
Capacity: very large
Duration: limited
Encoding: different sensory stores for unprocessed info
Short Term Memory
Capacity: 7 +/- 2 items
Duration: seconds
Encoding: mainly acoustic
Long Term Memory
Capacity: unlimited
Duration: up to a life time
Encoding: mainly semantic
MSM Process
Information passes through in a linear way.
External stimuli are registered in the sensory memory
If it is given enough attention it is passed to the STM
If it is rehearsed enough and not lost through decay or displacement it is passed to the LTM
From here it can be lost through decay or interference
Strengths of MSM
- It has made contributions to memory research because it is TESTABLE.
- Case studies such as KF have supported it. He had a motorcycle accident which caused him brain damage. He damaged his STM and had a regency affect of 2 items suggesting LTM + STM are distinctive.
Weaknesses of MSM
- It emphasises rote rehearsal as a method of transferring to the LTM but it is not a very affective means of transfer and transfer often occurs without it
- CLIVE WEARING lost episodic but still had procedural memory suggesting there is more than one kind of LTM
- It oversimplifies and doesn’t express the complexity of memory. It explains the amount at the expense of the nature of what we can remember as somethings are easier to remember.
Three types of LTM
Tulving suggests;
Episodic
Semantic
Procedural
Episodic Memory
Memory of episodes or events in our lives
It stores when an event occurred and what happened which includes people places and behaviours
It does takes a conscious effort to retrieve episodic memories. Such memories are complex, for example they are “time stamped” so we remember when the events happened.
Semantic Memory
A store for our knowledge of the world and where we hold facts.
It is argues that the semantic memory is underpinned by the episodic memory because we learn through experience.
Procedural Memory
Our knowledge of how to do things such as walking talking or riding a bike.
We do not need to make a conscious effort to recall these memories.
They are referred to as non-declarative as although they are easy to do they are difficult to describe in words
Strengths of types of LTM
- It has been supported by brain scans such as Clive Wearing who got brain damage and lost episodic memory but was still able to play the piano
- Brain scans such as PET scans have shown how different parts of the brain are used in different tasks. For example, episodic and semantic memories were recalled from the pre-frontal cortex. More specifically the episodic memory on the right and the semantic on the left
Weaknesses of the types of LTM
- The case studies are criticised for lacking control
- Cohen and Squire argued that episode of and semantic memories were stored together. Whilst agreeing procedural memories were non-declarative, they argued e and s were declarative as they can consciously be consciously recalled
Parts of the WMM
Central Executive
Phonological Loop
Visual- Spatial Sketchpad
Central Executive
The CE is in charge of coordinating the two slave systems.
It can retrieve information from any sensory modality
It’s maim tasks are setting task goals, correcting errors and receiving information from the LTM
The Phonological Loop
A temporary store with a limited capacity.
Holds speech based info and codes automatically.
Split into:
The Phonological Store- like the inner ear that holds the worlds you hear
The Articulatory Process- like the inner voice that repeats the words you hear
The Visual Spatial Sketchpad
Also a temporary store that has a limited capacity.
AKA Inner eye
It is split into:
The Visual Cache- stores visual data
The Inner Scribe- handles spatial relationships and transfers info from the visual cache to the CE
Episodic Buffer
Added by Baddeley in 2000.
It acts as a general store and has a capacity of 4 chunks.
It integrates info from the 3 components to the LTM
Strengths of WMM
- It is seen as more plausible by cognitive psychologist bc it explains STM in terms of a temporary storage and active processing
- Vernal rehearsal is seen a just one option in the articulatory loop rather than only way into is transferred
- KF forgot auditory memory much greater than visual memory, suggesting damage to phonological loop
- Further empirical evidence suggests STM is a number of relatively independent processing mechanisms than a unitary store
Weaknesses of the WMM
- The most important component, the CE, is the one we know least about. According to Richardson, no one has been able to quantify it empirically and there are problems identifying what it actually does
- Using case studies is problematic bc we are unable to compare before and after
Interference Theory
Explains forgetting in terms of one memory blocking another
PROACTIVE Interference= when older memories hinder them reveal of newer memories
RETROACTIVE interference= when newer memories interferes with an older memory as newer info may overwrite earlier info
Interference occurs when two lots of info are similar and is likely to happen when there is a gap in the instances of learning.
An example of proactive is not being able to recall a phone number due to confusing with an older one and retroactive is vice versa.
Weakness of interference
The majority of studies are lab based therefore do not have real life application
Strength on interference theory
Baddeley and Hitch found rugby players where better at recalling team names 2 to 3 weeks prior, if they had not played matches in between. This she’s it wasn’t the length of time a memory is held
Retrieval Failure Theory (RFT)
Suggests we fail to retrieve memories due to an absence of cues. Cues can be external such as environmental or internal such as our mood.
Rather than forgetting memories, we are unable to access them.
For example, we may go get something from downstairs and forget what we needed, only to remember again when we go back upstairs.
RFT is based on the ENCODING SPECIFICITY PRINCIPLE which suggests memories will be forgotten if cues are present at encoding and absent at retrieval.
Strengths of RFT
- There is supporting evidence for context-dependent forgetting (environmental cues) and state-dependent forgetting (internal cues). Hidden and Baddeley found divers recalled 40% better in matching than in non-matching conditions.
- Carter and Cassadey’s research showed similar findings with anti-histamines
Weakness of RFT
Context effects are not as strong in real life (Baddeley). Only when the context is very different can the effects be seen.
Research into the effects of misleading questions on EWT
LOFTUS + PALMER asked people to estimate the speed of motor vehicles using different forms of questions.
45 American students watched 7 clips and were asked how fast were the vehicles going when they (smashed/collided/bumped/hit/contacted) each other?
Participants asked smashed= faster than contacted
Smashed- 40.8mph
Collided- 39mph
Bumped- 38mph
Hit- 34mph
Contacted- 31mph
Strengths of the research of misleading questions
- Leading questions can also affect recall. Loftus found 75% participants who were asked consistent questions picked the correct slide and only 41% when asked inconsistent questions
- Loftus drew same conclusions even when offered money
- It has also affected the way police question witnesses
Weaknesses of misleading questions research on EWT
- Not everyone was misled
2. Lacks ecological validity as the participants were witnessing the incident in a screen
The effects of post-event discussion
GABBERT studied the effects of post- even discussion.
Participants were studied in pairs and each watched a video of crimes from different perspectives
Both participants discussed what they saw.
71% recalled parts they had not seen
0% in control group
Strength of post-event discussion
The research is lab based which allows variables to be controlled
Weaknesses of post-event discussion
Witnessing a real crime may be very different and there is difficulty generalising findings
Research into effects of anxiety on EWT
LOFTUS set up the ‘Weapons Effects’. The participants heard:
Condition 1-
An amicable discussion about equipment failure, followed by a man emerging with a greasy hand holding a pen
Condition 2-
A hostile argument, broken glass, overturned furniture and man emerges with bloody hand holding knife
Both groups believed it was genuine
Showed the knife seemed to distract participants from the mans face as 49% correctly identified man holding pen 33% man holding knife
Concluded the anxiety caused by the knife narrowed the attention from the face
Strengths of effects of anxiety
It is supported by further research.
Loftus and Burns found participants had a significantly impaired recall of events leading to a boy being shot in the face
Weaknesses of the effect of anxiety on EWT
- It lacks generalisation as it is lab based
- In a study based on those who had witnessed an armed robbery, those who were threatened by the robbers and therefore experienced more anxiety, could recall more than onlookers.
Improving EWT accuracy= Cognitive Interview
It is based on 4 principles:
Context Reinstatement- trying to mentally recreate the situations, including the details of the environment e.g. weather and the individuals emotional state e.g. feeling at time
Recall from changed perspective- trying to mentally recreate the situations from a different view point e.g. what another witnessed may have seen
Recall in reverse order- recalling events in a a different chronological order e.g. reverse
Report everything- the witness is encouraged to report all details even if it seems unimportant
