Memory

Question 1

who did research on coding?

Answer 1

Alan Baddeley (1966)

Question 2

In the coding research what were the 4 groups of words based on?

Answer 2

Acoustically similar/dissimilar

Semantically similar/dissimilar

Question 3

what did the study on coding find?

Answer 3

acoustically similar words easier for sudden recall STM, semantically similar words easier after 20 minute interval = information coded semantically in LTM.

Question 4

Who did research on capacity?

Answer 4

Joseph Jacobs (1887) - digit span 
George Miller (1956) - span of memory and chunking

Question 5

briefly explain the digit span study.

Answer 5

researcher says digits p’s asked to recall in correct order out loud. This is then carried on +1 till P’s can’t recall correctly. found mean for digits 9.3 and for letters 7.3.

Question 6

briefly explain span of memory band chunking.

Answer 6

Miller noted things come in 7’s e.g. 7 days of the week. Suggests span for STM is 7 +/- 2. Also people can recall 5 words as well as 5 letters by chunking.

Question 7

Who did research on duration?

Answer 7

Margret and Lloyd Peterson (1959) STM
Harry Bahrick (1975) LTM

Question 8

Briefly explain study of duration of STM.

Answer 8

24 undergrad students, each took part in 8 trials. Each given a consonant syllable (YCG) and a 3-digit number and asked to count backwards to prevent rehearsal of the consonant syllable. Stop after 3,6,9,12 + secs. STM short unless rehearsed,

Question 9

Briefly explain study of duration on LTM.

Answer 9

392 p’s aged 17-74. High school year books used for each p’s school. recall tested by photo recognition and free recall of names.

Question 10

what was the finding on duration of LTM study?

Answer 10

15 years 90% photo and 60% free recall, 48 years 70% photo and 30% free recall accuracy.

Question 11

coding evaluation - artificial stimuli

Answer 11

word lists had no meaning to P’s. Hard to generalise findings. If more meaningful P’s may use semantic for STM = limited application.

Question 12

Capacity evaluation - lacking validity

Answer 12

Conducted a long time ago and lacked control, P’s may have been distracted, might not be valid because of confounding variables. results confirmed in other study supporting validity.

Question 13

capacity evaluation - not so many chunks

Answer 13

Miller may have overestimated capacity of STM. Cowan (2001) other research = 4 chunks. 5 items more appropriate than 7.

Question 14

Duration evaluation - meaningless stimuli in STM study.

Answer 14

peterson x2 = artificial material. Memorising consonants not done in real life. Lacks external validity. However we do memorise phone numbers so not totally irrelevant.

Question 15

Duration evaluation - Higher external validity

Answer 15

(strength) Real-life memories studied, when they were meaningless pictures recall was lower (shepard 1967). However confounding variables not controlled, may have rehearsed memory looking at yearbook.

Question 16

Briefly explain the sensory register in the MSM

Answer 16

The 5 senses. There are 2 main stores iconic (vision coded visually) and echoic (sound coded acoustically). Low duration and high capacity.

Question 17

Briefly explain short term memory in the MSM

Answer 17

Limited capacity store only holding 5-7 items at once and is coded acoustically.

Question 18

What is maintenance rehearsal?

Answer 18

repetition of a memory in the STM that when rehearsed for long enough passes to the LTM.

Question 19

Briefly explain long term memory in the MSM

Answer 19

Permanent memory store, capacity is unlimited and can last many years. (Bahrick’s study) Info is coded semantically.

Question 20

What is Retrieval?

Answer 20

when the memory is recalled back to the STM from the LTM.

Question 21

Evaluation of MSM - supporting research evidence

Answer 21

STM and LTM qualitatively different. Baddeley’s study of coding proves this. Clear that STM = acoustic and LTM = sematic therefore separate.

Question 22

Evaluation of MSM - more than one type of STM

Answer 22

Amnesia sufferers prove 2 types of STM. Shallice and Warrington = amnesia sufferer KF could recall digits if read himself meaning a non-verbal store for noises = 2 stores.

Question 23

Evaluation of MSM - more than one type of rehearsal

Answer 23

Craik + Watkins prove rehearsal wrong. what matters is type of rehearsal not how much. One rehearsal just for STM = maintenance and to LTM = elaborative.

Question 24

Two other evaluation for MSM

Answer 24

Artificial studies and use WMM!

Question 25

Who proposed the different types of LTM?

Answer 25

Endel Tulving (1985)

Question 26

Briefly explain Episodic memory.

Answer 26

The LTM that holds information on events that happened in our personal lives e.g. the last gig you went to. Time-stamped and conscious.

Question 27

Briefly explain the semantic memory.

Answer 27

The LTM that hold information about general knowledge e.g. what a panda looks like. Not time-stamped, recalled deliberately.

Question 28

Briefly explain the procedural memory.

Answer 28

The LTM of actions and skills done unconsciously, it just happens e.g. driving a car, you don’t have to think about it, it just happens.

Question 29

Evaluation of LTM - clinical evidence

Answer 29

Henry moliason and clive wearing, episodic memory destroyed, sematic and procedural =fine still knew meanings of words and how to tie their shoelace.

Question 30

Evaluation of LTM - Neuroimaging evidence

Answer 30

Brain scan on places LTM’s were stored. Tulving P’s many memory tasks whilst scanned using PET scanner. Episodic and procedural = right prefrontal cortex. Good validity as physical evidence.

Question 31

Evaluation of LTM - Real-life application

Answer 31

Allows psychologists help better memory for people. Belleville et al (2006) episodic improved old people with mild cognitive impairment, trained = better than control group, treatments can be developed.

Question 32

Two other evaluation of LTM

Answer 32

Clinical studies have lack of control of variables and some argue semantic and episodic are one LTM (declarative memory).

Question 33

What are the 4 main components of the WMM?

Answer 33

Central executive
Phonological loop
Visuo-spacial sketchpad
Episodic Buffer

Question 34

What is the central executive?

Answer 34

Coordinates activities of the three subsystems and allocates resources to them. (like Lord sugar)

Question 35

What is the phonological loop?

Answer 35

Deals with auditory info (coding is acoustic). Subdivided into phonological store and articulatory process ( allows maintenance rehearsal).

Question 36

What is the Visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 36

Processes visual and spatial info in a mental space called our ‘inner eye’. Capacity 3-4 secs (baddeley). Subdivided (Logie 1995) visual cache and the inner scribe (arrangement of objects.

Question 37

What is the Episodic buffer?

Answer 37

Added in 2000. Brings together info from other subsystems into a single memory, capacity of 4 chunks. Acts as a bridge between WM and LTM.

Question 38

Evaluation WMM - clinical evidence

Answer 38

Shallice and warrington study of KF, difficulty with sounds but could recall letters and digits. Phonological loop damaged, others intact. However, not as reliable as they unique cases suffered trauma.