Memory Flashcards
who did research on coding?
Alan Baddeley (1966)
In the coding research what were the 4 groups of words based on?
Acoustically similar/dissimilar
Semantically similar/dissimilar
what did the study on coding find?
acoustically similar words easier for sudden recall STM, semantically similar words easier after 20 minute interval = information coded semantically in LTM.
Who did research on capacity?
Joseph Jacobs (1887) - digit span George Miller (1956) - span of memory and chunking
briefly explain the digit span study.
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.
briefly explain span of memory band chunking.
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.
Who did research on duration?
Margret and Lloyd Peterson (1959) STM Harry Bahrick (1975) LTM
Briefly explain study of duration of STM.
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,
Briefly explain study of duration on LTM.
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.
what was the finding on duration of LTM study?
15 years 90% photo and 60% free recall, 48 years 70% photo and 30% free recall accuracy.
coding evaluation - artificial stimuli
word lists had no meaning to P’s. Hard to generalise findings. If more meaningful P’s may use semantic for STM = limited application.
Capacity evaluation - lacking validity
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.
capacity evaluation - not so many chunks
Miller may have overestimated capacity of STM. Cowan (2001) other research = 4 chunks. 5 items more appropriate than 7.
Duration evaluation - meaningless stimuli in STM study.
peterson x2 = artificial material. Memorising consonants not done in real life. Lacks external validity. However we do memorise phone numbers so not totally irrelevant.
Duration evaluation - Higher external validity
(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.
Briefly explain the sensory register in the MSM
The 5 senses. There are 2 main stores iconic (vision coded visually) and echoic (sound coded acoustically). Low duration and high capacity.
Briefly explain short term memory in the MSM
Limited capacity store only holding 5-7 items at once and is coded acoustically.
What is maintenance rehearsal?
repetition of a memory in the STM that when rehearsed for long enough passes to the LTM.
Briefly explain long term memory in the MSM
Permanent memory store, capacity is unlimited and can last many years. (Bahrick’s study) Info is coded semantically.
What is Retrieval?
when the memory is recalled back to the STM from the LTM.
Evaluation of MSM - supporting research evidence
STM and LTM qualitatively different. Baddeley’s study of coding proves this. Clear that STM = acoustic and LTM = sematic therefore separate.
Evaluation of MSM - more than one type of STM
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.
Evaluation of MSM - more than one type of rehearsal
Craik + Watkins prove rehearsal wrong. what matters is type of rehearsal not how much. One rehearsal just for STM = maintenance and to LTM = elaborative.
Two other evaluation for MSM
Artificial studies and use WMM!
Who proposed the different types of LTM?
Endel Tulving (1985)
Briefly explain Episodic memory.
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.
Briefly explain the semantic memory.
The LTM that hold information about general knowledge e.g. what a panda looks like. Not time-stamped, recalled deliberately.
Briefly explain the procedural memory.
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.
Evaluation of LTM - clinical evidence
Henry moliason and clive wearing, episodic memory destroyed, sematic and procedural =fine still knew meanings of words and how to tie their shoelace.
Evaluation of LTM - Neuroimaging evidence
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.
Evaluation of LTM - Real-life application
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.
Two other evaluation of LTM
Clinical studies have lack of control of variables and some argue semantic and episodic are one LTM (declarative memory).
What are the 4 main components of the WMM?
Central executive
Phonological loop
Visuo-spacial sketchpad
Episodic Buffer
What is the central executive?
Coordinates activities of the three subsystems and allocates resources to them. (like Lord sugar)
What is the phonological loop?
Deals with auditory info (coding is acoustic). Subdivided into phonological store and articulatory process ( allows maintenance rehearsal).
What is the Visuo-spatial sketchpad?
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.
What is the Episodic buffer?
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.
Evaluation WMM - clinical evidence
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.
