Memory Flashcards
Coding
Format in which information is stored in various memory stores.
Capacity
The amount of info that can be held in a store
Duration
Length of time info can be stored
Research on coding: BADDELEY
STM Recall - Worse with acoustically similar words (cat, car, cab)
LTM Recall - Worse with semantically similar words (large, huge, big)
Suggests info in the LTM is coded semantically
Research on Capacity: JACOBS
Digit span - found mean span for Digits = 9.3
Letters = 7.3
Research duration: PETERSON
Found STM duration = very short unless rehearsal occurs
LTM duration = very long time
BAHRICK - year books
Evaluation coding
BADDELEY
- Artificial stimuli
- No personal meanings
- Limited application
Evaluation capacity
JACOBS - Lack validity Long time ago Lack adequate controls \+ Has supporting research supporting its validity
Evaluation Duration
BAHRICK
+ Meaningful memories studied
- Lack control of confounding variables (could’ve recently looked through year book)
Multi-store model
Describes how info flows through memory system
Sensory memory / register Iconic Echoic High capacity Unattended info is lost
Attention
STM Maintenance - rehearsal loop 30 secs 5 items Limited capacity
Encoding (
Evaluation multi-store model: Supporting research
Supported by research that shows STM/LTM are qualitatively different
BADDELEY’s study support MSM view that these 2 memory stores are separate
Evaluation multi-store model: More than 1 type of STM
- People suffering with amnesia, studies on KF showed there could be a STM store for non-verbal sounds. His recall when he read the digits was better than if someone read them aloud
The unitary STM limitation of MSM as there must be separate STM stores to process info
Evaluation multi-store model: More than 1 type of LTM
LTM may not be a unitary store
We have 1 LTM for memories of world/facts
1 store for procedural memory
Episodic Memory
LTM for personal memories eg. meeting friends, movies watched
Time stamped
Retrieved consciously with effort
Semantic Memory
Knowledge of the world, facts, words, meaning of concepts
Not time stamped
Recalled deliberately
Procedural memory
Knowledge how to do things
Learned skills eg. Driving a car
Unconsciously recalled
Little effort
Evaluation types of LTM: Clive Wearing
+ Clinical evidence
Clover Wearing - impaired episodic memory but good semantic memory
Supports TULVINGS view of different memory stores and types of memories
Evaluation types of LTM: Neuroimaging Evidence
Pet scans showed episodic and semantic active in prefrontal cortex
Episodic - right
Semantic - left
Supports the view that there is physical reality to the different types of LTM
High validity
Evaluation types of LTM: Real Life Application
Allows psychologists to target certain kinds of memory to better lives. Episodic memory is most affected by cognitive impairment which highlights the benefit to being able to distinguish between LTM - specific treatments can be developed
Explanations for forgetting: Interference Theory
Some forgetting is due to inference that conflicts info leads to distortion of memories
Interference makes it harder to locate LTM’s
Proactive Interference
Old memories interfere with new ones
Retroactive Interference
New memories interfere with old ones
Interference Theory: Effects of Similarity
MCDONALD
Studied retroactive Interference by changing similarity of works
Most similar words = worst recall
Shows interferences is strongest with similar memories
Evaluation Interference theory: Lab Studies
MCDONALDS research
Lab studies control effects of confounding variables. Valid Explanations
Evaluation Interference theory: Artificial material
Greater chance of interference would be demonstrated in the lab than everyday life.
Different to things we have to remember eg. birthdays/ names instead of synonyms
Limitation may not be as important in everyday life
The Working Memory Model
An explanation of how one aspect of STM is organised and how it functions
WMM: Central Executive
Co-ordinates the activities of the 3 subsystems in memory. Allocated processing resources to those activities.
WMM: Phonological Loop
Processes information in terms of sound.
Phonological store
Articulatory process
Explanations for forgetting: Retrieval Failure Theory
Encoding specificity principle
If a cue helps us recall information it has to be present at encoding and at retrieval.
If cues are different at encoding and retrieval there will be some forgetting
Explanations for forgetting: Context-dependant forgetting
GODDEN & BADDELEY In 2 conditions the environment matched In the other 2 they did not Accurate recall was 40% lower in the non-matching conditions. The external cues available at learning were different at retrieval Supports the explanation ESP
- Extreme environment
- doesn’t reflect normal everyday life
Explanations for forgetting: State-dependant forgetting
CARA & CASSADAY
In conditions where there was a mismatch for internal state at learning and recall the memory test was significantly worse . Supports ESP - date dependant forgetting
Context defendant forgetting
External cues
State dependent forgetting
Internal cues
Factors Affecting Eyewitness Testimony: Leading Questions
LOFTUS & PALMER
Watches film clips of car accidents and then gave them questions about the accident.
The verb ‘contacted’ had an average speed of 31.8 whereas ‘smashed’ had an average speed of 40.5mph
