memory advanced information Flashcards
what is the multi store model of memory
Representation of how memory works with three stores. Sensory register, Short term memory and long term memory.
Also describes how memory is transferred, remembered and forgotten.
what is the sensory register
Stores stimulus from the environment. Small duration and high capacity.
It is made up of two main stores. Iconic memory which stores visual information coded visually and the Echoic memory holds auditory information coded acoustically.
what is the short term memory store
Capacity on average between 5 and 9. Information is coded acoustically and lasts 30 seconds unless it is rehearsed.
Maintenance rehearsal keeps memories in a short term memory until they can pass into long term memory.
what is long term memory
Capacity is believed to be unlimited and duration is thought to be many years. Seems to be coded semantically. Information recalled is done so through retrieval.
what are the strengths of the multi-store model of memory
Supporting research. Baddeley found that Short term memory was coded acoustically and long term memory was coded semantically. This supports the idea there different memory stores.
Case studies HM hippocampus removed. HM was unable to transfer memory to his Long term but was able retrieve information before surgery. This supports the idea of different stores with different processes.
what are the limitations of the multi-store model of memory
Methodological issues with supporting research. Many studies involved trying to remember meaningless information like random numbers. This is not representative of real life memory situations. Therefore may lack external validity.
Overly simplistic. We may have different long term memory stores for information such as how to ride a bike or memories of people. Therefore multi-store model may not take into account different types of long term memory.
what is the working memory model
Explanation of how short term memory is organised and how it functions. Made up of three slave systems: The phonological loop, episodic buffer and visuo-spatial sketchpad. All controlled by the central executive.
what is the visuo-spatial sketchpad
Processes visual and spatial information.
Divided into the visual cache which stores information about visual items and the inner scribe which deals with arrangement of objects.
what is the episodic buffer
Temporary store for from other systems to bring material into a single memory. Bridge between working memory and long term memory.
what is the phonological loop
Processes information in terms of sound including spoken and written material.
Subdivided into the phonological store which holds words you hear and the articulatory process which allows for rehearsal of information.
what is the central executive
Directs the brains resources to one of the three slave systems.
what are the limitations of the working memory model
Lack of clarity over the the central executive. Central executive is the most important but least understood component of working memory model. Needs to be more clearly specified. Therefore WMM isn’t fully understood.
what is a strength with a counter of the working memory model
Case study. KF had brain damage causing poor STM for verbal information but could process visual information. This suggests the phonological loop had been damaged but VSS was intact. Supports idea they’re different stores. However evidence from brain damaged patients may be unreliable due to their unique conditions. This lowers the external validity and prevents findings being generalised.
what is a strength of the working memory model
Supporting research. Baddeley found pps had more difficulty doing two visual tasks rather than a visual and verbal task at the same time. This is due to the same slave system being competed for when doing two visual tasks. Therefore must be separate slave systems.
what is the cognitive interview
A method of interviewing eye witnesses in a way to help them be more accurate. There are four features: report everything, reinstate the context, reverse the order and change the perspective.
what is report everything in the eyewitness testimony
Witnesses are encouraged to include every detail of the event no matter how trivial as they may trigger other memories.
what is reinstate the context in the eyewitness testimony
Witness should return to the scene of the crime in their mind and imagine the environment and how they were feeling at the time.
what is reverse the order in the eyewitness testimony
Events should be recalled in a different chronological order. This prevents expectations interfering and lying occurring.
what is change perspective in the eye witness testimony
Witness recalls events from other people’s perspectives. This is done to disrupt effect of schema on recall which reduces accuracy.
what are the strengths of the enhanced cognitive interview
Research support. Meta analysis by kohnken found in 50 studies the enhanced CI provided more accurate information than the standard interview used by police. Indicates the enhanced CI has real world application helping catch criminals. Therefore helping society as a whole.
what is the enhanced cognitive interview
Developed by Fisher in 1987. Adds things such as when to make eye contact and how to reduce anxiety and distractions and asking open-ended questions.
what are the limitations of the cognitive interview
Time consuming. CI is much more time consuming then a standard police interview and it requires special training for police. Therefore police only are sometimes taught it for a few hours. This could explain why some police have found it ineffective.
Hard to measure how successful it is. Studies of effectiveness look at slight variations of the CI or the enhanced CI due to police forces adapting them differently. This makes it hard to measure if the standard CI is actually beneficial.
Some elements may be more valuable. Milne and Bull found reinstate the context and report everything produced better recall than other conditions
what is a strength of the cognitive interview
Some elements may be more valuable. Milne and Bull found reinstate the context and report everything produced better recall than other conditions. This is a strength because it encourages use of these elements in police interviews. This in turn increases the credibility of the cognitive interview.
what is a limitation of the enhanced cognitive interview
Time consuming. Learning special techniques and carrying out the interview takes a lot of time but police don’t have enough time to learn it. Therefore they may not carry it out correctly which limits how useful it is.
