memory key terms

Question 1

coding

Answer 1

the format in which information is stored in the various memory stores.

Question 2

capacity

Answer 2

the amount of information that can be held in a memory store

Question 3

duration

Answer 3

the length of time information can be held in memory.

Question 4

short term memory

Answer 4

the limited capacity memory store. coding is mainly acoustic, capacity is between 5 and 9 and duration is around 18 and 30 seconds.

Question 5

long term memory

Answer 5

the permanent memory store. coding is mainly semantic it has unlimited capacity and can store memories for up to a lifetime.

Question 6

multi store model of memory

Answer 6

representation of how memory works in terms of three stores called sensory register, short term memory and long term memory. also explains how information is transferred from one store to another, how it is remembered and how it is forgotten.

Question 7

sensory register

Answer 7

memory stores for each of our 5 senses.coding in iconic is visual and coding in echoic is acoustic. capacity is huge and duration is less than a second.

Question 8

episodic memory

Answer 8

long term memory store for personal events. memories are time stamped. have to be retrieved consciously and with effort.

Question 9

semantic memory

Answer 9

long term memory store for our knowledge of the world. includes facts and what concepts mean. usually also needs to be recalled deliberately.

Question 10

procedural memory

Answer 10

long term memory store for our knowledge of how to do things. includes memories of learned skills. usually recall these without making a conscious effort.

Question 11

working memory model

Answer 11

representation of how stm works. suggests stm is a dynamic processor of different types of information using sub units coordinated by a central decision making system.

Question 12

central executive

Answer 12

coordinates the activity of the three subsystems of memory. allocates processing resources to those activities.

Question 13

phonological loop

Answer 13

processes information in terms of sound. includes bith written and spoken material divided into the phonological store and the articulatory process.

Question 14

visuo spatial sketchpad

Answer 14

processes visual and spatial information in a mental space often called our inner eye.

Question 15

episodic buffer

Answer 15

brings together material from other sub systems into a single memory rather than separate strands. also provides a bridge between working memory and long term memory.

Question 16

interference

Answer 16

forgetting because one memory blocks another, causing one or both memories to be distorted or forgotten.

Question 17

proactive interference

Answer 17

older memories disrupt the recall of newer memories. degree of forgetting is greater when the memories are similar.

Question 18

retroactive interference

Answer 18

newer memories disrupt the recall of older memories already stored. degree of forgetting is greater when memories are similar.

Question 19

retrieval failure

Answer 19

a form of forgetting. occurs when we dont have the necessary cues to to access memory. memory is available but not accessible unless a suitable cue is provided.

Question 20

cue

Answer 20

a trigger of information that allows us to access a memory. cues may be meaningful or may be indirectly linked by being encoded at the time of learning.

Question 21

eyewitness testimony

Answer 21

ability of people to remember to remember the details of events that they themselves have observed. accuracy can be affected by factors such as misleading information, leading questions and anxiety.

Question 22

misleading information

Answer 22

incorrect information given to the eyewitness usually after the event. can take many forms such as leading questions and post even discussions with co witness and or other people.

Question 23

leading question

Answer 23

a question which, because of the way it is phrased, suggests a certain answer.

Question 24

post event discussion

Answer 24

occurs when there is more than one witness to an event. witnesses may discuss what they saw with co witnesses or with other people. this could affect the accuracy of each eyewitnesses recall of an event.

Question 25

anxiety

Answer 25

state of emotional and physical arousal. emotions include having worried thoughts and feelings of tension. physical changes include increased heart rate and sweatiness. normal reaction but can affect the accuracy and detail of eyewitness testimony.

Question 26

cognitive interview

Answer 26

a method of interviewing eyewitnesses to help them retrieve more accurate memories. uses four main techniques all based on well established psychological knowledge of human memory.