Memory Models Flashcards
What are the 4 explanations of memory
Working memory model
Multi store memory model
Tulvings long term memory
Reconstructive memory
What are the three components of memory in the MSMM
Sensory register
Short Term Memory
Long Term Memory
Describe the role of the sensory register
And the duration etc
Receives all of the information from the senses and then filters out the irrelevant information and the relevant information is focussed on and attended to via attention
Short duration, large store, modality specific passes information to the short term memory
Describe the short term memory store
It receives information from the short term sensory store
If the information is rehearsed via the rehearsal loop it is encoded into LTM
If it is not rehearsed it is discarded
18-30 seconds
5-9 items
Describe LTM
Info is encoded into LTM from STM and when it is need a process of retrieval occurs
It is a store with an unlimited capacity and an unlimited duration and it is semantically organised
What is evidence to show that LTM and STM are separate stores and why
Clive wearing
Suffered damage to his hippocampus, unable to make new LT memories but was able to utilise his STM
How is Clive Wearing also evidence to show a weakness of MSMM
He was able to remember to play the piano as he was in an orchestra when he was younger, potentially suggesting that there are separate stores to LTM
What does the serial position effect (primacy-regency) show
People remember words at the start of the list and end of a list better, as the info at the start is rehearsed more via the rehearsal loop and the info at the end has just been processed in STM
What is encoding
The movement of information from STM to LTM
What is retrieval
The movement of information from LTM to STM
How does Henry molaison support the idea that encoding and retrieval are two separate processes
He was able to remember old memories such as a holiday from when he was 13 (retrieval) but unable to store new memories (encoding)
What are the three components of WMM
Central executive
Phonological loop
Visuo spatial sketchpad
What are the two parts of the phonological loop
Phonological store - allows the individual to process new information (inner ear)
Articulatory rehearsal system - processes the information that’s just been said (inner voice)
Allowing an individual to make sense of a conversation
What is the role of the central executive
Plays a supervisory role in STM and acts as a little homonculous, it receives information from the sensory register and relays it to the relevant slave system
What is the role of the visuo spatial sketchpad
Slave system that deals with visual and spatial in information, effectively it is putting yourself in context to the world around you
What is the episodic buffer?
A proposed limited capacity storage system that can integrate information into and receive information from LTM
Why was the episodic buffer added?
Due to criticisms that the model received, for example, the issue that we could store a limited number of word sequences in the phonological loop but could store longer sentence sequences
What was Williams syndrome evidence for
A rare condition where individuals show normal language ability but impaired visuo spatial sketchpad ability.
Supporting the idea that the phonological loop and visuo spatial sketchpad are seperate
What is the testability like of WMM
As this is a model of memory, it has issues with testability as you cannot directly assess if something is there or not
We may be able to assess whether someone has issues with verbal or visual info through tests but we cannot physically see those processes going on in the brain
Who developed the long term explanation we have to learn about on this spec
Tulving (1972)
What are the two stores identified by tulving in LTM
Episodic
Semantic
Describe the semantic store of memory in LTM
Mental encyclopaedia
Independent of time referencing and input can be fragmentary
Learning is possible without actively focussing on the information
Memory trace is more robust and less susceptible to transformation
Describe the episodic store of memory in LTM
Mental diary
Time and context input in continuous
Retrieval uses cues (useful application for eye witness testimony)
Memory trace is less robust and so the memory is more susceptible to change
What does Tulvings LTM explanation build on
MSMM
What is Ostegaard evidence for in Tulvings explanation of LTM
It supports the idea that semantic memory and episodic memory are separate,
As the boy with brain damage was able to make educational progress and store new information in semantic memory but was unable to make memories about life events
However, Clive Wearing shows evidence for what?
Tulvings LTM
Evidence for procedural memory
Is it difficult to isolate the memory stores?
Yes,
When telling a story about a holiday for example it relies on facts about where the holiday was
However, episodic is perhaps more difficult to isolate than semantic
How does the interrelationship of the stores impact testability
It impacts testability as it is difficult to measure the stores in isolation
Who developed reconstructive memory and when?
Bartlett in 1932
What does reconstructive memory state
Memory is not a passive record but an active process of storing and reconstructing information
What is effort after meaning
Connecting a new stimulus to a knowledge or experience we already have, making it easier to store
What is active reconstruction
This is where we are asked to recall a memory and we actively reconstruct our schemes filling in the blanks with our social norms to make a coherent story
This can lead to memory distortions
What are factors that effect the way we store information
Our perception of the event
And our stereotypes
How can perception effect memory
Perception is impacted by an individuals interpretation of what they see or hear
Can be effected by mood/experience etc
What is a schema
A parcel of stored information about an event
Where has Reconstructive memory had applications and why
Legal system, specifically eye witness testimony
Do bartletts findings have good or bad testability
Bad,
Difficult to see the process of active reconstruction happening etc
How does Allport and Postman (1947) provide evidence to suggest that perception and our stereotypes effect memory
Scruffily dressed white man holding blade to black man
Was changed to scruffily dressed black man holding blade to white man
Suggesting stereotypes altered memory
How does War of the Ghosts provide evidence about effort after meaning
When pottier to recite War of the Ghosts
It was often half as long and specific language was changed to fit the norms of their society, such as canoe was changed to boat
Suggesting that the war of the Ghosts story was stored alongside similar info, but minor difference caused the language to change
