Memory: Models of memory Flashcards
Define coding
The format in which information is stored
Define capacity
The amount of information that can be held.
Define duration
The length of time information can be held for
What is acoustic coding?
Coding in sound form
What is semantic coding?
Coding in meaning form
What psychologist done research on capacity of STM?
Digit span Jacobs
Explain the procedure of Digit Span Jacobs research on capacity of STM:
1) Gave participants a set of digits
2) Asks participants to recall digits in correct order
3) Add digit each time they get the order correct.
How can we improve the capacity of our STM?
Chunking
Findings of Digit Span Jacobs research on capacity:
STM holds 5 to 9 digits on average
What psychologist done research on coding?
Baddeley
Explain the procedure of Baddeley’s research on coding:
1) Gave different lists of words to 4 groups to remember
2) Ps had to recall the words either immediately (STM) or after 20 minutes (LTM).
Findings of Baddeley’s research on coding:
STM is coded for acoustically
LTM is coded for semantically
What psychologist done research on duration of STM?
Peterson and Peterson
Explain the procedure of Peterson and Peterson’s research on duration of STM:
- 24 students were given trigrams and a 3 digit number to remember.
- Students counted back from 3 digit number until they were told to stop at either: 3s, 6s, 9s, 12s, 15s, 18s
What were the findings of Peterson and Peterson’s research on duration of STM:
- After 3 seconds = 80% Ps could remember trigram
- After 9 seconds = 20% Ps could remember trigram
- After 18 seconds = 3% Ps could remember trigram
Duration of STM is limited to 18 seconds.
What psychologist done research on duration of LTM?
Bahrick
Explain the procedure of Bahrick’s research on the duration of LTM:
1) 392 American Ps aged 17 to 24 had to take part in either a photo recognition test or a free recall test to name their highschool classmates
What were the findings of Bahrick’s research on duration of LTM?
Photo recognition test within 15 years = 90% accurate
Photo recognition test after 48 years = 70% accurate
Free recall test within 15 years = 60% accurate
Free recall test after 48 years = 30% accurate
LTM can last for a lifetime.
Give 1 limitation of Baddely’s research on coding:
The stimulus material was artificial and therefore the study does not reflect real life memory activities.
Give 1 limitation of Peterson and Peterson’s research on duration of STM:
The word lists had no personal meanings to the Ps and therefore do not reflect real life tasks making the findings hard to generalise.
Give 1 limitation of Digit Span Jacobs research on capacity of STM:
The study was done a long time ago when experiments were less well controlled and this could lead to confounding variables influencing the results.
Give 1 limitation of Bahrick’s research on capacity of LTM:
The study tests real life meaningful memories. This means it is easier to generalise but may be less well controlled.
Who produced the multi-store model of memory?
Atkinson and Shiffrin
What does the multi-store model of memory suggest?
Memory is made up of 3 stores linked by processing.
What is the sensory register?
A store that holds information for a very short time while we process it.
Name the 4 evaluation points for the multi-store model of memory and if they are a strength or a limitation:
1) Strength = Research evidence
2) Strength = HM case study
3) Limitation = KF case study
Explain the HM case study:
- HM’s hippocampus was removed
- Was unable to form new long-term memories, but could perform short-term memory tasks, including retrieving old long-term memories
Explain how research evidence is a strength for the multi-store model:
- Shows STM and LTM are separate and independent stores.
- Baddeley found that we tend to mix up words that sound similar when we are using our STMs, but mix up words with similar meanings when we use our LTM
- STM is acoustic, LTM is semantic
Explain how the KF case study is a limitation for the multi-store model:
- MSM states STM is one unitary store - KF disproves that
- KF’s STM for digits read out to him was poor, but much better when he was able to read the digits himself.
- Shows that there must be one STM store to process visual information, and one to process auditory information.
Explain how the HM case study is a strength for the multi-store model:
- States that the STM and LTM are separate stores.
- HM’s hippocampus was removed
- HM was unable to form new long-term memories, but could perform short-term memory tasks, including retrieving old long-term memories
Name the three types of LTM:
- Episodic
- Semantic
- Procedural
What is episodic LTM?
- LTM store for personal events.
- Includes memories of when events occurred and the people involved.
- Memories have to be retrieved consciously and with effort.
What is semantic LTM?
- LTM store for our knowledge of the world
- Includes facts and knowledge of what words and concepts mean
- Memories have to be retrieved consciously and with effort,
What is procedural LTM?
- LTM store for our knowledge of how to physically do things.
- Memories are retrieved unconsciously and without effort.
Give an example of episodic LTM:
First day at school.
Give an example of semantic LTM:
Everything you know about dinosaurs.
Give an example of procedural LTM:
How to ride a bike.
Name the 3 evaluation points that support the idea that there are 3 types of LTM and if they are a strength or limitation:
- Clive Wearing case study = strength
- Neuroimaging evidence = strength
- Real-life application = strength
Explain how the Clive Wearing case study is a strength for the idea that there are 3 types of LTM:
- Clive Wearing had anterograde amnesia
- Unable to recall previous memories, but semantic memories were intact
- One LTM store can be damaged while the other stores are unaffected
Explain how neuroimaging is a strength for the idea that there are 3 types of LTM:
- Brain scan studies show that different types of memory are stored in different parts of the brain
- Tulving at el had participants in PET scanners to do various activities.
- Found that Episodic memories were recalled from left-prefrontal cortex, and semantic memories from right pre-frontal cortex.
Explain how real-life application is a strength for the idea that there are 3 types of LTM:
- Allows psychologists to target specific memory stores.
- Belleville et al demonstrated that episodic memories could be improved in older people who had a mild cognitive impairment.
- Enables specific treatments to be developed to benefit people
What does the working-memory model show?
Representation of how different types of information is processed using systems coordinated by the central decision-making system.
Who produced the working-memory model?
Baddeley and Hitch
What is the role of the central executive?
Co-ordinates the activities of the 3 sub-systems
What is the role of the phonological loop?
Processes information into two stores:
- Phonological = primary acoustic (sound) store
- Articulatory = subvocal recognition
What is the role of the visio-spacial sketchpad?
Stores visual and spacial information as mental pictures into two stores:
- Visual cache
- Inner scribe
What is the role of the episodic buffer?
Multi modal store that stores information from all 5 senses.
What is the role of the long term memory in the working memory model?
Allows episodic memories to be stored.
What is the working memory part in the working memory model?
Short term memory.
Name the 3 evaluation points for the working memory model and if they are strengths or limitations:
1) Dual Task Test (Baddeley) = Strength
2) Neuroimagery = Strength
3) KF case study = Strength
Explain the strength of the dual task test by Baddeley as a strength of the working memory model:
- Supports the idea that we have seperate working memory stores for verbal and visual information.
- Baddeley found that Ps found it harder to do two visual tasks simultaneously than to do a verbal and visual task simultaneously.
Explain the strength of neuroimagery as a strength of the working memory model:
- Suggests that there are different verbal and visual information stores in the working memory.
-When Ps completed tasks using the central executive there was greater activity in the pre-frontal cortex.
Explain the strength of the KF case study as a strength of the working memory model:
- KF supports the idea that there are multiple and separate stores of information.
- After experiencing brain damage KF had poor STM ability for recalling digits that were read out but was able to recall more digits when he read them himself.
