Memory - Paper 1

Question 1

What is coding?

Answer 1

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

Question 2

What is capacity?

Answer 2

The amount of info that can be held in a memory store at a given time

Question 3

What is duration?

Answer 3

The lengths of time info can be held in a memory store.

Question 4

What is the multi-store model of memory?

Answer 4

Developed by Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968)

Model representation of how memory works using 3 stores- sensory register, long-term memory and short-term memory

Question 5

What is the sensory register? (SR)

Answer 5

Info from our senses stored here
Includes any stimulus from environment eg. sounds, sights and smells
2 main stores are echoic and iconic memory
Echoic is auditory so info coded acoustically
Iconic is visual info so oded visually
Has a high capacity
Not all info goes through to stm, if you pay attention to it then it will pass through
Duration less than 1/2 second

Question 6

What is short term memory?

Answer 6

The limited capacity memory store 18
Coding mainly acoustic
Capacity between 5-9 items on average
Duration is between 18 and 30 seconds
Maintenance rehersal helps retain info in STM
Prolonged maintenance rehersal allows info to pass to LTM

Question 7

What is long term memory?

Answer 7

Potentially permanent memory store for info that has been rehersed
Unlimited capacity and duration
Can store memories for up to a lifetime
Coding mainly semantic
Use retrieval to recall memory back from LTM to STM

Anything lasting longer than 30 seconds
Implicit- cannot be consciously recalled
Explicit-can be inspected and consciously recalled
Tulving criticised MSM for being too simplistic, proposed idea of 3 types of LTM

Question 8

What does the multi-story memory model look like?

Answer 8

Question 9

What is episodic memory?

Answer 9

Any events that can be reported from a person’s life, a “diary” of memories
Very complex and time-stamped (know when it happened/ when it was made)
It is explicit
Eg- cinema trips, favourite christmas

Question 10

What is semantic memory?

Answer 10

Conscious recall of facts that have meaning as opposed to our own life events.
Stores knowledge of world
It is explicit
Eg- types of animals, capital cities, meanings of words.

Question 11

What is procedural memory?

Answer 11

Implicit knowledge of tasks that usually don’t require conscious recall to perform them
For actions and skills and now we do them
Eg-walking, talking

Question 12

What is the working memory model?

Answer 12

A representation of STM that suggests STM is a dynamic processor of different types of info using sub-units coordinated by a central decision-making system

Question 13

Which model is the working memory model trying to improve ?

Answer 13

Developed by Baddeley and Hitch (1974)
Focuses specifically on workings of STM
Developed in response to criticism of multi store model of memory which was over-simplified
WMM composed of 4 main components, each have different coding and capacities.

Question 14

What is the central executive?

Answer 14

Manages attention and controls info to and from 3 “slave stores”
Processes info in all sensory forms but only able to deal with one strand of info at a time
Very limited capacity
Also deals with cognitive tastes- arithmetic and problem solving

Question 15

What is the phonological loop?

Answer 15

One of the slave systems
Deals with auditory info, coding is acoustic
Preserves info in order which it arrives
Capacity is 2 seconds worth of what you can say

Question 16

What is the articulatory process in the phonological loop

Answer 16

Inner voice of language, any language presented visually that’s converted into phonological state.
Allows maintenance rehersal
Allows you to repeat sounds in a loop to keep them in working memory

Question 17

What is the phonological store in the phonological loop?

Answer 17

Inner ear, holds auditory speech info and in the order in which it was heard
Includes any visually presented language that is converted articulatory process
Stores/keeps the words you hear

Question 18

What is the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 18

2nd slave store, stores and processes visual and/or spatial info when required
Capacity of around 3-4 objects at one time.
Visual cache- stores visual info on form and colour
Inner scribe- deals with spatial relationship and arrangement of objects

Question 19

What is the episodic buffer?

Answer 19

3rd slave system, late addition by Baddeley in 2000
Facilitates communication between components and long-term memory
Can be seen as a storage component of the central executive, however only has limited capacity of 4 chunks
Coding is modality free like central executive

Question 20

What does the working memory model look like?

Answer 20

Question 21

What is interference?

Answer 21

An explanation of forgetting in LTM which states that forgetting occurs because memories interfere with and disrupt one another.
Occurs because of interference from other memories.

Question 22

What is proactive interference?

Answer 22

Forgetting occurs when older memories, already stored, disrupt the recall of newer memories.
“Pro “- working forward degree of forgetting greater when memories are similar.
Eg: - teacher can’t remember new names as previously learnt too many.

Question 23

What is retroactive interference ?

Answer 23

Occurs when newer memories disrupt recall of older memories, already stored.
“Retro” - working backwards .
Degree of forgetting again greater when memories are similar.
Eg :- teacher forgets names of previous students because she’s remembered names of her new class .

Question 24

What is retrieval failure?

Answer 24

Form of forgetting.
Occurs when we don’t have the necessary cues to access memory.
Memory is available but not accessible unless a suitable cue is provided

Question 25

What is the encoding specifity principle (ESP)?

Answer 25

Tulving (1983) reviewed research into retrieval failure and found consistent pattern to findings.
It cue is needed to help recall information, must be present at encoding (learning) and present at retrieval (recalling).

Question 26

What was included in the study by McGeogh and McDonald (1931) about interference as an explanation of forgetting?

Answer 26

Aim - to find out if interference is worse whem memories are similar
Procedure - participants to learn list 1 to 100% accuracy
- then asked to learn list 2
- 6 groups with different list 2
1. Synonyms
2. Antonyms
3. Unrelated words
4. Nonsense syllables
5. Three digit numbers
6. No list just rest
- they were then asked to recall original list 1
Findings - performace of recall of list 1 depended on nature of list 2. Most similar material produced worst recall
Conclusion - when memories are similar, interference is worse.