Memory Systems

Question 1

What is Episodic memory

Answer 1

• Describing an everyday event

Question 2

What is Semantic memory

Answer 2

• Retrieving word meanings

Question 3

What is Procedural memory

Answer 3

• Remembering how to complete a specific task
• Implicit memory
• Driving a car is an example

Question 4

What is sensory memory

Answer 4

• Remembering something from the environment such as the taste of a food

Question 5

What is working memory

Answer 5

• Processing temporary information (short term)

Question 6

Affects of procedural memory
Hayes and Foster (2002)

Answer 6

• Looked at serial reaction time
• Quicker reaction time when repeating task
• Even watching someone else doing the task can decrease the reaction time
• The reaction time was slower when the sequence was random

Question 7

The case of Clive Wearing

Answer 7

• herpes encephalitis caused his amnesia
• He had damage to his hippocampus
• His procedural memory is intact
• He also still has semantic memory
• He can recognise his wife
• Unable to form new episodic memories

Question 8

Why is memory a fundamental base for cognition

Answer 8

• Perception uses memory: recognition = sensory input +prior knowledge
• knowledge is when past experiences are stored

Cognitive psychology definition:
- Memory as a storehouse
- Memory as specific contents
- Memory as a process, or set processes; encoding, storage, retrieval and also forgetting

Question 9

Obedient memory

Answer 9

• When memory is working well
• For example, semantic memory generally is reliable

Question 10

Weak memory

Answer 10

• When memory is not working so well
• Facial recognition

Question 11

Tyrannic Memory

Answer 11

• Memory which controls us
• Phobias and fears

Question 12

Photographic memory (eidetic)

Answer 12

• memory without limit
  Stromeyer and Psotka (1970) said that Elizabeth - a Harvard student had photographic memory
• She could merge images seen on different day’s into 3D images (it was a dot pattern)
• Stromeyer than married Elizabeth and no one else could test her memory
  Merritt (1979) ‘none in a million’ - no participants found with eidetic memory.

Question 13

Spatial Memory test
Inoue & Matsuzawa, 2007

Answer 13

• Chimps outperform human participants in spatial memory test
• However, the chimpanzee wasn’t under time pressure and was able to practise unlike the human

Question 14

How do you measure forgetting

Answer 14

• Learn information
• Retention interval
• Test memory

Question 15

How do you measure forgetting

Answer 15

• Learn information
• Retention interval
• Test memory

Question 16

Ebbinghaus (1850-1909)

Answer 16

• Study memory without any meaning behind it
• For example, random letters of the alphabet
• This lead to the discovery of forgetting

Question 17

The method of saving

Answer 17

• This is states that when you repeat something for a second time and perform better then this is as a result of memory
• If it takes fewer attempts the second time to memorise information than first time, this is memory
  i.e. if it takes 10 attempts the first time then 5 attempts the second time. The saving is 50%

Question 18

What is forgetting function
Ebbinghaus (1850-1909)

Answer 18

• Forgetting is initially rapid but then slows down
• (Bahrick,1984) found that if you can remember something after 3 years, you are likely to still remember it after 30 years

Question 19

What is latent memory
Blodgett (1929): maze learning in rats

Answer 19

• Hungry rats
• The exit point had a food reward
• One group was rewarded every day and the other group wasn’t rewarded until 3rd day
• Group one had better performance than group two
• However when group two were rewarded, they immediately caught up with group 1
• Thus, group 2 did have memory of the maze but had no motivation to complete the maze without food
• Latent memory, not apparent unless in the correct condition or with the correct motivation