Memory Unit 3

Question 1

Name the 3 levels of memory

Answer 1

• Sensory Memory
• Short Term Memory
• Long Term Memory

Question 2

What name is given to the conversion of a memory into a form that the brain can process and store ?

Answer 2

Encoding

Question 3

What name is given to the retention of information over a period of time in the brain ?

Answer 3

Storage

Question 4

What name is given to the recovery of a memory from the short and long term memory that has been stored ?

Answer 4

Retrieval

Question 5

How long do things remain in the sensory memory for ?

Answer 5

0.5 seconds for visual images and 2 seconds for auditory information

Question 6

How many items can the short term memory hold and for how long ?

Answer 6

7 items for 30 seconds

Question 7

After items enter the short term memory, if they are not transferred to long term memory, what happens to them ?

Answer 7

They are either displaced by new information coming in or lost by decay where they are just broken down

Question 8

What name is given to the process by which a longer bit of information is split up into smaller meaningful units in order to increase the capacity of the short term memory ?

Answer 8

Chunking

Question 9

What name is given to the memory pattern whereby individuals can remember things at the start of the list and the end of a list of items ?

Answer 9

Serial Position Effect

Question 10

What name is given to the ability to recall items at the end of a list during a test for the serial position effect ?

Answer 10

Recency Effect

Question 11

What name is given to the ability to recall items at the start of the list during a test for the serial position effect ?

Answer 11

Primacy effect

Question 12

Why is it that things at the start of the list can be remembered when investigating the serial position effect ?

Answer 12

The items have been rehearsed and have had time to be transferred to long term memory

Question 13

Why is it that things at the end of the list can be remembered when investigating the serial position effect ?

Answer 13

The items are still in short term memory when you are asked to recall them because they are at the end of the list

Question 14

What name is given to the ability of the short term memory to perform cognitive tasks such as imaging each of the rooms in your house and counting the number of windows in them to get an overall number of windows in the house ?

Answer 14

Working memory

Question 15

What are the three ways in which items from short-term memory can be committed to long-term memory ?

Answer 15

• Rehearsal
• Organisation
• Elaboration of meaning

Question 16

What can a person do to increase the time that an item stays in short term memory as otherwise it would keep getting lost after 30 seconds ?

Answer 16

Rehearsal (by saying over and over it keeps coming back into short term memory)

Question 17

What is rehearsal ?

Answer 17

Repeating an item to yourself over and over again either out loud or silently to try and memorise it

Question 18

What is organisation ?

Answer 18

Trying to organise a long list of items into logical categories

Question 19

What is elaboration of meaning ?

Answer 19

It involves analysing the meaning of the items to be memorised and taking note of its features. This means the item will have more interest and make more of an impression that it’s likely to be retained

Question 20

Which form of encoding is classed as a shallow form of encoding and is less likely to be easily retrieved from long term memory later ?

Answer 20

Rehearsal

Question 21

Which form of encoding is classed as a deeper form of encoding and is more likely to be easily retrieved from long term memory later ?

Answer 21

Elaboration of meaning

Question 22

What can help when trying to recall a memory from LTM ?

Answer 22

Contextual cues

Question 23

What is a contextual cue ?

Answer 23

A reminder of the memory - something that was present at the time the memory was first encoded

Question 24

Give an example of something which could act as a contextual cue ?

Answer 24

A piece of music or a smell