Models Of Memory Flashcards
Capacity is…
How much information can be held in memory at any one time. It can be enhanced by chunking (miller)
Duration is…
How long a memory lasts before it is no longer available
Encoding is…
The way information is changed so that it can be stored in memory. It can be either semantic, acoustic or visual.
Weaknesses and limitations of the multi-store model are that…
- It oversimplifies memory structures and processes
- describes LTM as a single store, whereas evidence from amnesia patients indicates there are different kinds of LTM
Strengths of the multi-store model of memory are that…
- it provides an account of memory in terms of both process and structure
- has clear predictions about memory, which means psychologists can conduct studies to test it
- there is strong evidence of 3 qualitatively different stores. This suggests that the basis of MSM is sound.
Short term memory has a duration, encoding and capacity of…
Duration = about 30 seconds
Capacity = 7+-2 chunks of information
Encoding = acoustic and visual
Long term memory has a duration, encoding and capacity of…
Duration = from a few hours to a lifetime
Capacity = potentially unlimited
Encoding = semantic
Peterson & Peterson (1959) conducted a study of duration in STM using nonsense trigrams. They found that when…
Participants were asked to recall a nonsense syllable after a retention interval, they remembered 90% when there was a 3-second interval, and about 2% for the 18-second interval
Baddeley (1966) conducted a study of encoding in LTM and found that..
Participants performed least well on the list with words of similar meaning. They concluded that this was because LTM codes for meaning (semantically).
Briefly describe the working memory model..
It is comprised of; the central executive which controls the subsidiary slave systems. the phonological loop which controls auditory functions (phonological store - inner ear), and allows for rehearsal (articulatory process - inner voice). The visuo spatial sketchpad (inner eye) stores visual and spatial information - it allows us to form mental schema’s. Episodic buffer is temporary store for visual, spatial and auditory info
Weaknesses of the working memory model..
- The component we know least about (central executive) is most important. Has limited capacity but no one has been able to quantify it experimentally
- does not explain how we deal with information from smell and touch senses
Strengths of working memory model…
- influential. Has stimulated research
- has practical applications > important in developing our understanding of dyslexia
- can account for individual differences in memory ability
- explains research findings better than the MSM
Baddeley (1966) - study of encoding in long term memory
List of words 1)sound similar 2)don’t sound similar 3)mean the same 4)don’t mean the same.
Presented 10 words from each list to participants, prevented rehearsal. Recall tested after 20 mins
Findings: participants performed least well with words of similar meaning. This is because LTM uses semantic encoding
