P1 - Memory - Key studies & theories

Question 1

Explain Miller’s research into capacity

Answer 1

Used a serial recall task to determine STM capacity and found that most people could remember between 5-9 items (magic number 7)
Demonstrates capacity of STM

Question 2

Explain Peterson and Peterson’s research into duration

Answer 2

Found that 90% of participants could remember a 3-consonant trigram after 3 seconds, but only 2% could recall it after 18 seconds
Demonstrates duration of STM

Question 3

Explain Balrick’s research into duration

Answer 3

Investigated the duration of LTM by asking people to recall people from their high school. Even after 48 years, they scored 70% on photo recall
Demonstrates duration of LTM

Question 4

Explain Baddeley’s research into coding

Answer 4

Found that STM and LTM are coded differently - STM are coded acoustically and LTM coded semantically
Demonstrates coding in STM and LTM

Question 5

Explain Glanzer & Cunitz research into models of memory

Answer 5

Discovered the Serial Position Effect, where people are more likely to remember words at the beginning (primacy effect) and end (recency effect) of a list
Supports the MSM (STM and LTM are separate)

Question 6

Explain KF’s case study

Answer 6

Had a motorcycle accident and afterwards had a normal visual STM capacity, but an abnormally low verbal STM capacity
Contradicts MSM and Supports WMM (STM is multiple stores)

Question 7

Explain HM’s case study

Answer 7

Had his hippocampus removed and afterwards was unable to form new declarative memories (episodic and semantic), but able to form new procedural memories
Contradicts MSM and WMM (LTM is multiple stores)

Question 8

Explain Gathercole & Baddeley research into models of memory

Answer 8

Dual task technique. Found that we can do visual and verbal tasks simultaneously but not 2 visual tasks.
Contradicts MSM, Supports WMM (STM>1 store)

Question 9

Explain Underwood’s research into explanations of forgetting

Answer 9

Participants who memorised one list could recall 70% of it the next day, but if they memorised 10+ lists they only recalled 20%
Supports proactive interference

Question 10

Explain Muller’s research into explanations of forgetting

Answer 10

Recall of nonsense syllables was worse for participants given a distraction task during the retention interval
Supports retroactive interference

Question 11

Explain Godden & Baddely research into explanations of forgetting

Answer 11

Participants learnt word lists on ground or underwater (scuba). Recall was best if the conditions were the same as during learning - whether back on ground or underwater
Supports context-dependent forgetting

Question 12

Explain Goodwin et al’s research into explanations of forgetting

Answer 12

Participants who were drunk when learning word lists were better at recalling them if they were drunk again. If sober at learning, recall was best when sober again
Supports state-dependent forgetting

Question 13

Explain loftus & palmer’s research eye witness testimony

Answer 13

Altered the verb they used during questioning witnesses to a car crash. If using the word ‘smashed’, their speed estimates averaged 41mph, compared to 32mph for ‘contacted’
Demonstrates leading questions affect EWT

Question 14

Explain Yuille & Cutshall research eye witness testimony

Answer 14

Used leading questions on witnesses to a real life armed robbery. They found that in real life cases, leading questions did not affect memory.
Demonstrates leading questions don’t work in real life

Question 15

Explain Gabbert’s research into eyewitness testimony

Answer 15

Showed different participants two videos of the same event and then allowed them to discuss what they had seen. 71% of them later recalled things that they couldn’t have seen
Demonstrates post-event discussion affects EWT

Question 16

Explain Loftus (or Johnson & Scott) research into eyewitness testimony

Answer 16

Studied the Weapon Focus Effect. 33% of participants correctly identified a man if he was carrying a knife, but 47% recalled if he carried a pen
Demonstrates anxiety affects EWT

Question 17

Explain Christianson & Hubinette research into eyewitness testimony

Answer 17

Studied real life bank robberies and, contrary to the Weapon Focus Effect, found that the best recall was from witnesses who experienced the threat close up
Demonstrates anxiety improves EWT in real life

Question 18

Explain Kohnken research into eyewitness testimony

Answer 18

Compared cognitive and standard interview. Cognitive was better (though it also led to more incorrect information being reported).
Supports use of cognitive interview