PSY1002 SEMESTER 2 - WEEK 2

Question 1

define episodic memory

Answer 1

memory of personal experiences that can be explicitly stated, consisting of autobiographical events and their context

Question 2

define mental time travel (chronesthesia)

Answer 2

capacity to mentally reconstruct personal events from past as well as to imagine possible scenarios in future

Question 3

name components of mental time travel

Answer 3

early, recent, future, imagined, reminiscence bump, flashbulb memories

Question 4

define reminiscence bump

Answer 4

superior memory for events that occurred in adolescence and early adulthood

Question 5

what is reminiscence bump a result of

Answer 5

childhood amnesia due to neuronal wiring, then late teen into early 20 gathers and maintain more memories due to it being a more formative lifespan period, then recency effect 40+

Question 6

define flashbulb memories

Answer 6

emotionally significant or shocking, usually a world-changing event many have different memories of shared experience, eg: 9/11

Question 7

give 2 conditions of “a perfect memory”

Answer 7

Superior Autobiographical Memory (SAM) or Highly Superior Autobiograpical Memory (HSAM)

Question 8

explain AJ - a case study for super autobiographical memory

Answer 8

nearly perfect recall for events in own life/historical when given dates, however dominated life as non-stop, automatic, and uncontrollable

Question 9

what brain changes are associated with SAM (Superior Autobiographical Memory)

Answer 9

MRI = size and shape of temporal lobe differed (impacts episodic memories) and size and shape of caudate nucleus (basal ganglia) associated with habits, tendency toward OCD

Question 10

outline Jill Price case stud for Hyperthymesia

Answer 10

Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, feels she is living 2 lives simultaneously, the past and present and constantly experiences negative emotion associated with past life events

Question 11

explain direct method of measuring memory

Answer 11

instructed encoding (instruct ppts to memorise info) then explicit retrieval (instruct ppt to retrieve)

Question 12

name 5 types of direct memory measure

Answer 12

recall, free recall, serial recall, cued recall, recognition

Question 13

explain recall as direct memory measure

Answer 13

generate info from memory such as using open ended exam question, digit recall task

Question 14

explain free recall as direct memory measure

Answer 14

recall as many items as possible

Question 15

explain serial recall as direct memory measure

Answer 15

recall items in order of their presentation

Question 16

explain cued recall as direct memory measure

Answer 16

recall items with help of cues (eg recall all odd digits first, then all even digits)

Question 17

explain recognition as direct memory measure

Answer 17

verify whether info presented (probes) match memory in MCQ or word recognition tasks
DV- difference between correctly verified probes (hits) and wrongly accepted probes (false alarms)

Question 18

outline indirect way of measuring memory

Answer 18

incidental encoding (ppt thinks about info, but not instructed to memorise it) and implicit retrieval (during testing, asked to complete an unrelated activity )

Question 19

name 3 different encoding effects

Answer 19

levels of processing, spacing effect, serial position effect

Question 20

name 2 encoding-retrieval interactions

Answer 20

encoding specificity, transfer-appropriate processing

Question 21

outline Craik & Tulvings study in levels of processing

Answer 21

ppts either:
structural- presented random words in upper/lower case and processed at surface level (asked if upper/lower cases)
phonemic- presented words, may rhyme with target and processed at medium levels (does it rhyme with..?)
category- presented words, may align with category, highest processing level

found as processing went from shallower to deeper increased correct recognition

Question 22

what did Craik and Lockhart conclude about levels of processing

Answer 22

using deep processing at encoding aids memory as encoding info according to its meaning aids long term storage

Question 23

what is elaborative encoding?

Answer 23

processing the meaning, connects into with knowledge already stored in LTM, so easier retrieval

Question 24

explain the spacing effect

Answer 24

spacing out smaller but frequent revision sessions improve memory encoding than using one big practice due to multiple study episodes providing more varied retrieval cues

Question 25

explain massed practice

Answer 25

single, lengthy study period

Question 26

explain distributed practice

Answer 26

multiple, short study periods

Question 27

explain serial position effect

Answer 27

primacy and recency effect
primacy - nothing interfere with lists first items so more likely to receive deeper encoding
recency - shows retrieval from STM, eliminated by using delay or intervening tasks

Question 28

what is testing effect

Answer 28

practice tests most effective way to improve later retrieval as provides retrieval practice

Question 29

explain Roediger & Karpickes study into testing effect

Answer 29

ppts studied a text and either restudied or recalled, found retrieval practice improved memory for delay longer than few minute

Question 30

give a possible reason for testing effect

Answer 30

depth of encoding involved in additional recall tasks, as intervening recall tasks need more effortful processing, allows deeper additional encoding
additional mechanisms strengthens connection between cues when retrieving

Question 31

how should testing effect be best utilised in revision

Answer 31

LTM better when mixed context practice instead of one topic in a large block
explanatory questioning effective

Question 32

what is encoding specificity principle

Answer 32

matching context at encoding and retrieval aids episodic memory

Question 33

outline Godden and Baddeley diver study for encoding specificity

Answer 33

learnt above, recall under
learn above, recall above
learn under, recall under
learn under, recall above
memory best for a matched encode and retrieval context

Question 34

explain mood-dependent effects on encoding specificities

Answer 34

inducing moods using music or reading positive or negative topic content improves memory if same in recall

Question 35

define transfer-appropriate processing

Answer 35

matching processing at encoding and retrieval aids episodic memory

Question 36

outline Morris, Bransford & Franks (1977) study into transfer appropriate processing

Answer 36

1. completion encoding then recognition retrieval
2. completion encoding then rhyme retrieval
3. phonemic encoding then recognition retrieval
4. phonemic encoding then rhyme retrieval

best performance when matched encoding/retrieval

Question 37

give example for Morris et al transfer appropriate processing study statements

Answer 37

completion encoding = complete the sentence ‘the __ had a silver engine’ then recognition retrieval = was train one of the studied words

phonemic encoding = __ rhyme with legal
rhyme retrieval = does regal rhyme with studied word

Question 38

define consolidation

Answer 38

neural process by which memories are strengthened and more permanently stored in brain, relying on hippocampus initially before being stored in cortical areas, allowing more permanent storage, taking days, week or months

Question 39

explain synaptic consolidation

Answer 39

occur within and across neuron, much quicker

Question 40

how long can consolidation or synaptic consolidation take

Answer 40

days, weeks months, but synaptic consolidations quicker