Psychology of Memory Flashcards
Describe the ‘multi-store model of memory’
By Atkinson & Shriffin 1974
Sensory input to sensory store (max 3s) to STM to LTM
Sensory memory
Two types:
Auditory memory (echoic) - information lasts about 3s
Visual memory (iconic) - lasts about 0.25s
Short term memory
7+/-2 - Miller 1956
Working memory
Updated model to STM by Baddeley & Hitch 1974
Consists of:
Central executive = ‘attention’
Phonological loop = holds info in a speech-based form
Visuo-spatial sketchpad = holds visual and spatial information
Retroactive interference
New info interferes with old information e.g. using an automatic car now, finding it difficult to recall manual
Proactive interference
Old info interferes with new information e.g. giving someone your old number rather than new
What is the primacy-recency effect or serial position effect?
When presented with information in order, remembering the first and last set of information more e.g. in a grocery list, remembering the first few items and last few but forgetting middle ones
Long term memory
Information is transferred here via rehearsal in STM/WM - consolidation of information
Large capacity
Lifetime storage
Meaning is encoded rather than the exact representation e.g. remembering you got a letter from friend but not remembering the exact wording (Sachs 1960s)
Retrieval
Recalling information from memory back into our awareness/attention
Cues are required e.g. prompts, reminders or questions
The original stimulus is reconstructed based on info from cue
The more information available, the easier the retrieval
Can be affected by retro-/proactive interference
What factors affect retrieval?
Levels of processing - more something is elaborated at time of encoding = easier to retrieve
Organisation - of concepts in memory (can also be links between concepts that can help recall)
Context - being in the same physical/emotional state as the time of encoding helps recall (state-dependent memory)
Good ‘filing system’ - information can be retrieved if meaning is added to it or if its remembered using mnemonics
Describe the case of HM (Milner 1978) in terms of dissociating function for WM
Had surgery to cure severe epilepsy
LTM was intact - could remember events prior to surgery
STM was normal
Encoding from STM to LTM was difficult (severe deficit)
Was able to learn motor skills but could not remember which skills he had learned (short term declarative)
Procedural knowledge
Memory for how to do things/skills - practical memory e.g. tying shoelaces or writing
Declarative knowledge
Memory for facts/info that can be conveyed using statements e.g. your birthday (uses semantic and episodic memories)
Describe dissociating function between procedural and declarative memory - temporal lobe amnesia
Temporal lobe amnesia (Korsakoffs)
Patients are able to learn new skills but unable to learn new facts (procedural ✓ but declarative ✘) e.g. playing the piano and improving but unable to recall that they played it)
Semantic memory
Type of declarative memory
Memory for facts and ideas e.g. capital of France, meaning of DOG (centred around the world)
Episodic memory
Type of declarative memory
Memory for events and situations e.g. birth of ur first child (centred around you)
Describe dissociating function in terms of semantic and episodic memory (case study KC)
Case of KC (Tulving 1989)
- Damage to specific brain region following a traffic accident
- Can no longer retrieve autobiographical memory (personal mems of past) but general knowledge ✓ e.g. plays chess but cant remember where he learned it
- Can learn semantic knowledge but not episodic
What is recognition?
Sense of familiarity - previously encountered a stimulus
Easier than recall - information is contained in the cue
Recognition can be from a direct set stimuli or from a search of LTM store
Recall
Reconstruction of a stimulus using the information available from the cue and LTM
Checked by the process of recognition
Greater cognitive demand than recognition
Can be direct from a cue or arise after problem-solving strategies have been employed
Why can recognition and recall be inaccurate? (Eye witness, Loftus 1979)
Eye witness reports (Loftus 1979)
Ps watch a film of an accident inc STOP or YIELD sign.
They were asked ‘how big was the stop sign?’ - they won’t remember it said yield
They were asked how fast the cars were going when they ‘smashed’ into the other? - these ps recalled the cars were going faster than they acc were
Shows that using specific wording, you can change ppl’s memory = recall can be inaccurate
What are the main causes of ‘forgetting’?
Passage of time
- rapid decay of information from WM
- cell death leads to loss of LTM capacity (can be accelerated e.g. in dementia)
Interference
- interference to storage in WM e.g. pro-/retroactive
- connections are remolded over time in LTM, influenced by retro/proactive interference
How can amnesia arise?
Damage e.g. head injury, stroke
Chronic alcohol abuse e.g. Korsakoff’s syndrome
Disease e.g. Alzheimer’s (extensive damage to cortex, progressive damage to episodic memory, more general cognitive impairment)
Reversible brain disease e.g. tumours, hydrocephalus, subdural haematoma, deficiencies in B1, B6, B12
Psychogenic memory loss e.g. abuse/war
Anterograde amnesia and retrograde amnesia
Anterograde amnesia - inability to store new information
Retrograde amnesia - inability to recall information prior to trauma (can be short duration)
Factors affecting memory for medical information (e.g. in students)
- Higher IQ
- Greater medical/technical information
- Higher anxiety levels (improves memory but reduces flexibility)
- Age
