reconstructive memory Flashcards
memory
a cognitive process used to encode, store, and retrieve information
- it is based on information obtained during the event and external-post event information
encoding
information is perceived and converted to brain signals
storage
encoded memory is retained in the brains memory stores
retrival
stored information is remembered and used
multi store model
sensory input —> sensory memory —> short term memory —> long term memory. information is transferred through attention and reharsal
working memory model
central executive —> phonological loop —> visuospatial sketchpad —> episodic buffer —> long term memory
Loftus and Palmer (1974) - true experiment
- to see if leading questions can change eyewitness memory of an event
- participants watched clips of car crashed and were asked how fast they thought the car was going when they VARIABLE each other. The IV was contracted, hit. bumped, collided, smashed. I the second experiemnt they only used hit and smashed and participants were asked if they saw broken glass (no)
-stronger verbs led to higher speed estimates. the second experiment 32% of the smashed condition said they saw broken glass and 14% in the hit and 12% in the no question condition. the verb choice acts as miss information that produces a false memory of something that did not happen. This could be due to schemas activated by the different verbs. this suggests that memory is reconstructive and the information we hear after it can distort how we remember it
sensory memory
- storage for brief sensory events
- large capacity
- 0.5-5 seconds
short term memory
- temporary storage that processes sensory memory
- organizes information in chunks
- 18-30 seconds
long term memory
- storage unit that holds all knowledge, skills, experiences and information acquired
- unlimited capacity and duration
- it is retrieved through a cue that transfers it to short term memory
strengths of multi store memory model
- testable
- supported by evidence
- allows to understand STM and LTM as different stores
limitations of multi store memory model
- simplistic view of the stores
- too focused on the stores rather than the processes
- rehearsal is a flawed explanation for memory transfer
central executive
controls attention, directing the focus on different tasks
phonological loop
- phonological loop: stores auditiory information
- articulatorio loop: used when mentally repeating information
visio spatial sketch pad
visualization of mental images from the sensory memory or long term memory stores
episodic buffer
integrates information from the other components and links it with long term memory structures
strengths of working memory model
- testable
- supported by evidence
- allows to understand multitasking
limitations of working memory model
- only explains short term memory
- does not account for effects of practice
- experiments lack ecological validity
- disable people may challenge the model
flashbulb memory
vivid memories of the circumstances surrounding a surprising and emotionally arousing event
- very vivid and detailed but not that accurate
peterson and peterson (1959) true experiment
- to test the duration of the STM store
- participants were asked to remember trigrams. after hearing them the controlled condition was asked to recall the letters. the experimental condition had to count backwards in 3s to prevent rehearsal
- delays stopped participants from rehearsing which stopped information being transferred to LTM. as the time delay increased, memory decreased. after 18s there was no recollection of triagrams
- stm lasts 18s. rehearsal is needed to transfer information
Milner and Scoville (1975) case study
- to investigate how memory stores work in patient HM
- HM had his hippocampus removed to cure his epilepsy. after surgery this condition improved, but he suffered rom memory loss. observations and interviews were conducted
- his personality and IQ quiere unaffected. he could hold information in his STM if he rehearsed it, but would not transfer to LTM. he kept old memories but was unable to create new ones. The star tracing experiment found that his procedural memory was intact, but his declarative memory was damaged.
- the hippocampus plays an important role on memory consolidation (STM to LTM). memory needs to be transferred in order to be retrieved. the fact that HM was a let o use STM is evidence that memories are in different stores
Landry and Bartling (2011) true experiment
- to investigate if articulastory suppression affects memory
- participants were shown 10 letter strings of 7 letters. they had to memorize them and write them down. Participans isn’t he experimental group were told to repeat numbers 1 and 2 while memorizing them (Articulatory supression)
- the experimental tori up preformed significantly worse recalling letters with 45% accuracy compared to 76% fo the control group
- repeating numbers 1 and 2 made it difficult to rehearse, resulting in diminished memory. this is an example of articulatory supression effect: when the inner voice is blocked, visual inputs cannot convert into sounds, hindering rehersalº
Robbin’s er al (1996) true experiment
- to see how interfering tasks would affect memory
- 20 male chess players had to view an arrangement if a chess board and recreate it on a new board. those having verbal interference retreated the word “the” when viewing the board and recreating it. the visuo spatialize interference was that they tapped a sequence into a keypad when viewing and recreating he board
- verbal interfereancce led to higher scores (64%) because participants used two different memory systems (phonological loop amend visuospatial sketch pad). Visuospatil interference uses more of its capacity
- if working memory was all one system, there would be no difference in scores. this shows that there are different processes controlling different modalities of information
Loftus and Pickrell (1995)
- to see if false memories of an event that never happened could be implanted using misinformation
- 24 participants thought they were taking memory tests. family provided details of childhood stories as well as details that that could be added to a fictional story (getting lost in a mall). the family confirmed that this never happened
- 21% of the participans recalled being lost in a mall, sometimes in great detail. they also mentioned that this memory was less clear than others
- memory is reconstructive in nature, and false memories can be implanted through the use of false information
Kahneman and Tarversky (1974) true experiment
- to investugate how anchors influence thinking and decision making
- participants spun a wheel with numbers 1-100, but it was fixed so it would only land on 10 and 60. after participants were asked to estimate what percentage of UN member countries were african countries
- participants who spun 10 tended to give a significantly lower estimate than participants who spun 65. the mean estimate for a low anchor was 25% compared to the 45% of the high anchor
- the random number had an anchoring effect on participants estimates for african members in the UN, even if there was no relation
