Reliability of memory- DP9

Question 1

Methods of memory retrieval

Answer 1

• Recall
• recognition
• relearning
• reconstruction

Question 2

Recall

Answer 2

Recall involves reproducing information stored in memory. You bring the information into conscious awareness and doing so provides evidence that something previously learned was retained.

Three types of recall are
Free recall
Serial recall
Cued recall

Question 3

Free recall

Answer 3

Involves reproducing as much information as possible in no particular order without the use of any specific cue. This recall method allows you to retrieve pieces of learnt information, ‘feel’ without following anys specific order.

e.g You probably used free recall when retrieving the names of the seven dwarfs.

Question 4

Serial recall

Answer 4

Involves reproducing information in the order in which it was learned.

e.g if you are telling a friend about an overseas holiday and recall the names of the cities in the order in which you visited them,then you would be using serial recall.

Question 5

Cued recall

Answer 5

Involves the use of specific prompts (cues) to aif retrieval and therefore reproduction of the required information.

e.g a cue for the seven dwarfs question might be the first letter of each of their names: B, D, D, G, H, S and S.

Question 6

Recognition

Answer 6

Recognition involves identifying (‘recognising’) the original, learnt information. The presence of the correct information acts as a cue for its retrieval from memory.

e.g we might be called upon to identify the perpetrator of a crime from a Crime Stoppers photograph shown on TV.

Question 7

Relearning

Answer 7

Involves learning information again that has been previously learned (and was therefore stored in LTM). If information is learned more quickly the second time, it is assumed that some information must have been retained (or ‘saved’) from the first learning experience, whether the individual realises it or not

e.g skills (gutair)

Question 8

Reconstruction

Answer 8

Memory reconstruction generally involves combining stored information with other available information to form what is believed to be a more coherent, complete or accurate memory.

factors such as our pre-existing knowledge, personal experiences, values, psychological state, cues in the environment, motivations, expectations and assumptions about what might have happened.