Skill Acquisition - Memory Models

Question 1

Describe Atkinson and Shiffron’s Multi store memory model?

Answer 1

You take information from your environment through your senses, into your short term sensory store, the information you pay attention to then goes into your short term memory, if you rehearse the information it will them go into your long term memory, or if you don’t it will be forgotten. Once information is in your long term memory, you can retrieve it to your short term memory, or it will be forgotten if you don’t retrieve it regularly.

Question 2

What is the capacity and duration of the short term sensory stores?

Answer 2

Capacity: limitless
Duration = 1s

Question 3

What is the capacity and duration of short term memory?

Answer 3

Capacity: 7 (+/- 2)
Duration: 30s

Question 4

What is the capacity and duration of the long term memory?

Answer 4

Capacity: limitless
Duration: infinity

Question 5

How can you improve the transfer of information from short term sensory stores to short term memory?

Answer 5

Selective attention

Question 6

How can you improve the retention of information from short term memory to long term memory?

Answer 6

Rehearsal / Repetition
Chunking
Association

Question 7

How can you get information from the long term memory to short term memory?

Answer 7

Retrieval

Question 8

What is chunking?

Answer 8

Chunking is the process of grouping different bits of information together into categories to help you remember them

Question 9

What is meant by ‘association’?

Answer 9

Where you link new information to old information already in your memory and filtering out irrelevant information so that it is forgotten.

Question 10

What is selective attention?

Answer 10

The process of filtering information from sensory stores into the short term memory and filtering out irrelevant information so its forgotten.

Question 11

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Atkinson and Shiffrens multi store memory model?

Answer 11

Advantages:
- It simplifies the memory process
- It explains how those with brain damage may have a dysfunctional memory
- Shows distinction between long term and short term memory.

Disadvantages:
- Its too simplified, doesn’t explain why we remember different types of information. (visual/verbal)
- It doesn’t account for people with ‘photographic memory’

Question 12

Describe Craik and Lockhart’s levels of processing model

Answer 12

Structural level, acoustic/phonetic level, semantic level,
- The deeper the level we process information, the more likely it is to transfer to our long term memory.

Question 13

Describe the structural level of Craik and Lockhart’s levels of processing model.

Answer 13

We pay attention to what words look like - it is a shallow level of processing ( information is considered )

Question 14

Describe the phonetic/acoustic level of Craik and Lockhart’s levels of processing model

Answer 14

We process the sounds of words (information is understood)

Question 15

Describe the semantic level of Craik and Lockhart’s levels of processing model

Answer 15

We consider the actual meaning of words (information has meaning)

Question 16

Give an example on when we can use the craik and lockharts

Answer 16

Demonstration of penalty kicks in football would be given but would only be stored as a shallow memory and are likely to be forgotten. (Structural).

A verbal explanation is given on how to perform the penalty kick, this is more likely to be remembered as they now understand it and have a deeper level of processing. (Phonetic).

In order for them to have a deep level of processing they need to be given a reason for them to want to learn it and why it is so important to remember how to take a penalty as they could have a shootout in the cup final.

Question 17

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Craik and Lockhart’s levels of processing memory models?

Answer 17

Advantages:
- Explains how understanding information means we are more likely to remember it.
- It explains how the longer we consider and analyse information, the more we remember it
- It explains how we are more likely to remember something that is meaningful to us, even if we haven’t rehearsed it.

Disadvantages:
- Taking longer to process informations doesn’t always mean your can recall it better.
- It is difficult to define what ‘deep’ processing actually involves
- It doesn’t take into account individual differences, why some people can pay little attention and remember something while others pay a lot of attention and can’t remember it