Theories

Question 1

What is the multi store model of memory?

Answer 1

• shows how info flows through memory
• revise the model
• sensory register: receives all sensory info around us and holds it briefly
• STM: capacity of 5-9 items, duration of 15-30 secs
• LTM: unlimited capacity, duration of up to a lifetime

Question 2

Evaluation of multi store model of memory

Answer 2

• E : Peterson and Peterson’s investigation of the duration of short term memory
• A : this theory can apply to learning in everyday life
• S : it gives us a good understanding of the structure and process of long term memory
• S : the model is oversimplified and assumes that each of the stores works as an independent unit
• T : reconstructive memory

Question 3

What is the reconstructive memory theory?

Answer 3

• the idea that memory is not perfectly formed, encoded and then retrieved
• Bartlett thought that the past and current experiences of an individual would affect their memory for events

Question 4

Evaluation of reconstructive memory

Answer 4

• E : bartletts war of the ghosts study - found that participants substituted words or changed the story slightly
• A : applies to when people recall memories
• S : can be tested by experimental methods because the IV can be operationalised
• S : doesn’t explain how memory is reconstructive
• T : multi-store model of memory

Question 5

What is the working memory model?

Answer 5

• baddeley and hitch developed the model, proposing that the STM store contains several different stores
• central executive: described as attention, has limited capacity and controls systems with limited capacity
• phonological loop: speech based info consists of phonological store and articulatory process
• Visio-spatial: temporary storage of visual and spatial information
• episodic buffer: stores info from other subsystems and integrates it with info from LTM to make episodes

Question 6

Evaluation of working memory model

Answer 6

• E : dual task paradigm found that tasks using the same part of the system were unachievable
• A : people with amnesia who can’t lay down memories in the long term store
• S : expands on multi store model - giving more info and refining it
• S : model has been added to and the experiments were artificial tasks
• T : multi store model

Question 7

What is tulvings explanation of long term memory (1972)?

Answer 7

• he proposed distinction between procedural, semantic and episodic memory
• semantic is responsible for storing info about the world (meanings)
• episodic memory responsible for storing info about events in our lives

Question 8

Evidence for tulvings explanation of long term memory

Answer 8

• experiments for episodic memory require recall of a personal episode, recall is either correct or incorrect
• experiments for semantic memory look at retrieval processes