Unit 1 - Memory Flashcards
Define the following processes:
Encoding
Storage
Retrieval
Encoding:
Changing information from one format to another so that it can be stored, for example acoustic or visual encoding.
Storage:
Holding information in the memory system this is based on the capacity of the system, e.g. 7+/-2 in short term memory.
Retrieval:
Recovering information from storage.
What is the Multi-Store Model of Memory?
The idea that memory passes through a series of memory stores including the
- *Sensory Store**,
- *Short Term Memory** and
- *Long Term Memory**.
What are the capacity and duration of the:
Sensory Memory
Short Term Memory
Long Term Memory
and how does information enter each store?
Sensory Memory:
Can only hold a few things for a short amount of time. Takes information in through sensory receptors (such as visual information from the eyes).
Short Term Memory:
Has a storage of 7±2 pieces of information, with a duration for a few minutes. Information from the sensory memory is encoded to enter the STM.
_Long Term Memory:_ Has a (potentially) unlimited capacity, and can retain information (potentially) forever. Information from the STM is rehearsed in order to enter the LTM.
Fill in the red boxes:
What is the
Reconstructive Approach to Memory?
Memory isn’t a stored copy of facts.
Memories are created using a combination of new information and information we already know.
We may think we are remembering what actually happened but actually we have included what we ‘think should have happened’.
What is the
Levels of Processing Model of Memory?
It is the way we process and think about information that allows us to recall it later or makes us forget it.
Describe the aims, method, results and conclusion of the Murdock study.
Aim
To test the existence of the STM and LTM stores and process of the MSM.
Method
Participants had to learn a list of words in which each word was presented for 2 seconds. They were asked to recall them in any order.
Results
The words at the end of the list were recalled first (recency effect) and the words from the beginning of the list were recalled well (primacy effect) The middle words were poorly recalled.
Conclusion
There is evidence to support the separate stores and process of the MSM.
What is a criticism of the validity of Murdock’s study?
The study lacks ecological validity. In everyday life we do not always recall words from lists in isolation like those used in this research. This therefore shows that memory may be much more complex than these studies show as in real life there are distractions, cues and information greater than lists to recall.
Describe the aims, method, results and conclusion of the Bartlett study.
Aim
To see if, when given something unfamiliar to remember, people alter the information to fit their expectations.
Method
The War of the Ghosts – participants read the story and were asked to retell the story as accurately as possible. They were asked to retell the story several times over a few weeks.
Results
Participants found the more complex aspects of the story difficult to comprehend (e.g. spirits) and changed the story to make more sense to them. Each time they retold the story, they changed the content some more.
Conclusion
Memory is influenced by and can be changed by our own beliefs/schemas.
What is a criticism of the validity of Bartlett’s study?
There is an issue of validity and control. It is difficult to operationalise the accuracy of the stories in the study (How did Bartlett measure accuracy in his study?). This therefore shows that we can not determine the full impact of prior knowledge on our memory processing and therefore limits the validity of the explanation and it’s ability to account for human memory processes.
Describe the aims, method, results and conclusion of the Craik & Lockhart study.
Aim
To see if the type of question asked would effect the number of words recalled.
Method
Participants were shown a list of words, presented one at a time. They were asked a question about each word that had a simple yes or no answer . They were then given a longer list of words and asked to select which ones were in the original list.
Results
Semantic 70% recall, Phonetic 35%, Structural 15%.
Conclusion
The more deeply we process information, the more likely we are to remember it.
What is a criticism of the validity of Craik & Lockhart’s study?
The Craik and Lockhart study lacks ecological validity. In everyday life we do not always recall words from lists in isolation like those used in this research, nor are we presented with option lists of words to chose from. This therefore shows that memory may be much more complex than these studies show as in real life there are distractions, cues and information greater than lists to recall. Some words may also need less semantic processing than others e.g. words linked to our hobbies and interests.
What is a criticism of the Levels of Processing Model of Memory?
The model does not explain how deep processing aids memory. It is unclear whether is it the time taken to process semantically that helps or if it is effort. There may also be links with the MSM – semantic encoding in the LTM. This therefore suggests that we can not determine the full impact of semantic processing or apply it to every day life as we do not fully understand how memory works from this model.
What are some examples of practical applications for each model of memory?
MSM
Car registration plates should never be longer than 7 characters, so people can remember them quickly in their STM.
LOP
Revision. Reading notes is shallow processing, copying notes is shallow/mid processing and applying notes to things like exam questions is deep processing.
Reconstructive
We should be very careful when accepting eyewitness testimony. We should use interviewing skills designed to eliminate inaccurate information that has been altered by the witness unknowingly.
Define the following processes:
Interference
Retroactive Interference
Proactive Interference
Interference
When things that we have learnt make it difficult to recall other information that has been learnt.
Retroactive Interference
Information that you have recently learned stops us from being able to recall old information.
(WORKS BACKWARDS – new info interferes with old)
Proactive Interference:
Information that you have already learnt stops you from being able to learn new information.
(WORKS FORWARD – old info interferes with new)