Week 7 - Everyday Memory

Question 1

explain what the ‘reminiscence bump’ is and how might the ability to remember past events be related to the ability to imagine future events

Answer 1

The tendency to remember events from a certain period of our lives (normally early adulthood) more than we remember events from other stages.

Question 2

describe what kind of mistakes eyewitnesses commonly make and how might the accuracy and reliability of eyewitness memory be improved

Answer 2

Confirmation bias - testimony distorted by eyewitnesses prior expectations
Misinformation effect - Misleading info distorts the eyewitness memory
Weapons effect - focus of eyewitness is on weapon, therefore other things not noticed
Own age bias - eyewitnesses tend to identify culprits better when closer to their own age
Unconscious transference - misidentifying a familiar face
Other-race effect - recognising ones own race is easier.

Improvements -
sequential line-ups (1 person at a time), cognitive interview (retracing memory, every detail, describing backwards, diff viewpoints, build rapport)

Question 3

outline the self-memory system model and explain how autobiographical and prospective memory are related to psychopathology.

Answer 3

Conway & Pleydell-Pearce (2000)
Has 2 major components
1 - Autobiographical memory knowledge base
Blocks defined by lifteime periods
General events (repeated and single)
Event specific knowledge
2 - Working Self - the ‘self’ what it may become in the future and current goals. (prospective)

Link to psychopathology -