memory

• coding is the format the info is stored in
• in STM info is stored acoustically
• in LTM info is stored semantically
• Baddley conducted research to test for the coding in STM and LTM, he found that more mistakes were made when recalling acoustically similar words instantly
• capacity is the amount of info kept
• in STM 7+/-2 items can be kept in the store
• in LTM unlimited amount of info can be kept in the store
• Miller proposed the magic number seven and Jacobs concluded that we can recall around 7 letters after intervals
• duration is how long info is stored
• in STM info can be stored for 18-30 seconds
• in LTM info can be stored for forever
• peterson and peterson conducted research investigating duration by making ppts recall trigrams whilst counting backwards in three from a given number. majority of ppts were able to recall trigrams up to 18 seconds.
• bahrick conducted research on LTM duration by using photo recognition. 90% of ex classmates were able to match name with faces after 15years and after 46years 70% were able to
• evaluation of coding, duration, and capacity

  strengths

  • bahrick used meaningful stimuli, high mundane realism and ecological validity

  weaknesses

  • peterson and miller lacks mundane realism, the use of artificial stimuli
• multi-store model of memory

  1. sensory register: sub store for five senses, huge capacity, duration less than 1 second, iconic and echoic
  2. STM: acoustically coded, 7+/-2 items, 18-30s duration
  3. LTM: semantic, unlimited capacity, long duration
• evaluation of MSM

  weakness

  • different types of LTM is proposed, unconsciously and consciously recalled info, too simple
  • type of rehearsal is important, elaborative rehearsal more preferable to prolonged
  • multiple types of STM, patient KF were able to recall visual stimuli but couldn't auditory stimuli
• types of LTM

  1. episodic: personal meaning
  2. semantic: general knowledge
  3. procedural: learnt skills and recalled unconsciously
• evaluation on types of LTM

  strengths

  • semantic memories are recalled from the left pre-frontal cortex and episodic memories are recalled from the right pre-frontal cortex, different neurological basis
  • practical applications, episodic memory is most likely affected in a cognitive impairment, targeted treatments
  • clive wearing was able to play the piano but could not recall episodic memory
• working memory model

  1. central executive: attentional process, role is to allocate info to slave systems
  2. phonological loop: auditory info
  3. articulatory control: converts speech
  4. phonological store: converts what we see
  5. 3. visuo-spatial sketchpad: visual and spatial info
  6. inner scribe: spatial movement
  7. visual cache: colour and shape
  8. 4. episodic buffer: combines all data and links STM and LTM
• evaluation of working memory model

  strengths

  • patient KF, recall of visual info in STM but poor recall of auditory stimuli
  • dual-task performance, decreased performance when simultaneously performed visual and verbal task, central executive has limited processing capacity

  weaknesses

  • central executive not defined properly, process is vague
• interference is when there is a blockage when recalling memory by another
• proactive interference: past info blocking new ones

  retroactive interference: recent info blocking old infos
• Mcgeoh and Mcdonald tested retroactive interference. ppts were better at recalling unnecessary words compared to the condition where another list of words were proposed
• evaluation of interference

  strength

  • lab studies, validity increased
  • baddley and hitch, rugby players, more games played more interference happened when recalling older games

  weaknesses

  • artificial stimuli has no personal meaning to ppts
• retrieval failure is forgetting when sufficient cues are not present
• context dependant forgetting is when external cues are not present

  research - godden and baddley

  divers recalled better when in the same environment as where they learnt
• state dependant forgetting is when internal cues are not present

  research support - carter and cassaday

  used antihistamines and a placebo
• evaluation of retrieval failure

  weakness

  • studies lack ecological validity, difficult to find such polar environments like water and land, inaccurate deception of forgetting
  • may tested recognition of words
  • testing for IQ
• eyewitness testimony is the accuracy of info recalled by a witness in a crime
• leading questions were tested by loftus and palmer. ppts watched a clip of a car crash and asked to estimate the speed of the car by using different verbs in the question. 'smashed' has the highest estimate compared to 'contacted' . 'smashed' group also reported broken glass in the clip after 2 weeks
• post even discussion was tested by gabbert et al. he used matched pairs design and showed a clip of a crime a scene to one ppt, 71% of info was inaccurate with post even discussion
• memory conformity: we are wrong and the other one is right
• evaluation on misleading info

  weakness

  • methodological criticism, mainly young ppts were used, inaccurate representation for older peoplre
  • demand characteristics could've been shown
  • lacks mundane realism, clips do not give the same amount of emotional arousal
• johnson and scott and cocluded that anxiety may show a negative effect in recalling info.
• high anxiety condition overheard a heated argument and a man with a bloody knife walked out, opposed to a greasy pen in the other condition. ppts were asked to identify the man later and only 16% of the high anxiety condition got it right
• weapon focus effect: attention drawn towards weapon
• yullie and cutshall suggested anxiety may show a positive effect on EWT
• followed 13 witnesses after 5 months of a real life shooting. people who were closer to the crime scene were able to accurately recall info. heightened anxiety draws attention to the fight or flight response.
• weakness of weapon focus effect

  it could simply just lead to surprise as a chicken in a salon caused high accuracy of EWT