Memory

• Who conducted research into the coding of STM and how?

  • Baddeley - gave PPS a list of words to recall
  • 1 - Acoustically similar
  • 2 - Acoustically disimilar
  • 3 - Semantically similar
  • 4 - Semantically disimilar
  • Found that the acoustically similar words were harder to remember IMMEDIATEDLY - shows STM is coded ACOUSTICALLY
  • Found that semantically similar words were harder to remember 20 mins later - shows LTM is coded SEMANTICALLY
• What did Miller say about the capacity of STM?

  • most things come in 7's
  • capacity of STM is 7+/-2
• Who conducted research into the capacity of STM and how?

  • Jacobs' digit span test
  • Gave PPS digits to recall and added one digit on until they could no longer remember
  • mean digit span = 9.3
  • mean letter span = 7.3
  • shows capacity is 7 +/-2
• Who conducted research into the duration of STM and how?

  • Peterson and Peterson - used trigams
  • gave PPS trigams to learn, asked to count backwards and then IMMEDIATEDLY recall trigams
  • PPS had forgotten trigams in 18 seconds
  • duration of STM is 18-30 seconds
• Who conducted research into the duration of LTM and how?

  • Bahrick et al
  • had 392 pps from a high school and asked them to do a photo recognition test and free recall 15 years later
  • 90% accurate recall - photo recognition test
  • 70% recall - 48 years later
• Evaluation of Baddeley's research?

  • strength - there are 2 seperate stores and led to understanding of multi store model
  • limitation - task used was artificial so has limited application
• What is a strength and limitation of Jacobs research?

  • strength - can be replicated as Jacob's study has been replicated by more controlled experiments and found to have the same results
  • limitation - overestimates the STM capacity, others studies show it is 4 +/-1
• Evaluation of Peterson + Peterson -

  • task was artifical - lacks external validity
• Strength of Bahrick -

  • high external validity
• What is the Multi Store Model of Memory?

  • developed by Atkinson and Shiffrin
  • SENSORY REGISTER - (ATTENTION) - STM - (REHEARSAL) - LTM
• Properties of sensory register?

  • Coding - modality specific (iconic memory - visual) (echoic memory - verbal)
  • Duration - 1/2 seconds
  • Capacity - big
• Properties of STM?

  • Coding - acoustically
  • Duration - 18/30 seconds
  • Capacity - 7+-2
• Evaluation of Multi Store Model?

  • strength - there is real life application. People tend to mix words that sound the same in the STM and mean the same in the LTM (Baddeley)
  • limitation - limited application to how to transfer info into LTM. Psychologists say it does not depend on the amount of rehearsal you do but the type of rehearsal. Elaborative or prolonged
• What is Tulving's Long Term Memory Model?

  • three types of LTM
  • semantic - knowledge, facts
  • procedural - skills
  • episodic - events
• Where is the episodic memory located?

  • hippocampus
• Where is the procedural memory located?

  • cerebellum
• Where is the semantic memory located?

  • temporal lobe
• Evaluation of Tulving's model?

  • one strength is there is research support from Clive Wearing. His procedural memory was good as he could play piano, but his episodic memory was damaged. Shows there are different types of LTM
  • a limitation is that there is ethical issues from CW research. He was psychologically distressed and could not give consent.
  • another strength is there is real life application in treating patients with memory loss. Can cater specific treatment depending on the LTM
• What is the Working Memory Model?

  • Baddeley and Hitch

  A) Central Executive

  B) Inner Scribe

  C) Visual Cache

  D) Phonological store

  E) Articulatory Process

  F) Episodic Buffer

  G) LTM

  
• What is the central executive?

  • monitors incoming information/data
  • transfers info to different subcomponents
  • limited capacity
• What is the phonological loop?

  • holds verbal info temporarily
  • stores auditory and verbal info whilst doing an ongoing task
  • LIMITED CAPACITY - 2 seconds
• What are the subcomponents of the phonological loop?

  1 - phonological store

  2 - articulatory process
• What is the role of the phonological store?

  • stores all verbal info for 1-2 secs
  • filters out any useless info
  • useful info transferred to AP
• What is the articulatory process?

  • useful verbal info stored here
  • stored whilst used for an ongoing task
  • amount we store is based on word length effect - can remember more shorter words
• What is the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

  • stores visual info
  • stores info about the spatial relationship between visual info on a sketchpad
  • LIMITED CAPACITY - 3/4 objects
• What are the subcomponents of the VSP?

  1 - visual cache

  2 - inner scribe
• What is the visual cache?

  • stores visual information (3D objects of form and colour)
• What is the inner scribe?

  • stores spatial info
  • relationship between 3D objects and space
• What is the episodic buffer?

  •  a limited capacity storage system responsible for integrating information from the VSP and PL
  • links the working memory to long term memory
• What are the strengths of the WMM?

  • one strength is there is research support from KF. He had poor STM ability for auditory info but could process visual info. PL was poor but VSSP was intact.
  • another strength is research support from Baddeley. Baddeley gave PPS a visual and auditory task to do at the same time and completed successfully. When he gave two auditory/visual tasks performed less well.
• What is a limitation of the WMM?

  • Limited evidence to how info comes into the WMM and how it is transferred to the LTM
• What is the interference theory?

  • an explanation of forgetting
  • interference - when memories disrupt each other causing you to forget one or all memories
• What is proactive interference?

  • when an old memory disrupts a new one
• What is retroactive interference?

  • when a new memory disrupts an old one
• What is the research support for retroactive interference?

  • psychologists gave PPS a list of words to recall with 100% accuracy. once they had, they gave PPS a list of words
  • 1 - synoynms
  • 2- antonyms
  • 3 - unrelated words
  • 4 - three digit numbers
  • 5 - consonant syllables
  • 6 - no words
  • those who had to learn synonyms, struggled the most to recall the list of words
• Evaluation of interference theory -

  • a strength is there is research support from Baddeley and Hitch. Asked rugby players to recall the names of the teams they had played in the season. Some had been injured so played less. Those who had played the most games, had poorer recall
  • a limitation is the task used in research is artificial so lacks ecological validity
  • limitation - interference can be overcome with cues. Psychologist gave pps a list of words to recall with cues and there was 70% accurate recall
• What is the encoding specificity principle?

  • states that the cue used to trigger memory has to be present at encoding and retrieval
• What is the research into context-dependent cues?

  • deep sea divers were given a list of words to encode and recall on land or underwater
  • split into different groups - land or underwater
  • PPS who encoded and recalled in the same environment performed better
• What are context-dependent cues?

  • external cues such as the environment that help trigger memories
• what are state-dependent cues?

  • internal cues that help trigger your memories