Psychology

• Multi-Store model


  A representation of how a memory works. It describes how information can move from one store to another. It is a linear sequence so information can flow backwards and forwards.
• Memory Stores


  • Capacity - How much information a memory store can hold
  • Duration - How long information can be held in our memory stores
• Episodic Memory


  Memories of our personal events including people, objects, places, behaviours
• Semantic Memory


  Our knowledge of the world including facts and knowledge of what words and concepts mean
• Procedural memory


  Knowledge of how to do actions such as tying our shoelaces. We can do this without conscious effort.
• Encoding


  Translating or changing information so that it can be held in our brains
• Storage


  Keeping the information in brain for a period of time
• Retrieval


  Locating stored information and being able to use it
• Other encoding


  • Tactile - A memory of what things feel like
  • Olfactory - Memory for smells
• Recognition


  Retrieving information whilst being given options to choose from, e.g. multiple choice question
• Cued Recall


  Retrieval of information whilst being given a cue to recall the information
• Free Recall


  Retrieving information without any cues or options
• Long term memory


  Our permanent memory store that can hold a lot of information for a long time
• Short term memory


  Our temporary store that holds information ready to be passed to long term or forgotten
• Primacy effect


  The idea that the first few words in a list are likely to be recalled as they have become long term memory
• Recency effect


  The idea that the last few words in a list are more likely to be recalled as they are in short term memory
• Serial position effect


  The idea that the first and last few words in a list are more likely to be recalled due to their position
• Schemas


  People reconstruct their memories based on prior experiences, an active organisation of past reactions
• When a researcher is conducting a study based on their theory, they can often become biased when looking for the results they want to see
• Interference


  One memory disturbs the ability to recall another, resulting in forgetting or distorting one or both memories, more likely to happen if the memories are similar
• Types of memory interference

  • Proactive
  • Retroactive
  • Past memories interfering with new memories
  • Recent memories interfering with old memories
• Context


  The situation in which something happens
• Context


  Can act as a cue to recalling information and can improve the accuracy of memory