memory

• Sensory register


  Very short duration, unlimited capacity, modality specific processing
• Short-term memory (STM)


  Acoustic coding, 18s duration, limited capacity (7 ± 2 chunks)
• Long-term memory (LTM)


  Semantic coding, lifetime duration, unlimited capacity, displacement not decay
• The multi-store model of memory proposes 3 unitary stores: sensory register, STM, and LTM
• Attention and maintenance rehearsal

  Lead to encoding into LTM
• The multi-store model is too simplistic and does not account for unitary LTM
• Brain scans show activity in the prefrontal cortex for STM and the hippocampus for LTM, providing scientific evidence
• Deeper processing through elaborative rehearsal leads to better memory compared to just maintenance rehearsal
• Types of long-term memory

  • Episodic
  • Semantic
  • Procedural
• Episodic memory is for events, is time-stamped, and involves conscious recall
• Semantic memory is for general knowledge, is not time-stamped, and involves conscious recall
• Procedural memory is for how to do something, is not time-stamped, and involves unconscious recall
• Brain scans show episodic memory is associated with the right prefrontal cortex and semantic memory with the left prefrontal cortex
• The working memory model includes a central executive, phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and episodic buffer
• Central executive


  Delegates information into the other components, has limited processing capacity
• Phonological loop


  Processes auditory information, has a capacity of around 2 seconds. split into phonological store and articulatory control process
• Visuospatial sketchpad


  Processes visual information, has a capacity of 3-4 items. split into visual cache and inner scribe
• Episodic buffer


  Connects working memory to long-term memory, has a capacity of around 4 chunks
• The working memory model explains dual-tasking, where similar tasks overload one store
• The central executive is the most important but least understood component of the working memory model
• Interference is when the presence of a memory prevents the retrieval or encoding of another memory
• Types of interference


  • Retroactive interference
  • Proactive interference
• Similarity increases interference, with the worst recall when two lists are highly similar
• Interference studies in controlled settings may overexaggerate the effect and lack ecological validity
• Echoic memory


  • Doesn't explain
  • Listening to music doesn't impair other acoustic tasks
  • No comprehensive
  • More complex
• Interference as an explanation for forgetting
• Interference


  1. Presence of a memory prevents another memory being encoded or retrieved

  2. Retroactive - old prevents new

  3. Proactive - new prevents old or distortion
• • Baddeley - real world, similar results
  • Rugby players, worse recall when played more matches vs time between, not decay
• Controlled setting


  Ideal for interference, overexaggerates, lacks mundane realism, ↓ ecological validity
• Tulving + Psotka - absence of cues, recall increased back to 70%, not lost permanently
• Retrieval failure as an explanation for forgetting
• Tolving specificity principle


  We present at encoding, not present at retrieval
• State dependent forgetting


  • Cater + Cassaday, antihistamines, change internal state, recall lists of words, same state = ↑ recall
• Context dependent forgetting


  • Godden + Baddeley, scuba divers, recall lists of words, same state = 40% ↑ recall, lower in non matching
• Baddeley - recognition, no difference
• RWA - revision, use in real world, positive impact, cognitive interview methodology, lacks mundane realism, word lists, less drastic changes, over exaggerates, unfalsifiable
• Nairne - circular argument, can't test directly, validity, only correlation, ↓ ecological validity
• Leading questions as a factor affecting the accuracy of eyewitness testimony
• Leading questions


  Phrased in a particular way to suggest a certain answer
• Yuille + Cutshall - too pessimistic, asked leading questions, still ↑ accuracy, ↑ influence in lab