Memory

• Encoding meaning


  The process of transforming information to put into memory
• Storage meaning


  The process of keeping information in our minds
• Retrieval meaning


  Taking information out of our memory storage
• Two ways of retrieving


  Recall and recognition
• Memory recall meaning


  When we conciously re-access a memory without having to be reminded of the memory first
• Memory recognition meaning


  When we are able to retrieve a memory once it's shown again because it feels familiar
• Memory properties


  Duration, capacity, coding
• Sensory coding examples


  Acoustic code, visual code
• Semantic code


  Storing information by its meaning
• Sensory register


  Duration of 1-2 secs. It uses a sensory code. Capacity is big. It is a temporary store that stores sensory info while we process it
• Sperling's study for sensory register

  The 4:3 grid flashed for 50 milleseconds. 1 group recalled as many letters as possible and the other group recalled from just 1 row (didn't know which row to recall until after)
• What type of experiment was Sperling's study?

  Laboratory
• What feature of sensory memory was Sperling investigating?

  Capacity
• What did Sperling find?

  Sensory register had a short duration and large capacity
• Duration of STM?


  18-30 secs
• What is the purpose of STM?

  Short-term stores information for an ongoing task.
• The capacity of the STM?

  Limited
• What code can the STM use?

  Sensory and semantic code
• The main code for the STM store?

  Acoustic code
• Jacob's study


  Asked participants to recall a string of letters/digits from short to long.
• What did Jacob find?

  The capacity of STM was 7+-2 digits or letters
• What did Miller suggest?


  That we can group individual letters into chunks to make it easier to recall
• Duration of LTM


  Very long (can be unlimited)
• Capacity of LTM


  Large
• What code does LTM use?

  Semantic code
• Bahrick's study for LTM


  He showed photos of participant's ex-classmates to see if they would remember them. He showed them the name and then the photos and asked to match up
• What were Bahrick's findings?

  After 15 years, participants could recall (60%) and recognise (90%) their old classmates. At 48 years, accuracy of recall dropped at 30% but recognition was at 80%
• Bahrick concluded that...


  Our recognition memory is better than our recall accuracy memory
• Strength of Bahrick's Study

  High ecological validity due to mundane realism (generalises to how long term memory works in everyday lives)
• Limitation of Bahrick's study

  He didn't know how much participants like their classmates (extraneous variables) - could influence the validity of results
• Baddeley's experiment


  Asked participants to memorize a list of words. To test their STM, asked to recall in order after shown the list. To test LTM, asked to recall in order after 20 minutes of memorization.
• Baddeley's list of words


  List 1 - similar sounds

  List 2 - different sounds

  List 3 - similar meaning (20 mins later)

  List 4 - different meaning (20 mins later)
• Baddeley's findings(STM)

  The participants recalled more words when there was different sounds and recalled fewer with similar sounds. Shows people use an acoustic code for STM
• Baddeley's findings (LTM)


  Participants recalled more words with different meanings and fewer with similar meanings. Shows people use a semantic code for LTM.
• Retroactive inference


  Where new learning prevents the recall of the previously learnt information
• How does Mcgoech and Mcdonald support retroactive inference?

  Participants had worst recall when they learned another list of words with similar meaning
• Evaluations for Mcgoech and Mcdonald

  Strengths: High control over EVs (lab), it is replicable, applications in education settings

  Limitations: Low ecological validity, potential demand characteristics as partcipants might guess aim
• Godden and Baddeley study (Divers)

  Divers learnt list of words in 2 contexts (Land or water). Asked to recall words either in the same context or different (Land/land is the same and Land/water is different).

  Findings: Worst recall when the context was different (Land/water)
• Godden and Baddeley evaluations

  Strength: High ecological validity, findings have real life applications (external validity - students in exam conditions), replicable

  Limitation: Task of learning words still artificial (low ecological validity), limit of generalizability for other contexts
• Carter and Cassaday study


  Participants learn list of words under sedative drug (antihistamine) or placebo. Recall was better when the internal state matched the internal state when they were learning.

  Supports state-dependent forgetting