Semantic memory is the ability to recall general knowledge about the world, such as facts or concepts.
Episodic memory is the ability to remember specific events that have happened at particular times and places.
Eyewitness Testimony
Evidence provided by people who witnessed a particular event or crime, relying on recall from memory
Eyewitness Testimony
Can be inaccurate and distorted
Has important implications for police interviews
Leading questions
Questions where a certain answer is implied
Post-event discussion can affect the accuracy of recall
Leading questions can mislead people into thinking they saw something they didn't
Multi-Store Model
1. Sensory input goes into sensory register
2. Attended information passes into short-term memory
3. Information processed further (rehearsed) can be transferred to long-term memory
Multi-Store Model
Short-term memory has finite capacity and duration
Long-term memory can store information indefinitely
Miller's Magic Number
Short-term memory capacity is about 7 items, plus or minus 2
Chunking
Combining individual items into larger, more meaningful units to increase short-term memory capacity
Coding
The way information is stored in memory
Acoustic coding (how information sounds)
Semantic coding (meaning of information)
Short-term memory (STM) capacity
About seven chunks of information
Coding
The way information is stored in memory
STM coding
Acoustic coding - about how the information sounds
LTM coding
Semantic coding - about the meaning of the information
Miller's magic number
The capacity of short-term memory is about 7 plus or minus 2 items
Sensory register
Temporarily stores information from the senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell)
Short-term memory (STM)
Has limited capacity and duration, uses acoustic coding
Long-term memory (LTM)
Has unlimited capacity and is theoretically permanent, uses semantic coding
Types of long-term memory
Episodic memory - stores information about experienced events
Semantic memory - stores facts and knowledge
Procedural memory - stores knowledge of how to do things
Schema- a mental framework that organizes and interprets information from the environment.
Schemas can be thought of as mental templates that allow us to categorize and understand new information based on our past experiences.
Working memory model
The working memory model is an updated version of the multi-store model proposed by Baddeley and Hitch (1974). It suggests that there are three main components of working memory:
Phonological loop - involved in processing auditory information such as speech sounds
Central executive - responsible for controlling and coordinating other processes within working memory
Visuo-spatial sketchpad - responsible for visual and spatial information
Episodic buffer - integrates information across different modalities and maintains it over time
Visuo-spatial Sketchpad – involved in processing visual and spatial information.
Articulatory process - involves rehearsal of verbal material through silent repetition or recitation
Acoustic store - temporary storage area where spoken words are held until they can be processed further
Visual cache - temporary storage area that holds visual images
Iconic store - short term memory system that stores visual information for up to half a second
Participants with damage to their phonological loop had difficulty repeating back lists of words or numbers, suggesting its importance in short term memory.
Short term memory (STM) - the ability to hold small amounts of information briefly, typically lasting less than 30 seconds
Short term memory (STM) - capacity is limited to around seven items plus/minus two
Multi store memory model
Sensory register - holds sensory information from our environment for about 1/2 a second
Sensory register - information moves into STM if it's deemed important enough by the brain