Cognitive psychology

Question 1

What does Bartletts theory of reconstructive memory suggest?

Answer 1

Our memory is not like a tape recorder, we dont accuratley recall things from our long term memory. Instead our memory is reconstructed every time it’s recalled.

Question 2

What is Bartletts schema theory?

Answer 2

They are mental representations about a specfic event or object that we use as a template for any new events/experinces. Also may use them as a way to fill in gaps in memory recall.

Question 3

What is confabulation according to the Schema Theory?

Answer 3

How we fill in gaps in our recalling of memorys based on our schema e.g remebering hearing a bang after seeing 2 cars collide behind soundproof glass

Question 4

What is Rationalisation according to the Schema Theory?

Answer 4

How we make sense of info based on our schema and make a situation fit in a way we think is rational even if that isnt what happened.

Question 5

What is the Sensory memory according to MSM?

Answer 5

Info is put into our sesory register through our senses and is encoded for a limited amount of time. It will be held for about 2 seconds but if the infomation is attended too it will pass into short term.

Question 6

What is the short term memory according to MSM?

Answer 6

A store of a limited amount of items (7 +or- 2) by sound. lasts around 15-30 seconds. If it is not rehearsed then it is lost.

Question 7

What is the long term memory according to MSM?

Answer 7

In the long term memory we can hold an infinite amount of information forever. It is stored semantically, visually or auditory. Information can also decay over time.

Question 8

What is 2 positives of Multi-store memory theory?

Answer 8

It is reductionist as it can give simple view of memory. It can provide useful predictions about how memory.

Case study of HM found when hippocampus damaged he couldn’t make new memories in STM but could recall LTM from his past showing they are 2 different stores.

Question 9

What are 2 criticisms of Multi-store memory?

Answer 9

It does not consider individual differences as it doesn’t explain why people remember things differently to other people lowers validity.

Baddley said LTM not unitary store, Visio spatial sketch pad and central executive, so not complete explanation of memory.

Question 10

What was the aim of Baddeley’s 1966 study?

Answer 10

The affect of acoustic and semantically similar an dissimlar words on the STM and LTM.

Question 11

How many people took part in Baddleys 1966 study?

Answer 11

72 men and women from the applied psychology research panel in Cambridge.

Question 12

What types of words did Baddley use in their study?

Answer 12

Acoustically similar words like cad and cat, dissimilar ones like pit or cow.

Used semantically similar words like big large and dissimlar words like hot and old.

Question 13

What was the procedure of baddleys study?

Answer 13

There was four trails for the a word list.
These were Presented one word every 3 seconds.
Then a distraction task and then they recalled the list of words in order
Then a 15 min digit copying task.
Then a final surprise of words in correct order

Question 14

What were the results of Baddleys study?

Answer 14

Intial learning harder for accoustically simlar words compared the dissimlar words in STM, but when words were in LTM no big difference.
Semantically similar words had slower learning and recall in surprise retest than dissimilar ones.

Question 15

What was the conclusion of Baddleys study?

Answer 15

LTM is impaired by sematic similarity as LTM uses semantic coding alot.

Info will be encoded acoustically for STM but has to be given semantic meaning to pass into LTM.

Question 16

What is a episodic memory according to Tulvings theory?

Answer 16

It is autobiographical so contains events and experiences and dates and times that relate to them. This can all be encoded in ways like smells, sights and sounds. e.g Holidays, days out, school

Question 17

How are episodic memories encoded?

Answer 17

Encoded to how they are experienced. The context and senses experinced at the place when the memory took place can also be used to help recall the memory. This is means it is cue dependent.

Question 18

What is a semantic memory according to Tulvings theory?

Answer 18

They help relate meanings we attach to words symbols or language. They are not organised into when and where they were encoded and are unlikley to chnage with recall. Stored in LTM. e.g 2+2=4 or capital cities.

Question 19

What is some supporting evidence of Episodic and Semantic memory theory?

Answer 19

Baddley’s scuba diving, they found that when the divers learned and recalled words underwater and on land that they performed twice as well when thye recalled the words in the place they learned them.

Also case study of KF who had a motorbike accident. Couldn’t recall personal life events but could recall factual information showing two different stores of LTM.

Question 20

What are the Baddeley and Hitch Working Memory Models 3 different components?

Answer 20

The centeral executive which runs the memory system by supervising and controlling info

the phonological loop which controls and holds sound info

visuospatial sketchpad which deals with visual and spatial info.

Question 21

What is Bartletts supporting evidence of his theory?

Answer 21

Tested recall of “war of the ghosts” story from soon afterwards till up to a year later. Found participants rationalised parts of the story based on their culture eg “died at sunset instead of sunrise” and participants shortened and added new details to the story.

Question 22

What is a weakness of Bartletts reconstructive memory theory?

Answer 22

Wyn and Logie found when a memory is personal like their first day of university it can be recalled accurately up to 6 months later suggesting memories can be accurate when personal.

Question 23

What are 2 weaknesses of Tulvings episodic and semantic memory theory?

Answer 23

Case of study of HM: he couldn’t recall long term episodic memories but could remember how to play the piano showing another type of memory store relating to skills
Much of the supporting evidence uses artificial tasks eg word recall in lab so low eco val and can’t generalise results about memory’s stores to real world

Question 24

What are the components of the phonological loop?

Answer 24

Deals with auditory information made do two separate components:
The primary acoustic store holds auditory traces which decays if not rehearsed

The articularory loops deals with rehearsing auditory traces by talking through the info in your head.

Question 25

What are the components of the visuospatial sketch pad?

Answer 25

Holds the info we see and spatial info like anything using spatial awareness eg finding your way through a building and is limited capacity

Two parts: visual cache dealing with form and colour and inner scribe dealing with retrieval and rehearsal.

Question 26

What are 2 supporting points of working memory model?

Answer 26

Baddleys study found phonological loop can explain why it’s difficult to remember similar sounding words as it relies on acoustic storage.

Case study of KF found that damage to his STM affected his processing of verbal information but not visual supporting idea they are separate components.

Sebastian Gil supports phonological loop :)

Question 27

What are some weaknesses of working memory model?

Answer 27

Lieberman criticises as blind people have spatial memory even though they can’t see suggesting VSSP should have 2 different components
Episodic buffer added later which also shows it is an incomplete model as not full explanation of STM

Question 28

What are components of the central executive?

Answer 28

Controls and supervises other parts of working memory.
Limited capacity and can deal with different types of sensory info
Later updated with episodic buffer drawing info from long term to central executive.

Question 29

What was the aim of Sebastian and Hernandez Gil study?

Answer 29

Study development of phononogical loops of children aged 5-17 using digit span as measure of capacity.
Also wanted to compare findings to dementia patient and Spanish speakers.

Question 30

What was the sample of Sebastian Hernandez Gil study?

Answer 30

570 volunteer participants from schools in Madrid. All native Spanish and impairments in hearing, reading and writing controlled.

Question 31

What was the procedure of Sebastian Hernandez Gil study “?

Answer 31

Participants in 5 diff age groups. Read increasing sequence of digits to recall at a rate of one per second.

Primary data collected in maximum number of digits recalled and secondary data from their previous 2010 study of dementia patients.

Question 32

What were the results of Sebastian Hernandez Gil study?

Answer 32

They found standard deviation for 5 years old was .52 compared to .84 for boys 15-17.

Question 33

Why did researchers study HM?

Answer 33

Doctors removed his hippocampus to treat his epilepsy which resulted him not being able to create new long term memories.

Question 34

What was the method of HM case study?

Answer 34

Over 55 years he completed memory tests like crosswords, interviews and an MRI scan and IQ test.
They identified he had retrograde amnesia

Question 35

What were the results of HM study?

Answer 35

He could not encode new memories and could only learn something up to 30 secs showing it was only in STM.

He had some semantic memories eg remembering showing he had some semantic memories but he couldn’t make new ones.

He also couldn’t form episodic memories like knowing if his parents were alive
However he could learn new motor skills like using a walking frame but wasn’t aware of it happening (subconscious)

Question 36

What was the conclusion of HM study?

Answer 36

Supports MSM of memory as shows there is diff stores of memories.

Showed STM is 15-30 secs long as this is how long HM could hold new info

Showed LTM is separate store as can access memories from before surgery but not make new ones.

Question 37

What are two strengths of HM case study?

Answer 37

HM Studied over 55 years so increases accuracy as his memory repeatedly tested over time.
Useful study as helps understand how hippocampus works in relation to STM and LTM in a study which would be unethical today.

Question 38

What are two weakness of HM’s study?

Answer 38

It is a case study so can’t generalise results about hippocampus and memory to wider population
May have been researcher bias as he study over 55 years so researchers may become attached and be less objective.

Question 39

A01 should eye witness testimony still be allowed to be used as evidence in a court of law?

Answer 39

1) EWT is info given to police about what witness recalls about the crime so needs to be accurate to make convictions safe
2) Case of Ron Cotton who got 11 years for rape based on wrong EWT got released due to DNA
3) 2011 1/3rd of wrongful convictions become homeless due to no support leading to re-offending
4) Devlin report says EWT shouldn’t be used as only evidence in court

Question 40

A02 should eye witness testimony still be allowed to be used as evidence in a court of law?

Answer 40

Episodic memory says we need cues to trigger memories but when recalling crime in police station no cues so EWT may be inaccurate

Reconstructive memory says what we witness may be changed to match the schema of the person of what they expect to happen at a crime so EWT not reliable in court

WMM says visual and sound information can be processed at same time through the Visio spatial sketch pad and phonological loop so EWT should be reliable to be used in court

MSM would say info from witness needs to be rehearsed to move to LTM to use in courtroom so if witness has rehearsed it then would be accurate

Question 41

What was the aim of your experiment in cognitive psychology?

Answer 41

Investigate wether processing words deeply by meaning will be better recall than processing shallowly by psychical features.

Question 42

What was the conclusion of Sebastian Hernandez Gil study?

Answer 42

Digit span increases with age- occurs when sub-vocalising happens at age 7

Compared to previous findings about Anglo Saxons, digit span in Spanish pop shorter than Anglo Saxon pop (longer syllables)

Poor digit span is results of aging not dementia

Question 43

What are 2 strengths of Sebastian Hernandez Gil study?

Answer 43

High in controls as used native Spanish speakers and impairments in hearing reading and writing controlled- less extraneous variables

Independent measures design- each age group only took part in one section of the study so reduces demand characteristics as cant guess aim of study

Question 44

What are 2 weaknesses of Sebastian Hernandez Gil study?

Answer 44

Low population validity- only used schools in Madrid so can’t generalise results about phonological loop to rest of Europe

Low eco val- artificial task of recalling numbers in lab setting so behaviour may not be representative of how phonological loop works in real world