Core Studies - Cognitive Psychology Section A’s - Memory

Question 1

Identify the two types of tests undertaken by participants to assess their memory in Grant’s study. (2)

Answer 1

• Multiple choice recognition test
• Short answer recall questions

Question 2

Draw one conclusion from the findings of Grant’s study (2)

Answer 2

Great concluded that memory is improved due to context dependency and if you encode information in silence you should recall the information in silence in order to get the best results for the output of memory

Question 3

From Loftus and Palmer’s study, describe what kinds of information go into an individual’s memory for a complex occurrence (4)

Answer 3

• Post event information such as how we are asked to recall information
• Our expectations of what we anticipate would have happened

Question 4

From Loftus and Palmer’s study describe one way the information the participants received after viewing the traffic accidents influenced their memory (2)

Answer 4

They were given a critical question containing one of 5 critical verbs concerning the speed the vehicles were traveling when they either smashed, contacted, bumped, hit or collided

Question 5

From Grant’s study describe two ways the assessment of memory was standardised (2)

Answer 5

• All participants wore headphones whether they were in the silent or noisy condition
• All participants were given a multiple choice recognition test and a short answer recall test after the learning phase

Question 6

From Grant’s study identify the type of data recorded in this study (1)

Answer 6

Quantitative data was gathered

Question 7

From Grant’s study suggest one strength of the data recorded in this study (2)

Answer 7

Quantitative data is gathered therefore we can objectively compare results and check for consistency which increases internal reliability

Question 8

From Grant’s study describe how Grant used the independent measures design in his study (2)

Answer 8

Participants were placed in 4 conditions with either matched and mismatched conditions of silent and noisy. Each participant only experienced one condition

Question 9

From Grant’s study, explain one weakness of using an independent measures design for this study (2)

Answer 9

• P: One weakness of using an independent measures design is that internal validity is reduced due to the impact of individual differences
• E: For example, some participants may have a higher IQ than others. Therefore, this may have an impact on their score on the multiple choice and short answers test.

Question 10

From Grant’s study describe how the sample was obtained in this study (2)

Answer 10

The 8 experimenters used opportunity sampling as they each recruited 5 acquaintances to take part in the study however one participant’s results were omitted

Question 11

From Grant’s study suggest one way in which the sample may be biased (2)

Answer 11

Since opportunity sampling was used to gather participants there is a possibility that the experimenters chose acquaintances with higher IQ’s and is therefore not representative of all students

Question 12

From Loftus and Palmer’s study describe why Loftus and Palmer’s study is considered a laboratory experiment (2)

Answer 12

In both experiments the IV is manipulated and the DV is measured ad an artificial environment is set up for the purpose of the study

Question 13

From Loftus and Palmer’s study explain one weakness of using a laboratory experiment for this study (2)

Answer 13

Since a lab experiment is used there is low ecological validity. For example, participants were asked to watch videos of car accidents which is therefore not representative of how memory is reconstructed when participants actually witness a car crash

Question 14

From Loftus and Palmer’s first experiment into eye witness testimony. Identify the independent variable and the dependent variable (3)

Answer 14

• The independent variable was the critical verb used to describe the incident ( smashed, collided, hit, bumped, contacted)
• The dependent variable was the participant’s estimated speed the cars were going in mph

Question 15

Identify the research design used in Grant’s study into context dependent memory (1)

Answer 15

Independent measures design

Question 16

From the study by Loftus and Palmer on eye witness testimony. Outline two was in which the procedure was standardised (4)

Answer 16

• All participants watched the same 7 clips of traffic accidents
• All participants were given a questionnaire after watching the 7 clips which included the critical question. The only difference was the critical verb used in the critical question ( bumped, hit, smashed, collided, contacted)

Question 17

Name the experimental design used in Loftus and Palmer’s study (1)

Answer 17

Independent measures design

Question 18

Outline one weakness of the way the sample was organised in Loftus and Palmer’s forest experiment (2)

Answer 18

Participant’s used in the study were Loftus’ students therefore there is a potential bias in which students would have been aware of Loftus’ interest in reconstructive memory

Question 19

Outline one weakness of the type of data collected in Loftus and Palmer’s study (3)

Answer 19

• P: There was a lack of qualitative analysis concerning the data gathered in Loftus and Palmer’s study so there is reduced internal validity
• E: For example, in experiment 1 we are not aware why participants in the ‘smashed’ critical verb condition had a mean estimate speed of 40.5mph and a mean estimate speed of 31.8mph in the ‘contacted’ critical verb condition
• C: This is a weakness for there is a lack of insight into why this behavior has occurred and therefore our ability to establish cause and effect is limited

Question 20

Outline one conclusion that was drawn from Loftus and Palmer’s study (2)

Answer 20

• Memories are constructed from what we actually perceive as happening at the time and the information which is later received and incorporated into our memories
• Eyewitness accounts of events may not be reliable sources of information especially when leading questions were asked

Question 21

Explain one way in which the procedure of Grant’s study into memory increased the reliability of the research (3)

Answer 21

• P: The procedure used in Grant’s study was highly standardised
• E: For example, all participants wore headphones in the noisy and silent conditions and all participants completed a multiple choice recognition test and a short answer recall test after reading the same article on psychoimmunology
• C: This increases internal reliability as the procedure can be easily replicated in different cultural or social contexts