Key terms

Question 1

capacity

Answer 1

the amount of information that can be stored

Question 2

duration

Answer 2

the length of time information can be held in the memory store

Question 3

coding

Answer 3

the format in which information is stored in the memory stores. its the process of converting information from one format to another

Question 4

LTM

Answer 4

your memory for events that have happened in the past from anywhere between 2 minutes to 100 years ago. it is the permanent memory store

Question 5

STM

Answer 5

your memory for immediate events, which disappear if not rehearsed

Question 6

episodic memory

Answer 6

a type of LTM. this is our ability to recall personal life events (like an episode). this is time stamped

Question 7

semantic memory

Answer 7

a type of LTM. this is a store containing our knowledge of the world such as how to speak English. this is not time stamped

Question 8

procedural memory

Answer 8

a type of LTM. this is a store for our knowledge of how to so things (e.g. our motor skills). this is not time stamped

Question 9

interference

Answer 9

forgetting because one memory disrupts another, causing one or both memories to be distorted or forgotten

Question 10

proactive interference

Answer 10

forgetting occurs when older memories disrupt the recall of newer memories. when the memories are similar they are more likely to be forgotten

Question 11

retroactive interference

Answer 11

forgetting occurs when newer memories disrupt the recall of older memories. (the name refers to which memory is forgotten)

Question 12

retrieval failure

Answer 12

a form of forgetting that occurs when we dont have the necessary cues to access memory. the memory is available but not accessible

Question 13

cue

Answer 13

a ‘trigger’ of information that allows us to access a memory. indirect cues can be environmental, and internal cues can be mood or senses

Question 14

encoding specificity principle

Answer 14

the cue must be the same at encoding as in retrieval. if the cues are different or absent things will most likely be forgotten - Endel Tulving 1983

Question 15

eyewitness testimony

Answer 15

the ability of people to remember the details of events, such as accidents and crimes, which they themselves have observed. the accuracy can be affected by things like anxiety or misleading information

Question 16

misleading information

Answer 16

incorrect information given to an eyewitness usually after the event (can be called post event information).

Question 17

leading question

Answer 17

a question which, because of the way it is phrased suggests a certain answer

Question 18

post event discussion

Answer 18

PED occurs when there is more than one witness to an event. witnesses may discuss what they have seen with co-witnesses or other people. this can influence accuracy

Question 19

response-bias explanation

Answer 19

the words in a leading question influences how the participants choose their answer (estimate higher or lower than they would with a different question)

Question 20

substitution explanation

Answer 20

a leading question changes a participants memory e.g. in Loftus and Palmer study, people who heard “smashed” were more likely to report seeing broken glass when there was none than people who heard “hit”

Question 21

cognitive interview def

Answer 21

a method of interviewing eye witnesses to help them retrieve more accurate memories