long term memory lect 3

Question 1

what are the 3 key determinant for LTM

Answer 1

levels of processing
elaboration of processing
distinctiveness

Question 2

what are the 2 assumptions of levels of processing

Answer 2

craik and lockhart 1972
-levels of processing effect: level or depth of stimulus processing has a large effect on its memorability
-deeper levels of analysis produce more elaborate longer lasting and stronger memory traces than shallow levels

Question 3

research for levels of processing

Answer 3

-compared deep vs shallow processing
-in deep processing pp asked does the word fit into the sentence “he was a ____ on the street”, requires process of meaning
-in shallow process cond pp asked is the word printed in capital letters, only requires identity of physical characteristics, not meaning
-recognition memory was higher in deep processing cond

Question 4

what is the elaboration of processing

Answer 4

studied by using complex sentences which require greater elaboration than simple sentences which require less

Question 5

study for elaboration processing

Answer 5

challis 1996
-studied levels of processing effect comparison between explicit memory and implicit memory
-explicit memory: memory that involves conscious recollection of info
-implicit memory: memory that does not depend on conscious recollection
-the levels of processing effect was greater in the case of explicit memory

Question 6

what is distinctiveness

Answer 6

memory trace differs from another memory trace bc it was processed differently during learning

Question 7

study for distinctiveness

Answer 7

eysenk and eysenk 1980
-distinctiveness processing cond pronounce ‘b’ in ‘comb’
-non distinctiveness processing cond pronounce comb normally with silent ‘b’
-pp asked to say noun either in distinctive or non distinctive way
-recognition memory higher in distinctive cond as it was shallow processing involved (no meaning)

Question 8

what is forgetting

Answer 8

process by which memories are lost

Question 9

how is some info lost from memory

Answer 9

ebbinghaus
-studied forgetting from LTM using method of savings
-measured amount of time/ no of trials to learn certain amount of info
-looked into how long it takes to re learn info after period of forgetting
-learning lists of nonsense syllables, then re learned each list between 21mins and 31 days after
-took less time to remember the second time compared to first
-savings method example: 50% savings = took half amount of time to learn info the 2nd time

Question 10

can forgetting be beneficial

Answer 10

yes:
-can enhance psych wellbeing by reducing access to painful memories
-may be useful to forget outdated info so it doesnt interfere with current info
-when trying to remember info may be helpful to forget specific details and focus on overall gist of the message

Question 11

what are the theories of forgetting

Answer 11

decay
interference
motivated forgetting

Question 12

what is decay

Answer 12

-forgetting from LTM bc of decay normally happens in sleep
-decay process especially active in hippocampus
-impact of decay may depend on nature of memory trace
-forgetting of weak memories normally due to interference not decay

Question 13

what are the 2 types of interference

Answer 13

proactive: previously learnt information interferes with learning of new information e.g you already know how to play piano and this interferes with you learning how to play the guitar (coleman 2015)

retroactive: learning a new task/information interferes with memory of old information e.g you get a new phone number meaning you now cannot remember your old number (coleman 2015)

Question 14

study for proactive interference

Answer 14

Bauml and Kliegl 2013
-pp given word pair lists to recall
-in testing phase only first word of pair provided e.g cat-
-in remember cond only given 2 lists of word pairs and had to recall words only from 2nd test
-if pp recall from 1st list this demonstrates proactive interference
-in forget cond, pp told to learn two lists as before but forget the first list
-in control cond, the pp only learn 1 list so no possibility of interference
-in forget and control cond, pp recalled 68% compared to 41% in remember cond

Question 15

study for retroactive interference

Answer 15

bauml and kliegl 2013
-pp presented with 2 lists of word pairs
-in test phase, only tested on 1st list
-if pp answer from 2nd list this demonstrates retroactive interference as more recent info interfered in remembering initial word list

Question 16

what is motivated forgetting and what are the 3 types

Answer 16

by freud
-we block traumatic memories to reduce anxiety
types: repression, directed forgetting, cue dependent forgetting

Question 17

what is repression

Answer 17

-a defence mechanism according to freud
-we block threatening memories from gaining access to conscious mind to reduce anxiety
-recovered memories: childhood traumatic memories forgotten for several yrs then remembered in adult life
-loftus and davies 2006: most recovered memories are false memories

Question 18

what is directed forgetting

Answer 18

reduced LTM caused by instructions to forget info that had been presented for learning
-potential mechanisms: direct or rehearsal process, inhibitory processes

Question 19

what is cue dependent forgetting

Answer 19

forgetting may happen bc we lack appropriate retrieval cue e.g if you have forgotten name of someone you know but if given choice of 4 names you can probably perform better than chance
-Tulving 1979: notion that retrieval depends on the overlap between the info available at retrieval and the info in the memory trace

Question 20

what are the 4 LTM systems

Answer 20

schacter and tulving 1994
-episodic memory
-semantic memory
-procedural memory
-perceptual representation system

Question 21

what evidence is there for multiple memory systems

Answer 21

amnesia: cond caused by brain damage where there is severe impairment of LTM

korsakoff’s syndrome: amnesia caused by chronic alcoholism

Question 22

what does amnesic syndrome involve

Answer 22

-anterograde amnesia: impaired ability to learn and remember info encountered after onset of amnesia, generally effects declarative not procedural

-retrograde amnesia: problems remembering events prior to amnesia onset

-slight impaired STM: measured by digit span

-some remaining learning ability e.g motor skills

Question 23

what is declarative (explicit memory)

Answer 23

form of LTM involving knowing something is the case
-involves conscious recollection and includes memory for facts (semantic) and events (episodic)

Question 24

how was declarative memory discovered

Answer 24

by studying amnesia

Question 25

what is episodic memory

Answer 25

-part of declarative memory
–personal experiences of events that occurred in given place at given time

Question 26

what is semantic memory

Answer 26

-part of declarative memory
-general knowledge about world, concepts, languages etc, LTM for factual info

Question 27

what is non declarative (implicit memory)

Answer 27

-does not involve conscious recollection
-involves memory systems that do not draw on factual info

Question 28

what are the 4 forms of non declarative memory

Answer 28

procedural: memory for skills e.g piano, riding bike
priming: facilitating process of and response to stim by presenting stim related to it shortly beforehand
simple classic cond
habituation sensitisation

Question 29

what part of LTM do amnesic patients find it harder to remember

Answer 29

declarative

Question 30

henry molaison

Answer 30

-had epilepsy, treated by surgery removing medial temporal lobes, including hippocampus
-cog ability, STM, and memory of events long time before surgery were good
-severe impairment of LTM e.g could not recognise pic of himself
-found it much harder to store declarative memories but still had reasonable ability for non declarative memories
-supports idea of multiple LTM systems

Question 31

breakdown of LTM

Answer 31

LTM
declarative non declarative
episodic semantic procedural priming etc

Question 32

tulving 2002, what does episodic memory make it possible to do?

Answer 32

mentally time travel through subjective time from present to past allowing one to re experience previous experiences

Question 33

what are the 3 Ws to episodic memory

Answer 33

Nairne 2015
-what when where

Question 34

what is semantic dementia

Answer 34

patients who exhibit very poor semantic memory by reasonably intact episodic memory
-involves damage to anterior temporal lobes

Question 35

what are the 2 main types of memory tests

Answer 35

recognition and recall

Question 36

what is a recognition memory test

Answer 36

presenting various items and pp decide whether each was shown previously

Question 37

what are the types of recall memory tests

Answer 37

serial recall: test of episodic mem where previously presented items must be recalled in order of presentation

free recall: previously presented items recalled in any order

cued recall: previously presented items recalled in response to relevant cues

Question 38

what is eye witness testimony

Answer 38

coleman 2015 (EWT)
-evidence of events that occurred, actions that were performed or words spoken, given in court by a person who observed the events/actions first hand or heard the words being spoken

Question 39

why can an EWT be inaccurate?

Answer 39

confirmation bias
misinformation effect
weapon focus phenomenon
own age bias
unconscious transference
other race effect

Question 40

what is confirmation bias

Answer 40

eyewitness memory distorted by previous experience
-Lindholm and Christianson 1998: swedish and immigrant students watched simulated robbery, expectations of pp in this study may have been influenced by fact that immigrants are over represented in swedish crime stats

Question 41

what is the misinformation effect

Answer 41

-distorting effect on eyewitness memory of misleading info presented after crime or event
-loftus and palmer 1974: about how fast were the cars going when they smashed (41mph) or hit (34mph) each other

Question 42

what is the weapon focus effect

Answer 42

eyewitness pay so much attention to weapon they ignore other details and cannot remember them subsequently

Question 43

what is own age bias

Answer 43

tendency for eyewitness to identify culprit more often when they are of similar age to them

Question 44

what is unconscious transference

Answer 44

tendency of eyewitness to misidentify a familiar but innocent face as being the person responsible of crime

Question 45

what is the other race effect

Answer 45

recognition memory for same race faces is generally more accurate than for other race faces