Long term memory systems Flashcards
(18 cards)
What are the two types of declarative memory in long term memory?
Episodic and semantic memory
These types involve conscious recollection.
What is procedural memory classified as?
Non-declarative memory
It does not involve conscious recollection, such as riding a bike.
What is the significance of the case of HM in understanding memory?
Demonstrates distinction between short-term and long-term memory
HM had good episodic memory prior to surgery but could not form new long-term memories after removal of parts of the left temporal lobe.
What does the primacy effect refer to?
Better recall of words at the beginning of a list
It occurs because these words are rehearsed and transferred to long-term memory.
What does the recency effect refer to?
Better recall of words at the end of a list
These words are still in short-term memory.
What is the spacing effect?
Improved memory when material is spaced and distributed
Compared to massed learning.
How does the levels of processing affect memory?
More meaningful information is more memorable
Because it is more distinctive.
What is the expecting to teach effect?
Recall is better when students expect to teach the material
This indicates that preparation for teaching enhances memory.
What misconception do people often have about memory?
That memory works like a video camera that records everything
This belief ignores the reconstructive nature of memory.
What is the forgetting curve?
A pattern where forgetting is rapid initially and then slows down
Supported by studies such as Hirst et al. (2015) on memory of facts about 9/11.
What does the term ‘Permastore’ refer to? (Bahrick, 1984)
Very long-term stable memories
It is influenced by how well the material was originally learned.
What is the main finding from the War of the Ghosts study?
Information is reconstructed based on expectations and pre-existing schemas
People do not recall stories verbatim but adapt them.
Define schema.
A stored framework or body of knowledge about a topic
Schemas help in understanding new information and guiding interpretations.
How do schemas affect recall?
They influence what details are remembered or omitted
For example, gender schemas can lead to recalling gender-consistent actions more often.
What effect do leading questions have on memory recall?
They can distort memory. loftus and palmer ⇒ smashed/ contacted etc - how fast estimated the cars were going .
Example: Loftus and Palmer’s experiment with different verbs like ‘smashed’ or ‘contacted’.
What is post-event misinformation?
Information presented after an event that can alter memory.
Example: Whether a stop sign or yield sign was present affects recall accuracy.
What is memory conformity?
Witnesses recall details they did not see due to discussion with others. 71% of witnesses had mistakenly recalled at least one detail that they wouldn’t have seen but they claimed they witnessed .
In studies, 71% of pairs mistakenly recalled details they could not have seen.
What is the semanticisation of episodic memory?
Forgetting the personal and original contextual information of an initially episodic memory - becomes a schematic representation
