Memory

Question 1

What is encoding

Answer 1

Changing information so that it can be stored in the brain.

Question 2

State 3 types of encoding

Answer 2

Visual, acoustic, semantic

Question 3

What is visual encoding

Answer 3

How something looks.
For example, ‘seeing’ your house in your mind and counting the number of windows uses visual encoding.

Question 4

What is acoustic encoding

Answer 4

How something sounds.
For example, you can hear the words and music if you think about your favourite song in your head.

Question 5

What is semantic coding

Answer 5

The meaning of something.
For example, if you know what an elephant is and can use ‘elephant’ in a sentence, you are encoding the word by its meaning.

Question 6

What is storage

Answer 6

Holding information in your memory so it can be retrieved at a later point in time.

Question 7

What is retrieval

Answer 7

The process of accessing information that has been stored in your brain and being able to use it.

Question 8

3 different types of retrieval

Answer 8

Recognition relates to identifying something previously learned from a number of options.

Cued recall relates to being given a clue to help you remember.

Free recall is when you remember something without any clue.

Question 9

What was the aim of Baddeleys study

Answer 9

Baddeley aimed to see if there was a difference in the type of encoding used in short-term (STM) and long-term memory (LTM).

Question 10

What was the method of baddeleys study

Answer 10

Method: Four groups of P’s- A, B, C & D. Each were given a word list, read out at a rate of one word per second, then asked to recall the list in the correct order. List A contained acoustically similar words, List B contained acoustically dissimilar words. List C contained semantically similar words, List D contained semantically dissimilar words. Groups A & B recalled the lists immediately, C & D after 20 minutes.

Question 11

What were the results of Baddeley study

Answer 11

Group A recalled fewer words than Group B. Group C recalled fewer words than Group D.
Words with similar sounds were more poorly recalled than words with different sounds in STM.
Words with similar meanings were more poorly recalled than words with different meanings in LTM

Question 12

What conclusion can be drawn from Baddeley

Answer 12

This shows STM is encoded by sound and LTM by meaning.

Question 13

One strength of Baddeley study (of different coding in stm ltm)

Answer 13

A strength of this study is that it was a well controlled experiment (which enhances the validity of the results)
It was conducted within a lab where conditions could carefully be controlled so that no other factors would influence ps ability to recall lists. One important factor that was controlled was , poor hearing by Baddeley giving participants a hearing test.
Therefore we can be more certain that the type of words used was the factor that affected participants’ recall due to the higher level of control

Question 14

2 weaknesses of Baddeley’s study

Answer 14

One weakness is that he overlooked cases where encoding in STM is visual rather than acoustic.
Baddeley used quite artificial stimulation (his words lists). If different stimuli were used STM may not always be acoustic. Brandimonte el al (1992) found that Ps used visual encoding in STM when processing visual info.
Therefore stm is not always acoustic

Another weakness is Baddeley may not have been testing LTM at all
In the studyLTM was tested by waiting for 20 minutes. There are many things that we remember for 20 mins but have forgotten by the next day so recall after 20 mins may not really be LTM
Therefore Baddeley may not have actually been testing what he claimed to be testing

Question 15

What is Long Term Memory LTM

Answer 15

These are memories that last a week, month, year or even a lifetime. There are three types of LTM. Episodic semantic and procedural

Question 16

What is episodic memory

Answer 16

Memory for events from your life and what you have done.
For example, your birthday party when you were 10.

Question 17

What is semantic memory

Answer 17

Memory about what things mean (your own encyclopaedia).
For example, knowing that the capital of France is Paris.

Question 18

What is procedural memory

Answer 18

Memory of how to do things. We struggle to consciously explain how to perform these skills but can still do them anyway.
For example, driving a car.

Question 19

What is a strength of dividing LTM into different types (specific locations of the brain )

Answer 19

One strength is that brain scans have shown separate locations in the brain for each of the three types of memory, supporting the idea of different kinds of memory.
If the three types of memory are different then each should have a specific location and researchers have found support for this e.g episodic memory is associated with the right prefrontal area
Semantic is the left prefrontal area
And procedural is associated with he motor area which controls fine motor skills

This research is supported by case studies of amnesic patients.
For example, Clive Wearing lost most of his episodic memory but not his procedural memory as he could still play the piano.
This again shows that there are different types of LTM.

Question 20

Yay

Answer 20

This research is supported by case studies of amnesic patients.
For example, Clive Wearing lost most of his episodic memory but not his procedural memory as he could still play the piano.
This again shows that there are different types of LTM.

Question 21

A weakness of dividing LTM

Answer 21

It’s not that simple A weakness is that distinctive types of LTM are difficult to separate.
There isn’t a clear difference between episodic and semantic memories because memories are usually a mixture of types. E.g your semantic knowledge of your fav singer is closely linked to experiences of seeing him sing which is episodic
Therefore having separate types of LTM may be an oversimplification.