Memory Flashcards
(75 cards)
Name one limitation of the different types of LTM
P:Might be 2 types of LTM compared to the 3 Tulving suggested.
EV: Cohen+Squire (1980) suggested that declarative(semantic=episodic)=stored together in one LTM.Procedural= in another.
Ex: Episodic+Semantic=stored in 1 declarative memory - both require the same amount of conscious effort to recall- seen as one.
L:Casts doubt on accuracy of Tulvings claim.
State one STRENGTH of the different types of LTM.
P:Diff types memory- stored in DIff parts of the brain (LTM= diff stores)
Ev: Tulving (1994) P’s performed various memory tasks + scanned using PET scan.
Found left-prefrontal cortex=semantic. Right prefrontal cortex =episodic.
Ex: Shows that there is diff physical space for each type of memory.
L:Lends validity to the suggestion that there are 3 diff types of LTM.
State a second strength of the Diff types of LTM
P: Ideas of LTM= have clinical Ev
Ev: Wearing + Molaison have provided usefu information about what happens when memory is damaged.
Ex: Helped researchers understand now memory is supposed to work + put appropriate support in place for people with memory decline.
L: Increase usefulness =applied to real-life problems
State a third STRENGTH of the different types of LTM.
P: Diff types.of LTM→Support From Case Study Research
Ev: Both cases of HM+ Clive Wearing= demonstrate how diff types of LTM can funchion diff.
E.g. HM=asked to draw a star, got better each time-even though he has no memory of doing it.
Ex: LTM is made up of diff types of memony. Procedural= drawing the star. Episodic= memory functioning.
L: Increases the validity= shows that central claims of the theory are true.
Retrieval Failure theory:
What is a ‘Cue’?
A ‘trigger’ or information that allows us to access a memory. Such cues may be meaningful or may be indirectly linked by being encoded at the same time of learning e.g. cues may be external (environmental context) or internal ( mood or degree of drunkenness)
Retrieval Failure Theory:
What is retrieval failure?
A form of forgetting. It occurs when we don’t have the necessary cues to access memory. The memory is available but not accessible unless a suitable cue is provided.
State one Strength of the Retrieval Failure Theory of Forgetting.
P: Retrieval cues can help to overcome forgetting in everyday situations
Ev: many people = experienced being in one room + wanting to get something from another room but forgetting what they went to get once getting to the other room
Ex: Research into use of cues = remind us of what strategies we can use in the real-world to improve recall. Valuable real-world applications.
L: Retrieval Failure = useful explanation
State a second STRENGTH of the retrieval Failure Theory of Forgetting
P: Impressive range of research that supports it.
Ev: Baddley + Godden - Show lack of relevant cues at recall, lead to context-dependant forgetting.
Ex:Research support shows how retrieval failure occurs in real-life situations as welll as the lab.
L: Highly valid explanation of forgetting.
State a LIMITATION of The Retrieval Failure Theory of Forgetting
P: Effects may have been overstated.
Ev:Different contexts have to be very different before effects are seen.
EX:May not actually explain much everyday forgetting, we may need to look into alternative explanations to fully understand it.
L: Lacks value as it isn’t a complete explanation.
State a second LIMITATION of The Retrieval Failure Theory of Forgetting
P: The effects may depend on the type of memory
Ev: Godden+Baddely replicated with recognition test, performance was the same for all 4 conditions.
Ex: Only applies when a person has to recall information rather than recognise it.It is a limited explanation of forgetting.
L: Lacks explanatory power.
EWT:
What is Eye Witness Testimony?
The ability of people to remember the detail of events such as, accidents + crimes, which they themselves have observed. Accuracy of EWT can be affected by factors such as misleading questions, leading questions and anxiety.
EWT:
What are Misleading Questions?
Incorrect information given to an eyewitness usually after the event ( hence called post-event discussion) it can take many forms such as, leading questions and post-event discussions between co-witnesses and\or other people.
EWT:
What are Leading Questions?
A question which, because of the way it is phrased, suggests a certain answer e.g ‘Was the knife in the left hand?’ Suggests the answer is the left hand.
EWT:
What is the research into Misleading Questions?
.Loftus+ Palmer
Aim: They wanted to see if memories of a car accident witness = accurate after the event.
Sample: 45 students
Procedure: Students shown 7 different car accidents. After each they were given a questionnaire about it. The P’s were split into groups of 5, each with a slightly different critical question. Asked ‘About how fat were the cars going when they ___ each other’. The blank = filled in with either hit, smashed, collided, bumped or contacted.
Findings; The mean speed= calculated for each group. Group given ‘smashed’ estimated 41 mph. Group given ‘contacted’ estimated 30 mph.
Conclusion: EWT= generally unreliable. Form of questioning can have a significant effect on eye-witness answers. But this is a lab study, so may not effect the recall of those who witness real-life car crashes.
EWT:
What is Post-event Discussion?
Occurs when there is more than one witness to an event, witnesses may discuss what they have seen with co-witnesses/other people. May influence the accuracy of each witnesses recall of the situation.
EWT:
What is the Research into Post-Event discussion?
Gabbert (2003):
Procedure: Studied P’s in pairs. Each P watched a video of the same crime but filmed at different viewpoints- each P = see different elements in the event that the other couldn’t e.g. one person could see the title of the books the young women was carrying. Both P’s discussed what they saw before individually completing a recall test.
Findings: 71% P’s mistakenly recalled aspects of the event that they hadn’t seen but picked up on post-event discussion. Control group = 0% discussion.
Conclusion: Post-event discussion can lead to memory conformity.
Sate the one STRENGTH of research into EWT and misleading information?
P: Useful real-life applications
Ev: Loftus + Plamer (1975) who found that leading questions can have distorting effects on memory. Police officers need to be more careful on how they phrase questions.
Ex: Findings from research into EWT this area= help real-life work context of people within society.
L: Increase Usefulness of research + external validity.
State one LIMITATION of research into EWT and Misleading Questions?
P: Research into EWT = often has demand characteristics
Ev: Zaragosa + McCloskey (1989)- many answers P’s give in studies of EWT = result of demand characteristics.
Ex: P’s usually don’t want to let the researcher down - appear to be useful = attentive. Guess the answer in especially Yes or No questions.
L: Decreases the internal validity- isn’t their actual response.
State a second LIMITATION of research into EWT and Misleading Questions?
P: Research doesn’t capture individual differences in the accuracy of EWT
EV: Older people= less accurate than younger people - in giving eyewitness reports. Anatasi + Rhodes (2006) people in age groups 18-25 + 35-45 =-17 more accurate than people in groups from 55-78 years old.
EX: All age groups= more accurate when identifying people their own age (own age bias)
L: Research = lack of reliability- mainly uses young people.
State a third LIMITATION for research into EWT and Misleading Questions?
P: Tasks are artificial
EV: P’s watched film clips of car accidents - very diff experience from witnessing a real accident - emotion= influence on memory.
EX: Research evidence used to suggest the importance of misleading information= doesn’t accurately reflect how we use our memory in every day life.
L: Decrease the usefulness of research- tell little about how leading questions affect EWT in real accidents + crimes
Anxiety:
How does anxiety affect recall in eyewitness testimony research?
Johnson and Scott (1976)
Johnson and Scott (1976) study:
Procedure: Led P’s to believe= taking part in a lab study. While P’s sat in a waiting room, they could hear an argument in the next room. Low anxiety condition.-man walked out carrying a pen and with grease on his hands. High anxiety condition.-same argument+ breaking glass. Man walked out with a paper knife that was covered in blood.
Findings: P’s picked out the man from a set of 50 photos. 49% P’s but had identified him. Only 33% P’s that had seen him carrying the knife that was covered in blood identified him. Tunnel theory of memory argues that witness attention narrows focus on a weapon because it is a source of anxiety.
Anxiety:
How does anxiety affect recall in eyewitness testimony?
Yuille and Cutshall (1986)
Procedure: real life shooting in a gun shop in Vancouver Canada. Shop owner shot a thief dead. 21 eye witnesses and 13 agreed to take part in the study. Interviews held for 4 to 5 months after the incident and those were compared with the original police interviews made at the time of the incident. Accuracy.= determined by the number of details reported in each account witnesses also asked to write how stressed they felt at time of incident-7-point scale and asked if they had any emotional problems since the event.e.g. Sleeplessness.
Findings: witnesses= accurate in their own account+ there was little change in the amount of accuracy after six months-some details were less accurate such as a collection of the colour of items-age/height/weight estimates.P’s who reported the highest levels of stress= most accurate (about 88% compared to 75% for the less stressed group)
State one lIMITATION of research into anxiety and EWT?
P: The validity of Johnson+ Scott’s study may be questioned.
EV: Pickel (1998) conducted an experiment using scissors, handgun, wallet or raw chicken= handheld item in hairdressing salon. Scissors= low anxiety+ low unusualness.EWT= poorer-high unusualness conditions(chicken+ handgun)
EX: Might be unusualness not anxiety
L: limitation-Johnson+ Scott might not be measuring anxiety.
State a second Limitation of research into anxiety and EWT ?
P: internal validity of the studies could be questioned
EV: Yuille + Cutshall (1986) researchers interviewed witnesses sometime after the event. Things could have happened to the witness in between-affect memory.e.g. Witnesses may have had discussions with co-witnesses or other people or read information in media= affect memory.
EX: these extraneous variables may be responsible for accuracy of recall rather than anxiety+ factors= impossible to assess by the time P’s are interviewed.
L: lack of control in field studies= problematic when trying to understand the effect of anxiety on EWT.