Memory Flashcards
What is a limitation of Peterson & Peterson’s research into STM duration?
Their study used meaningless trigrams and a backwards counting task, which lack ecological and mundane realism.
+However: being a lab study increased internal validity by controlling extraneous variables.
What is a strength of Bahrick’s study into long-term memory?
Bahrick’s study tested memory of classmates, which reflects real-life memory use, making it high in ecological validity.
+It’s more generalisable to everyday life than lab-based memory studies.
What is a limitation of Miller’s research into STM capacity?
Miller suggested the STM capacity is 7±2 items, but Nelson Cowan argued it’s closer to 4±1 chunks, suggesting Miller overestimated.
What is a strength of Jacobs’ digit span study?
Jacobs’ research has been replicated many times and consistently shows similar results.
+This increases its validity and reliability as a test of STM capacity.
What research supports the MSM’s idea of separate memory stores?
HM (Henry Molaison) had his hippocampus removed and could no longer form new long-term memories, but his STM was intact.
+Glanzer & Cunitz found the primacy and recency effect, suggesting separate STM and LTM.
What research challenges the MSM’s idea of unitary STM and LTM?
KF could recall verbal info poorly when heard, but visual info was intact, suggesting separate STM stores.
+Clive Wearing could play piano (procedural LTM) but couldn’t remember life events (episodic LTM), suggesting LTM isn’t one store.
What does Craik & Lockhart’s research say about rehearsal in MSM?
They found elaborative rehearsal (meaningful processing) leads to better recall than maintenance rehearsal, challenging MSM’s view that repetition alone transfers info to LTM.
What is a real-world application of the MSM?
MSM informs revision strategies like rehearsal and repetition, helping students improve learning.
+This gives it real-world value, especially in education.
What research supports different types of LTM?
Tulving et al. (1994) found episodic and semantic memories activated different sides of the prefrontal cortex.
+However: Buckner & Peterson found opposite activation patterns, showing inconsistency.
What does Clive Wearing’s case tell us about types of LTM?
Clive Wearing lost episodic memory but retained procedural memory (e.g. piano playing).
+This supports Tulving’s theory of separate LTM stores.
How is LTM theory applied in real life?
Reminiscence therapy uses cues like photos or music to help Alzheimer’s patients recall episodic memories, showing LTM types can be targeted for treatment.
What is a limitation of evidence for types of LTM?
Much of the evidence (e.g. HM, Clive Wearing) comes from case studies, which may not generalise.
+However: similar patterns across cases support the validity of distinct LTM stores.
What case study supports the WMM?
KF (Shallice & Warrington) could recall visual info but not verbal when heard aloud, suggesting damage to phonological loop, but intact visuo-spatial sketchpad
What research supports WMM through dual-task performance?
Baddeley (1975) found participants struggled with two visual tasks, but not with one visual and one verbal task, supporting separate STM systems.
+However: tasks were artificial, reducing ecological validity.
How does the WMM apply to real life?
It helps explain reading and language problems.
+Children with poor phonological loops may benefit from hearing instructions aloud.
What is a major criticism of the WMM?
The central executive is vague and poorly defined.
+Baddeley admitted it’s the “least understood” component.
What research supports interference theory?
McGeoch & McDonald found that recall was worst when learning two similar word lists (e.g. synonyms), supporting retroactive interference.
How does real-world research support interference?
Baddeley & Hitch found rugby players forgot games based on how many they played in between, not how long ago they happened.
+Supports interference in natural settings.
What is a limitation of interference theory?
Tulving & Psotka found that forgetting was temporary — when cues were given, recall returned.
+Suggests retrieval failure may be a better explanation.
How do drug studies support interference theory?
Van Luijelaar found that participants who took sedatives after learning recalled info better, suggesting less interference = better memory.
What research supports context-dependent forgetting?
Godden & Baddeley found divers recalled more when tested in the same environment they learned in (e.g. underwater).
+However: effects don’t apply to recognition tasks.
What supports state-dependent forgetting?
Goodwin (1969) found that participants recalled better when they were in the same internal state (e.g. drunk or sober) as when they learned the info.
How is retrieval failure used in real life?
The cognitive interview uses mental context reinstatement to improve memory recall in eyewitnesses.
+This shows practical benefits of cue-dependent memory.
What is a limitation of retrieval failure?
Cues mostly help with free recall, not recognition.
+This limits retrieval failure as a complete explanation of forgetting.
