MEMORY Flashcards
(24 cards)
What are the three ways information is encoded in our memory
Acoustic= holding sound information
Visual= holding images
Semantic= holding meaning of information
Describe the short term memory
(duration, capacity, type of encoding)
Temporary store
-Lasts for 18 seconds
-Holds about seven items of info
-Encodes information acoustically through repetition of information
Describe long term memory
(duration, capacity, type of encoding)
-Can last for minutes or up to a lifetime
-Hold potentially unlimited amount of information
-largely semantic but can be visual or acoustic
How do we forget in short term and long term memory
Short term memory=displacement
-when new memory pushes out older information as we exceed limited capacity
Long term memory
-some memories simply decay
-others can be overwritten by new information (interference)
-or we cannot find the memory because we lost the link
What is Anterograde Amnesia
-Inability to store any new long term memories.
-Has intact short term memory so can process sensory information but cannot last beyond a few minutes
What is Retrograde Amnesia
-When a patient cannot remember information from before the injury
-Can be specific to one memory or limited to a specific time frame.
What are schemas
Mental representations of the world based on ones own personal experience
What are the ways Bartlett said memory is recalled
Omission- We leave out unfamiliar, irrelevant, or unpleasant details when remembering something
Transformations- Details are changed to make them more familiar and rational
Familiarization- We change unfamiliar details to align our own schema
Rationalization- We add details when remembering to give a reason for something that may not have originally fitted with a schema
Strengths and Weaknesses of Bartletts theory
S- Real- world application to understand why witnesses recall a crime differently
S- Used folk stories which is a realistic use of memory so ecologically valid
W- Subjective as he gave his own interpretations
W- Did not use standardized procedures and controls
What memory stores it the Atkinson and Shiffrin model of memory have
-The sensory register
-Short-term memory
-Long-term memory
Describe the sensory register in Atkinson and Shiffrins model of memory
The sensory register receives all of the information from our senses and holds it for a brief amount of time
Only when you pay attention to it, it moves to the short term memory
If we don’t pay attention it quickly decays
What are the five sensory registers in Atkinson and Shiffrins model of memory
Iconic- Visual
Echoic- Auditory
Gustatory-Taste
Olfactory-Smell
Tactile-Touch
Describe the short term memory store of Atkinson and Shiffrins model
Duration is about 15-30 seconds
It is also modality free, meaning it can store different types of information from any of our senses
Role of rehearsal in the multi store model of memory
It stated that repeating information over an over helps to hold it in the short term memory for longer and can then be transferred to the long term memory
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Multi store model of memory
S- Lots of evidence to support the theory of separate memory stores like amnesia where people forget a part of their memory
S- Ben Murdock found the primacy and recency effect showing evidence for the multi store model
W- Over states the role of rehearsal because not all information has to be repeated to be remembered
W-Does not explain cases of amnesia like Clive Wearing who forgot memories of personal life but remembered how to play the piano = we must have different long term memory stores
Aims of Bartletts Study
-To test the nature of reconstructive memory using an unfamiliar story.
-See if schemas influence the way memory is recalled
Procedure of Bartletts Theory
-Participants read the story and asked to recall
-Two recalled ways:
—>Serial reproduction=Retell the story to
other participants
—>Repeated reproduction=Write down the
story and recall it throughout the years
Results of Bartletts Study
Participants tried to make sense of the off story
-Rationalization = Something black came
out of his mouth was explained as the
mans dying breath
-Omission = Unpleasant details were left out
-Familiarization = Canoe became boat and hunting was called fishing
Strengths and Weaknesses of Bartletts STUDY
S- Replicated his experiment and found same results making it reliable
S- Gathered qualitative data which helps to understand memory through its meaning
W- Story was illogical and contained strange concepts so it is not really realistic
w- Did not use standardized procedures
What was the aim of Peterson and Petersons study
To test the true duration of short term memory
How many participants were there in Petersons study
24 participants
Procedure of Petersons study
-They had to repeat a set of three letters they heard
-Then count backwards in threes/fours
-Then at red light recall the trigrams
-Repeated in time delays from 3, 6, 9, 12 and 18 seconds
-Total repeated 48 times with different trigrams
-Another set allowed participants to recall trigram before counting bakcwards
Results of Peterson
-When counting backwards for 3 sec, they recalled over 80% correctly
-When counting for 18 sec, it dropped down to less than 10%
-Both methods showed similar decline
Strengths and Weakness of Petersons studuy
S- followed standardized procedures
S- Shows how interference affects memory which tells that when learning we should avoid distractions
W- Used nonsense trigrams thus did not have mundane realism
