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Psychology AQA > Memory - Paper 1 > Flashcards

Memory - Paper 1 Flashcards

(58 cards)

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1
Q

Outline the meaning of short term memory (STM)

A

Capacity of the brain to hold a small amount of information for a short period of time.

5-9 items

18-30 seconds

Primarily acoustic

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2
Q

Outline the meaning of long term memory (LTM)

A

Permanent memory storage.

Capacity unlimited

Duration a few minutes to a lifetime

Primarily semantic

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3
Q

Describe the meaning of capacity

A

Amount of information that can be stored in memory at any one time

Miller found STM has capacity of 7+- 2

LTM potentially unlimited

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4
Q

Describe the meaning of duration

A

The length of time information can be held

Peterson and Peterson STM duration for roughly 30 seconds

Bahrick found LTM unlimited duration

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5
Q

Describe the meaning of coding

A

The format in which information is stored

STM acoustically

LTM semantically (meaning)

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6
Q

Outline Jacobs research on capacity

A

Jacobs measured digit span

Sequence of digits then recall them out loud in correct order

Increased by one each time until participant can no longer recall

Mean span - 9.3 numbers, 7.3 letters

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7
Q

Evaluate Jacobs research on capacity

A

+ Been replicated

  • old study 1887 - poor control, participants been distracted

+ results supported by further research supporting validity

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8
Q

Evaluate Millers research on capacity

A
  • based on prevalence of seven in human evolution

+ overestimated. Cowan suggest 4 chunks

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9
Q

Evaluate research on duration of STM -

A
  • Meaningless stimuli material artificial, nonsense trigrams
  • lack external validity

+ forgetting can be explained - spontaneous decay - no rehearsal. New information pushed out old

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10
Q

Describe research into duration of STM

A

Peterson et al

Consonant syllables

3 digit number count back from

3 seconds - 80%
18 seconds - 3%

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11
Q

Describe research into duration of LTM

A

Bahrick

Yearbook photos

17 to 74 recognition - 90% after 15 years, 70% after 48

Free recall - 60% after 15, 30% after 48

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12
Q

Evaluate research in the duration of LTM

A

+ high external validity - real life memories

  • hard to control confounding variables - looked and rehearsed photos over the years
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13
Q

Describe research into coding

A

Baddeley

Acoustically and semantically similar words

Immediate recall worse with acoustically similar words

Recall after 20 minutes worse with semantically similar words

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14
Q

Evaluate research into coding

A

+ identified two memory stores

  • artificial stimuli
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15
Q

Key features of the multi store model of memory

A

Atkinson and Shiffrin

Three stores linked together by processing

Enviromental stimuli&raquo_space; sensory register&raquo_space; attention&raquo_space; STM&raquo_space; response / prolonged rehearsal&raquo_space; LTM

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16
Q

Outline the sensory register (MSM)

A

Stimulus from environment passes into register

(Sights, sounds, smells)

Echoic memory (auditory), Iconic memory (visual), Tactile memory (touch), Olfactory memory (smell), Gustatory memory (taste)

Duration less than a second

Capacity high

Pay attention for information to pass through

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17
Q

How is information transferred from STM to LTM

A

Maintenance rehearsal - keep in STM

Prolonged rehearsal- transfer LTM

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18
Q

How are memories recalled in MSM

A

Transferred back to STM by retrieval

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19
Q

Evaluate the MSM

A

+ supporting research - Baddely mix similar words STM and similar meaning LTM. Memory stores separate and independent

  • evidence more than one type STM. Patient KF amnesia. Recall much better when he read the digits. One visual and one auditory
  • prolonged rehearsal not needed for STM - LTM transfer - limited explanation
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20
Q

Outline the episodic memory of the LTM store

A

Stores events

Complex

Events time stamped

Involve several elements - conscious effort to recall them

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21
Q

Outline the semantic memory of the LTM store

A

Stores out knowledge of the word

Not time stamped

Less personal - knowledge everyone shares

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22
Q

Outline the procedural memory of LTM

A

Actions and skills

How to do things

Recall unconscious

Hard explains actions

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23
Q

Evaluate types of LTM

A

+ case study evidence - Clive wearing - lost episodic

  • conflicting findings - poor agreement on location

+ helping with memory problems - specific treatments

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24
Q

Outline the key features of the working memory model

Study These Flashcards
A

Baddeley and Hitch

STM organisation

Centeral executive, episodic buffer,
visuospatial Sketchpad ( visual cache, inner scribe)
Phonological loop (articulatory process, phonological store)

25
Outline the key features of the central executive
Monitors incoming data Allocates slave systems to tasks Very limited storage capacity Coding flexible
26
Outline the key features of phonological loop
Deals with auditory information Articulatory process allows maintenance Capacity 2 seconds worth of what you can say Coding acoustic
27
Outline key features of the visuospatial Sketchpad
Stores visual information Capacity 3 to 4 objects
28
Outline the key features of the episodic buffer
Added later Temporary store Maintains sense of time sequencing Links to LTM
29
Evaluate the working memory model
+ support from clinical evidence - patient KF - auditory poor + dual task studies - 2 visual tasks at same time. Than visual and verbal easier - dual task support - highly controlled and artificial, question validity of model
30
Describe interference theory
Forgetting occurs when can’t gain access to stored memories Two pieces of information conflict Worse when memories similar
31
What is proactive interference?
When older memories disrupts newer memories
32
What is retroactive interference?
Newer disrupts older ones
33
Describe research into the effects of similarity on interference
McGeoch and McDonald List of words to 100% accuracy Then given new list, varied degree of similarity More similar = worst recall Interference strongest when memories similar
34
Evaluate interference
+ support in real world situations - Baddeley and Hitch rugby players. Played had worst recall - overcome using cues - temporary lost - not predicted - I like everyday forgetting - recall much later - validity issues
35
Describe the Johnson and Scott study on anxiety
Sat in waiting room - low anxiety condition - casual conversation - holding pen grease on hands - high anxiety condition - heated argument, sound breaking glass, holding knife covered in blood Pick man from photos
36
What are the findings of Johnson and Scott
49% accuracy in low 37% high Identify tunnel theory of memory. Weapon focus as result of anxiety
37
Describe the Yuille and Cutshall study on anxiety
Actual crime - shop owner shot Witnesses taken part in Interview 4-5 months after Witness rate stress
38
Findings of Yuille and Cutshall
Little change after 5 months Higher stress level about 88% accurate compares to 75%
39
Explain contradictory findings of anxiety
Inverted U theory - Dodson et al - relationship between performance and stress is curvilinear Deffenbacher review 21 studies - lower level of anxiety produce lower recall.
40
Evaluate research into eyewitness testimony and anxiety
- anxiety may not be relevant to weapon focus. Not sue to anxiousness but surprise + supporting evidence for negative effects. Valentine et al - heart rate - London dungeon + supporting evidence for positive effects - Christianson et al - bank robbery - 75% accuracy
41
Explain ethical issues concerned with research into eyewitness testimony - anxiety
Creating anxiety my subject people to psychological harm
42
What does eyewitness testimony mean?
The ability of people to remember the details of events which they themselves observed
43
What are leading questions?
Suggest a certain answer because of the way it has been phrased
44
What is post event discussion?
Witnesses discuss what they have experiences. Affecting the accuracy of recall
45
Describe Loftus and Palmer’s study
45 students watched film of accident Answer questions about speed 5 groups each given a different verb e.g. contacted, smashed
46
What were the findings of Loftus and Palmer’s study
Contacted produced mean of 31.8 mph Smashed produced mean of 40.5 mph
47
Why do leading questions affect recall?
Response bias explanation - no enduring effect on memory only answer given Substitution explanation - interfere, distorting accuracy
48
Describe Gabbert et al - post event discussion
Paired participants watched video of same crime Each see elements others could not Discuss before completing test of recall
49
What are the findings of Gabbert et al’s study
71% wrongly recalled aspects Control group - no discussion, no errors
50
Why does post event information affect recall
Memory contamination - mix info Memory conformity - go along to win social approval or believe others are right
51
Evaluation of eyewitness testimony - misleading information
+ real world application - CJS - challenging evidence - Sutherland more focused when asked leading questions - demand characteristics - lab studies - high control
52
What is retrieval failure?
Lack of cues can cause retrieval failure. Cues useful when both the dame for encoding and retrieval Meaningful links
53
Describe Godden and Baddeley’s context experiment
Deep sea divers learned new word list on land or in sea and recalled wither on land or in sea 40% lower in mismatched context
54
Describe Goodwin - state experiment
Participants learned list of words on or off alcohol Recall significantly worse in mismatched cues
55
Evaluate retrieval failure
+ real world application - strategies used to improve recall + supporting evidence - occur everyday life and labs - context effects vary in recall and recognition - no context depending effect. Limited explanation.
56
Eyewitness testimony - the cognitive interview
1. Report everything - include every detail 2. Reinstate context - return to crime scene in mind 3. Reverse order - recalled in different order prevent dishonesty 4. Change perspective - recall from other peoples perspective
57
Explain the enhanced cognitive interview
Fisher et al Focus on social dynamics of interactions Reduce anxiety, minimise distractions Ask open ended questions
58
Evaluate eyewitness testimony - cognitive interview
+ research support for effectiveness - meta analysis 41% more correct information - some elements more useful than other - cast doubt on credibility - time consuming - special training

Psychology AQA (11 decks)

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