Psychology Unit Test #2 (29/4/25) Flashcards
(30 cards)
Explain the Multi Store Model of memory with reference to one study.
The Multi-Store Model (MSM) of memory, developed by Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968), suggests that memory is made up of three separate stores: sensory memory, short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM). According to the model, information flows in a linear way through these stores.
Sensory memory holds brief information from the environment (like sights and sounds) for just a few seconds. If we focus on this information, it moves into STM, which holds around 7 items for 15–30 seconds. Information can stay in STM through rehearsal. With enough rehearsal, the information transfers into LTM, which can hold unlimited information for a long time. When needed, information is brought back from LTM to STM through retrieval.
A key study that supports the MSM is Glanzer and Cunitz (1966). In this study, participants heard a list of words and were asked to recall them. The researchers found a primacy effect (better recall of words at the beginning of the list, which had time to enter LTM) and a recency effect (better recall of words at the end of the list, still in STM). However, when there was a delay before recalling the words, the recency effect disappeared, but the primacy effect stayed. This shows that STM and LTM are separate stores, supporting the MSM’s structure and idea of different memory systems with different features.
Explain the Working Memory Model (WMM) with reference to one study.
The Working Memory Model (WMM), proposed by Baddeley and Hitch (1974), explains how short-term memory works when we actively use it, such as solving problems or following directions. The model suggests that short-term memory is not a single store, but is made up of several separate components.
The central executive is the most important part as it directs attention and controls the other systems. The phonological loop handles sound and language. It has two parts: the phonological store (the “inner ear”), which holds sounds and spoken words, and the articulatory control process (the “inner voice”), which repeats words silently in your head to keep them in memory. The visuo-spatial sketchpad deals with visual and spatial information like shapes or directions. Finally, the episodic buffer links all parts of working memory with long-term memory.
A study by Landry and Bartling (2011) supports the WMM. The aim was to see whether articulatory suppression (repeating something out loud), would affect memory for letters. Participants were divided into two groups. The control group looked at a list of 7 letters, waited a few seconds, and then wrote them down. The experimental group had to repeat “1” and “2” out loud while memorising the letters and recalling them. The control group remembered 76% of the letters correctly, while the experimental group only remembered 45%.
This shows that repeating something out loud interfered with memory because it blocked the phonological loop. It supports the WMM by showing that when two tasks use the same system (in this case, sound-based memory), performance gets worse. The study highlights how the phonological loop works and why multi-tasking is sometimes difficult.
What is Sensory Memory?
Sensory memory is the first stage of memory that briefly holds an exact copy of what we see, hear, or feel from the real world. It lasts for about 0.2 to 4 seconds and can take in a huge amount of information at once. There are two main types:
1. Iconic memory – for visual (sight) information
2. Echoic (e-co-ic) memory – for sound (hearing) information
What is Iconic Memory?
Iconic memory is a type of sensory memory that stores visual information, like what we see. It lasts for a very short time, around 0.2-0.4 seconds. During this brief moment, it can hold a large amount of visual detail. This allows the brain to quickly process images before they disappear.
e.g - waving a sparkler in the dark and briefly experiencing an after-image
What is Echoic Memory?
Echoic memory stores sound-based (auditory) information from the environment. It lasts for about 3 to 4 seconds, giving the brain time to process what was heard. Its capacity is very large, meaning it can hold a lot of sounds at once.
e.g - retaining the sounds of words for long enough to understand the whole word or phrase that has been spoken
What is Short-Term Memory?
Short-term memory is where we actively work with and think about information. It usually lasts for 18 to 30 seconds, but this can be extended by repeating or rehearsing the information. It can hold about 5 to 9 items at a time, often called 7±2. This capacity can be increased by using chunking, a strategy that groups information into meaningful units.
What is Long-Term memory in MSM?
Long-term memory is a memory store where information can be kept for a long time and retrieved when needed. Its duration is considered permanent, meaning memories can last a lifetime. The capacity is potentially unlimited, so it can store a vast amount of information. It includes different types of memory, each responsible for holding specific kinds of information.
What is Declarative (de-clar (clarinet)-tive) Memories?
These types of memories includes both personal experiences and general facts. It allows us to remember events from our own lives, like birthdays or holidays. It also helps us recall factual information, such as names, dates, or historical facts. These memories are part of our long-term memory and can last for a long time.
What is Semantic Memory?
This type of memory involves academic knowledge and factual information. It includes things like knowing that Canberra is the capital of Australia or being able to recall the times tables. It’s often called encyclopaedic memory because it stores general knowledge about the world. These facts are not tied to personal experiences and are part of long-term memory.
What is Episodic Memory?
It is made up of personal experiences and events from your life. It’s often called autobiographical memory because it tells the story of your own past. These memories can sometimes be linked to facts, especially if you remember when and where you learned something. Examples include your first day at school, your first romantic kiss, details of a recent vacation or a conversation you had with a friend
What is Procedural Memories?
This type of memory involves skills and procedures that we learn through practice. It’s often referred to as “how to” memory, as it helps us remember how to do things. These memories develop after repeated practice and become automatic over time. For example, once you’ve learned how to ride a bicycle, you don’t need to think about it each time you ride.
What is Explicit Memories?
This type of long-term memory is created and accessed on purpose, using conscious effort. It includes things we actively try to remember, like studying for a test or recalling a past event. We are aware of these memories when we use them. This type of memory is often used when learning new information or making decisions based on past experiences.
What is Implicit Memories?
This type of long-term memory forms and is retrieved automatically, without needing conscious thought. It happens naturally, often without us being aware of it. These memories are typically built through repetition or experience. An example would be remembering how to tie your shoes or ride a bike without thinking about the steps.
MSM Research: Serial Position Effect – Murdock 1962
- Aim, Procedure, Findings/Conclusions
- Serial Position Effect
- Primacy Effect
- Recencey Effect
- Asymptote Effect
Aim: To find out if the number of words in a list and how fast they are read affects how well people remember them.
Procedure: Participants were split into six groups. Three groups heard one word per second, and the other three heard one word every two seconds. After each list, they had 1.5 minutes to write down as many words as they could remember in any order. Then, the average number of words remembered by each person was worked out.
Findings/Conclusions: The speed at which the words were read didn’t make much difference in how many were remembered. For example, people who heard 10 words at 2 seconds per word and those who heard 20 words at 1 second per word recalled about the same.
Serial Position Effect: This refers to the idea that words at the beginning and end of a list are remembered better than those in the middle because of their position.
People tend to remember words from the beginning and end of a list better than the ones in the middle.
Primacy Effect: The first few words are remembered better because they have been rehearsed and stored in long-term memory.
Recency Effect: The last few words are remembered better because they are still fresh in short-term memory.
In the study, the most words were recalled at the end of the list (due to the recency effect), followed by those at the beginning.
Asymptote (as-em-tote) Effect: This effect (where middle words are remembered the least) was easiest to see in the 40-word list. In the 10-word list, the beginning and end overlapped more, so there wasn’t a clear “middle.” This might be because short-term memory can only hold around 7±2 items at once.
Case Study HM (person): Milner 1966
- Aim, Procedure, Findings/Conclusions
Aim:
To understand how removing parts of the brain (specifically the hippocampus) affected memory, especially the ability to make new long-term memories.
Procedure:
HM was a patient who had surgery to remove parts of his medial temporal lobe, including the hippocampus, to stop severe seizures.
Milner studied him over many years using:
- Interviews and observations
- Memory tests (e.g., recalling numbers or word lists)
- Cognitive tasks, like drawing while looking in a mirror
Later, brain scans confirmed what parts were removed
HM’s long-term memories from before his surgery were mostly unaffected, but he couldn’t form new memories about events or facts (episodic or semantic). His short-term and working memory were still working, as he could hold conversations and remember things briefly if he kept repeating them. He was also able to learn new skills like mirror drawing, even though he didn’t remember learning them, showing that procedural memory was still intact. This suggests that the hippocampus is needed to make new long-term memories, but other types of memory are stored in different parts of the brain.
What is the MSM Strengths and Limitations
Strengths:
There is significant research to support the theory of separate memory stores - both in experimental research and biological case studies of patients with brain damage. The model is of historical importance. It gave psychologists a way to talk about memory and much of the research which followed was based on this model.
Limitations:
The model is too simple and assumes that each memory store works completely independently.
It doesn’t explain why memories sometimes get distorted or changed. It doesn’t explain why some memories are vivid even without much rehearsal, like a traumatic event (e.g., being bitten by a dog). Sometimes we rehearse information a lot, but it still doesn’t get stored in long-term memory.
What is the Central Executive?
The central executive is like the boss of your memory system. It focuses your attention on what’s important and controls the other parts of memory: the Phonological Loop, Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad, and Episodic Buffer.
It can only hold a small amount of information at once (about 3 to 5 things). It only handles one type of information at a time and can quickly switch between different types of information depending on what you need to focus on.
What is the Phonological Loop
The Phonological Loop helps us deal with sounds and language, like what we hear or read. It can only hold as much as we can say in about 2 seconds. It has two parts: the Phonological Store (like an inner ear) that holds the sounds we’ve just heard, and the Articulatory Control Process (like an inner voice) that repeats those words in our heads to help us remember them. This repeating helps keep the information in short-term memory.
What is the Primary Acoustic Store?
The Primary Acoustic Store, also called the Phonological Store, is part of the Phonological Loop in the working memory model. It holds sound-based information, especially words you’ve just heard. You can think of it as the mind’s “inner ear” that keeps these sounds for a short time. This helps you remember things like spoken instructions or phone numbers, but the information fades quickly unless repeated.
What is the Articulatory control process
The Articulatory Control Process is part of the Phonological Loop and helps us keep verbal information in short-term memory. It works by silently repeating the words or numbers we’ve heard or seen, so they don’t fade away too quickly. This process is useful when we need to remember things in order, like a phone number or a shopping list. It’s like having an “inner voice” that keeps the information active in our minds.
What is the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad
The Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad is part of working memory that handles what we see and where things are around us. It’s often called the “inner eye” because it helps us picture images and understand how objects relate in space—like their size, distance, or direction. It can only hold about 3 to 4 visual items at once. This system is useful for activities like reading a map or imagining how to get from one place to another.
What is the Inner Scribe?
The Inner Scribe is part of the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad that deals with spatial and movement-related information. It helps us keep track of where objects are and how they move in space. This is important for tasks like finding your way around or remembering the layout of a room. It also helps us plan and guide our movements, such as following directions or reaching for something accurately.
What is the Visual Cashe?
The Visual Scribe stores information about the appearance of objects, including their form and color. It helps us remember details like the shape and color of objects we’ve seen. This component of the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad is essential for visualizing and recognizing familiar objects. It plays a key role in tasks that require recalling visual details, such as remembering what an object looks like.
What is the Episodic Buffer
The Episodic Buffer is responsible for connecting information from the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad (VSS), Phonological Loop (PL), Central Executive (CE), and Long-Term Memory (LTM). It acts as a bridge, combining information from various memory systems into a unified, conscious experience. This enables us to recognize and understand the information we are processing. The Episodic Buffer plays a key role in tasks that require combining multiple types of information, such as recalling a past event or solving complex problems.
