Topic 2 Memory Flashcards
define capacity
this is a measure of the amount of into that can be stored in memory
define coding
refers to the way info is modified so it can be stored into memory. Info can be stored in the form of visual, acoustic or semantic codes
define duration
a measure of how long a memory can be stored before it’s no longer available
describe Peterson & Peterson’s study on STM duration
1) ppts given a random 3 letter consonant and a 3 digit number e.g. THX 512
2) ppts then had to count down in threes from their three digit number during a retention period of 3,6,9,12,15 or 18 seconds
3) then they had to recall the triad they were given THX512
describe Baddeley’s study on coding in the LTM and STM
1) Baddeley gave ppts words lists to learn- one semantically, similar, acoustically different and one semantically different, acoustically similar.
2) ppts struggled short term with list 2. Ppts struggled long term with list 1
Baddeley concluded that LTM is encoded semantically and STM acoustically.
define proactive interference
when past memories interfere with your ability to form new memories
define retroactive interference
recent memories interfere with old memories
describe Goodwin’s study on state dependent forgetting
1) ppts had to learn a word list either drunk or sober.
2) Recall of the word was best when they were drunk during both encoding and recall or sober during both encoding and recall.
briefly explain the case of HM
Scoville and Milner studied HM who had his hippocampus removed to treat his epilepsy. He was unable to form new LTM’s but could form STMs.
Describe Gooden and Baddeley’s study on context dependent forgetting
1)ppts had to learn information either underwater or on land.
2) they were asked to recall info either underwater or on land
3) 4 conditions
learn underwater -> recall underwater
learn on land -> recall on land
learn underwater -> recall on land
learn on land-> recall underwater
recall was lower in the conditions where their learning and recall environment didn’t match.
environmental cues during learning and recall are important in forgetting.
Describe Johnson and Scott’s study on the effects of anxiety of the accuracy of EWT
1)ppts heard an argument and then saw a man run past holding a pencil (low anxiety) or covered in blood (high anxiety)
in the low anxiety situation identification of the man was 49% accurate but only 33% in the high anxiety scenario
list the two types of declarative memory
semantic memory
episodic memory
define procedural memory
this is memory concerned with knowing how do do things (like ride a bike/drive a car) which eventually through repetition become automatic.
like muscle memory
who conducted research on the effects of misleading information on EWT
Loftus and Palmer in 1974
describe research related to retrieval failure
Tulving and Pearstone gave ppts a list of 48 words from 12 different categories
Recall was 40% accurate without retrieval cues
Recall was 60% accurate when the category was given a retrieval cue
