Wk8: Long-Term Memory Flashcards
(31 cards)
Episodic memory
- Memory based on experience
- Recall of context
- Autobiographical
- Personal
Semantic memory
- Memory based on details
- No recall of context, just the information
- NOT autobiographical
- Abstract
Primacy effect
- Tendency for items mentioned/ seen first to be remembered
- First item = most oft repeated
Recency effect
- Tendency for items most recently mentioned/ seen to be remembered
- Recent addition = “fresh” memory
Why is memory (LTM) important?
- Because we can recall it
- Because it is actionable - we can act on it
How do you test the primacy and recency effect?
IV: Provide a list of random items
DV: How many can px recall, without a time contstraint, without looking at the list?
Int: Tendency to remember the items from the beginning and end of the list
Int: Serial position curve
How do you test what kind of memory primacy and recency effects use?
IV: Provide list of random items and a working memory task
DV: How many items can be recalled?
Int: Primacy effect remains (LTM; not affected by WM load), and recency effect is eliminated (WM, affected by WM load)
Using an example, describe primacy and recency effects in the serial position curve and the memory store each reflects.
- Give the px a verbal list of items, each one second apart, and ask the px to recall them.
- Repeat the task, and have the px count down from 100 simultaneously. Again do recall task.
- The first condition shows items from the beginning (primacy) and end (recency) of the list are remembered more than other items (serial position). These demonstrate both WM and LTM.
- The second condition loaded WM, thus only demonstrated LTM. The second condition only showed the primacy effect, meaning the primacy effect is attributed to LTM, and the recency effect - which disappeared with the increase in WM load - is attributed to WM.
Explicit memory
- Intentional retrieval
- Episodic
- Tested using any novel stimuli (faces, words, random shapes, etc.)
- Test using recall and recognition (to retrieve)
What are the types of recall used in experiments?
- Free recall - recall items, order irrelevant
- Serial recall - recall in order
- Cued recall - cue provided to assist recall
Describe an example of a recognition task
- Show a px a series of cards with words on them, each a second apart.
- Then, give them a test of which words appeared in the list (e.g. bank or build)
When can the hit rate be interpretted as is?
- When the FA rate is low
- Therefore, the px does not have a bias towards affirm answers
Implicit memory
- Subconscious retrieval
- Semantic (do not think of context)
- Tested by doing a study (no memory mention) on a list of words
- Then do “a different” word test - see if priming occured/ happened
Methods of implicit memory testing
- Lexical Decision Task (LDT) - are “kichen” “boek” “flouar” words?
- Complete the stem: “ki___” “bo___” “f___”
- Free association: “What id the first word you think when i say cook/ paper/ etc.”
Describe a situation that shows memory is separate from retrieval?
Give px with Korsakoff’s syndrone a series of trivia cards. Retest them using the same cards and measure the difference in score. As those with Korsakoff’s syndrome cannot recall the test, they have no explicit memory of it, and thus this test measures implicit memory without retrieval.
They usually improve on the second test.
What factors into a memories salience?
- Determined by emotional salience, personal relevance, experience, etc.
- Memory salience = how easy retrieval - implicit or explicit - is.
Characteristics of memory
- Generalisation, composite memories
- Memories change and alter over time
- Slow memory recall/ access
What is the misinformation effect?
Manipulate someone’s LTM through suggestion
What are the factors of the modal model?
- Sensory memory: modality specific, high capacity, higher decay
- STM: retrieval, chunking, forgetting quick
- LTM: vast capacity, long-term retention
What are the problems of the modal model of memory?
- LTM does not require STM rehersal before storage; actual interaction more complex
- E.g. I don’t remember scraping my knee because i rehearsed it - i remember cause it hurt
How did Ebbinghaus test forgetting?
- Memorised a series of nonsense words
- Then recorded how much he remembered (both serial and free recall) over different time delays
- He found the curve (days to # items recalled) was systematic, lawful
What is memory decay?
The tendency for memories to fade with lack of use over time
What are the issues with the evidence supporting memory decay?
- Sometimes spontaneous retrieval of “decayed” memories; retrieval failure
- They “controlled” for interference using sleep (which only controlled for sleep)
- Imprecise theory of decay makes it difficult to empirically test
What are the two types of interference?
Proactive: old info blocks new info
Retroactive: new info blocks old info
