Lecture 12 - Memory

Question 1

What are the key components of the Multi-Store Model of Memory?

Answer 1

The Multi-Store Model of Memory includes three main components:
- sensory memory
- short-term memory (STM)
- long-term memory (LTM)

Question 2

How is sensory memory measured, and what is its capacity and duration?

Answer 2

• sensory memory is measured using tasks like Sperling’s partial report.
• It has a large capacity (12+ items for visual sensory memory) but a very short duration, typically less than a second

Question 3

How is the capacity of short-term memory typically measured?

Answer 3

• The capacity of short-term memory is commonly measured using a span task, where participants recall a list of items (e.g. letters or digits) presented one per second.
• The typical capacity is around 7 ± 2 items

Question 4

what factors can influence the effective capacity of short-term memory?

Answer 4

• Rehearsal can increase the shelf-life of information in short-term memory, and the capacity can appear shorter when rehearsal is prevented
• interference and temporal decay also affect memory retention

Question 5

What is the capacity and duration of long-term memory?

Answer 5

• Long-term memory has a massive, potentially unlimited capacity
• it can store a vast amount of information, including words, names, songs, personal life events, and skills
• the duration can span a lifetime

Question 6

describe an experiment that demonstrates the capacity of long-term memory

Answer 6

In a 2008 study, participants were shown 2500 images over 5.5 hours. Later, they were tested on pairs of images to identify which one they has seen before, demonstrating a high capacity for long-term memory

Question 7

What are mnemonic strategies, and how do they aid memory retrieval?

Answer 7

• Mnemonic strategies are techniques that help improve memory retrieval by associating information with specific cues.
• common strategies include the Method of Loci (associating memoranda with familiar locations), the Pegword Technique (pairing vivid imagery with memoranda), and the Keyword Method (pairing a word the sounds similar to the target)

Question 8

How can chunking improve memory capacity?

Answer 8

• chunking involves grouping individual elements into larger, meaningful units, making it easier to remember more information.
• For example breaking down a long number into smaller groups or linking digits to meaningful concepts can significantly improve recall

Question 9

What is the reconstructive nature of memory?

Answer 9

• Memory is not just a passive retrieval process but also involves reconstruction.
• This means that memory can be influenced by schemas (templates or scripts for familiar situations), misinformation, and false memories, leading to the inclusion of details that were not originally encoded