Memory Flashcards

Question

Retroactive interference

Answer 1

Newer memory interferes with an older memory ## Footnote E.g- When you have learned a new mobile number, it is often very difficult to recall your old number.

Answer 2

Generalising to real life: - Interference we see in the **lab studies** is because the **memories are available** but we **cannot RETRIEVE them without cues** - When cues are available in real life we remember information.

Answer 3

When the **memory may be there and available** but it is just **not accessible** however if you are given a **cue** you are **more likely to remember it** Lack of external contextual cues- where evnvironment for learning and recall is different (e.g different room) Lack of internal contextual cues- where physical state for learning and recall is different (e.g mood)

Answer 4

Godden + Baddeley studied deep sea divers who **work underwater** to see if **training** on **land** **helped or hindered their work underwater**. The divers **learned a list of words** either **underwater or on land** and then were asked to **recall** the words either **underwater or on land** 4 conditions created: - Learn on land- recall on land - Learn on land- recall underwater - Learn underwater - recall underwater - Lean underwater - recall on land **Accurate recall was 40% lower in the non- matching conditions**. They concluded that the **EXTERNAL CUES available** at **LEARNING** were **DIFFERENT** from the **ones available at RECALL** and this led to retrieval failure

Answer 5

When you witness a crime you give an eyewitness testimony, they're important in criminal trials however they can be unreliable and wrongful convictions may result

Answer 6

Question suggests the answer- trying to get the witness to say something particular

Answer 7

Loftus & Palmer Sutdied- 45 students - Participants were **shown film clips of automobile accidents**. After each clip the participants had to **write an account of what they had seen** - They also had to answer **some questions**, some of which were **filler questions** → so they **don't work out the aim** - The critical question was '**About how fast were the cars going when they hit each other?'** - There were 5 conditions: smashed (suggests they were going fast), collided, bumped, hit, contacted (suggests they were going slow)- (5 groups of participants getting a different question.) **Verbs** used **had an effect** on their **estimate of speed**- this could be due to either their **memories were distorted** or they were **responding to demand characteristics**

Answer 8

- Has important practical uses in criminal justice system (CJS) - Loftus believes that **leading questions** can have such a distorting effect on memory that police officers need to be careful about how they phrase their questions when interviewing eyewitnesses - Psychologists can help to improve the way the legal system works, by protecting innocent people from faulty convictions

Answer 9

- Practical **appliances** of eyewitness testimonies **may be** affected by **issues with research** - Loftus and Palmer's participants watched film clips in a lab which is a different **experience** to real life- less stressful - Researchers like Loftus are too pessimistic about effects of misleading information

Answer 10

When EYEWITNESSES may discuss their experiences and memories with each other

Answer 11

Gabbert studied **participants in pairs**. **Each participant** watched a **VIDEO** of the **same crime**, but **filmed** from **DIFFERENT points of views**. This meant that **each participant could see elements in the EVENT that the other could not**. (E. g only 1 of the participants could see the title of the book being carried by a young woman) - **Both participants** then **discussed** what they had **seen** before **individually** completing a **recall test** Findings: - Researchers found that **71%** of the participants **MISTAKENLY recalled aspects of the event that they did not see in the video** but had **picked up in the discussion**

Answer 12

1. Memory Contamination: - **Co- witnesses** to a crime **discuss** it with each other - Their **eyewitness testimonies** may become **altered or distorted** - They **combine misinformation** from **other witnesses' memories** with their **own memories**. 2. Memory Conformity: - Gabbert concluded that witnesses often go along with each other - Either to win social approval or because they believe the other witnesses are right and they are wrong

Answer 13

Psychological insights into how memory work, there are 4 techniques

Answer 14

REPORT EVERYTHING: - Witnesses are encouraged to include every single detail of the event, even if it's irrelevant. (E.g Can you tell us everything that you witnessed even if you think they are irrelevant?)

Answer 15

REINSTATE THE CONTEXT: - Witness should return to original crime scene in mind and imagine environment and emotions (E.g What was the weather like? How were you feeling?)

Answer 16

REVERSE THE ORDER: - Events should be recalled in a different order from original sequence - Prevent dishonesty- harder to produce an untruthful account if they have to rehearse it (E.g Can you describe what you saw from when you first called the police to when you saw the offender?)

Answer 17

CHANGE PERSPECTIVE: - Witness should recall incident from other people's perspectives (E.g Imagine you're the victim can you describe everything you saw)

Answer 18

- Eyewitness anxiety - Minimising distractions - Getting witness to speak slowly - Asking open- ended questions

Answer 19

- CI **works** - Köhnken **combined data from 55 studies** **comparing the CI and the ECI with the standard police interview**. CI gave an **average 41% increase** in **accurate information** - CI is an **effective technique** in **helping witnesses** to **recall information** that is **stored in memory**

Answer 20

- Köhnken found an **INCREASE** in the **amount of inaccurate information** *recalled by participants* - Particular **issue** in the **ECI**, produced **MORE incorrect details than the CI** - Police officers should **treat *eyewitness evidence* from CIs/ ECIs with caution**

Answer 21

Deffenbacher study: - Carried out **meta- analysis on 18 studies** that looked at EFFECTS of **HIGHTENED ANXIETY** on **EYEWITNESS RECALL** - High levels of **stress** have a **negative impact** on **accuracy** of eyewitness recall WEAKNESS: - Many **witnesses** are **recalling traumatic events**. - Criminal Justice System (CJS) should be aware that this MAY have a **negative impact on the *accuracy* of their memories**

Answer 22

Christianson & Hubinette study: - **Questioned real witnesses to bank robberies** - Found that those who had been **threatened** in some way were **more accurate in their recall and remembered more details and were less emotionally aroused**. WEAKNESS: - Real- life scenario- anxiety may **increase** memory for an event - Lack of **control** of **extraneous variables** - (Those who had been threatened may have discussed their ordeal more or read more newspaper reports -> Post- event discussion?

Memory Flashcards

(46 cards)