define memory
process by which we retain (store) and recall information about events that have happened in the past.
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defien STM
memory for immediate events, which disappears if not rehearsed.
define ltm
memory for events that have happened in the past from anywhere between 2 minutes and 100 years ago. It is the permanent memory store.
what is the sensory register
stores a huge amount information from our senses for a very brief amount of time (about half a second).
3 features of memory and definition
capacity - amount of information that can be stored
duration - length of time information can be held in the memory store
coding - format in which information is stored in the memory stores. It’s the process of converting information from one format to another
capacity, duration and coding of stm
capacity - limited, 7+/-
duration - up to 30 seconds without rehersal
coding - acoustic - information stored in form of sounds
capacity, duration and coding of ltm
capacity - potentially unlimited, haven’t figured out how to measure so we are’t sure
duration - potentially up to a lifetime
coding - semantic - stored in the form of meaning of the experience
study for capacity of stm with evaluation
Jacobs (1887): rsearcher starts with giving eg 4 digts and paticipant recalls them in order, then tells them 5 digits so on…. mean span remembered for digits across participants was 9.3 items. For letters, the mean span was 7.3.
+ve: supporteed by other research so confirms validity as a measure of the capacity of STM
-ve: may have lacked control eg extr & con variables so not internally valid and may have understimated the capacityof STM
Miller (1956): people counted 7 flashign dts/words/digits, span (capacity) of STM is 7 +-2. People can recall words as well as letters by chunking.
+ve: cowan sugested capacity of stm is about 4 chunks which suggests millers lower end estimate of capacity of stm (5) may be more valid than 7 items
study for duration of stm with evaluation
Peterson and Peterson (1959): 24 students oo part i 8 tetss, given consonant triram to rmemebr and 3 digit number, student tha asked t count backwards from number in either 3s or 4s until told to stop, each time told to sto after different amoutn f time, then asked to repeat the trigram, the longer the interval delay the less trigrams recalled, abel to reclall 805 of trigrams after 3s delay, after 18s 10% recalled corerectly, found up to 30 seconds without rehearsal using consonant trigrams
-ve: artificial stimuli - not externally valid as we don’t typically try to memorise meaningless information and so this may mean they have underestimated the duration of STM for meaningful information.
+ve: controlled - same length and difficulty for participants so greater internal validity to see duration of STM without rehearsal (cause = retention interval, effect = memory).
study for duration of ltm with evaluation
Bahrick et al. (1975) - got ex-highscool students to recall classmates, within 15 years of graduation, recognise 90% and recognise 70% after 48 years. Free recall within 15 years of graduation 60%, and 30% after 48 years.
+ve: higher external validity due to the use of real-life memories and so may tell us more about the duration of LTM than more artificial studies.
-ve: confounding variables of whether they’d looked at their yearbooks over the years which weren’t controlled. Therefore it may not be measuring the duration of LTM without rehearsal (possible overestimation of duration of LTM).
study for coding of stm with evaluation
Baddeley (1966) - 4 conditions 1acoustically smiliar 2acosutically dissimilair 3emnaicaly similaor 4semantically dissimilar, particiapnts shown word list and aked to recall, in group 1 when told the list and asked to recall immediately after did worse
-ve: words have no real meaning for participants in their lives and so may be that when given more meaningful information to recall the coding of STM and LTM may be different.
study for coding of ltm with evaluation
Baddeley (1966) - in recall task after 20 minutes, worse recall of semantically similar words
-ve: words have no real meaning for participants in their lives and so may be that when given more meaningful information to recall the coding of STM and LTM may be different.
hwo to explain wh stm is acosutic and why ltm is semantic
The words from List A are acoustically similar. Therefore when participants find it difficult to recall the words from list A in the correct order when tested immediately, this suggests that STM is coded acoustically. List B contains words that are semantically similar. Therefore when participants find it difficult to recall the words after 30 minutes in the correct order, this is because LTM is coded semantically.
what is the msm
descrieb the msm
stimulus -> sensory regsiter -(attetnion)>stm -(prolonged rehersal)> LTM
ltm-(retrieval)>stm
prolonger rehersal back to stm is maintenace
arrow out of stm is response
supporting research for msm
underminign research for msm
lots of evidence that there is more than one type of LTM. HM’s case supports that we have more than one type of LTM. When drawing a star between two concentric ones whilst looking through a mirror, HM improved over time. However, he couldn’t remember that he had done the task before - Contradicts the MSM - it suggests that there is more than one type of LTM which goes against the MSM’s proposal that there is one unitary store of LTM.
hwo to answer descrieb and evaluate
describe - 6 marks
evaluate - strengths and weaknesses 10 marks 4 peel paragraphs
describe and evaluate the multi store model of memory
Describe the MSM (6 marks):
The multi-store model of memory developed by Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968), explains how information flows from one storage system into another is transferred between different unitary memory stores. The model is made up of three permanent structures unitary memory stores in memory which are: sensory memory register, short term memory and long-term memory. Each unitary memory structure store differs is qualitatively different meaning they differ in terms of capacity, duration and coding. Information passes is transfered between through the memory stores in a fixed linear sequence. A stimulus fromt he environment Information through the senses enters the sensory memory register. Information paid attention to passes to the STM. The STM is limited in duration usually 18 seconds up to 30 seconds without rehersal, has a capacity of seven plus or minus two items, and codes is coded acoustically. Information may then be transferred to the LTM for permanent storage.
Evaluate (strengths/weaknesses) the MSM (10 marks) - 4 PEEL paragraphs
1. Supporting evidence from Baddeley’s study of coding - see L2b
2. A weakness of Baddeley’s study is that it used artificial stimuli so it’s not strong support for the MSM - see L2b - replace
3. Supporting evidence from Peterson and Peterson and Bahrick et al.’s studies of duration - see L2b
4. Options: supporting evidence from HM, undermining from HM, undermining from KF, supporting/undermining evidence from Craik and Watkins abotu the types of rehersal
more detail about sensry regster
sensory register:
- haptic, echoic, iconic
- capcity is high
- duration is less than galf a second
- each store coded differentley
- 95-99% lot as dot pay attention to it
more detail about stm
more detail about ltm
types of ltm
main differences between types of ltm