Memory Flashcards

Question

Describe the visuo spatial sketchpad?

Answer 1

- Rehearses visual and or spatial info, is also called the 'inner eye' - Divided into two stores: - Visual cache - stores visual info e.g. (colour) - Inner scribe - stores info about spatial relationships - Limited capacity but the limits of the 2 systems are independent

Answer 2

- Processes auditory and verbal info - Two parts: - The phonological store: this component temporarily stores spoken and heard words for a short period of time (the inner ear) - The articulatory process: this component rehearses verbal information and allows it to be stored

Answer 3

- Sends info to the LTM - Binds together info from different sources into episodes - Recall's material from LTM and integrates it into STM when working memory requires it (e.g. imagining elephants ice skating)

Answer 4

- Verbal items capacity reduced but not visual - Supports phonological loop and visuo spatial sketchpad as separate stores in different areas of the brain - Lends validity to PL + VSS as part of WMM

Answer 5

- Inference - Retrieval failure

Answer 6

- When one memory disrupts our ability to recall another - Only occurs when the 2 memories are similar - The 2 types of inference are retroactive and proactive

Answer 7

- Occurs when newly acquired info inhibits our ability to recall previously acquired similar info - E.g. when you create a new password you are likely to forget the old one

Answer 8

- Tendency for previously acquired material to hinder recall of current similar info (the older info will override newer info) - E.g. Entering your old password instead of your current one when you’ve recently changed it

Answer 9

- 1931 - Used for inference as an explanation of forgetting - Changed levels of similarities between two groups and tested their level of recall - Participants originally had to learn a list of adjectives, group one then learnt a list of numbers whereas group 2 learnt a list of other adjectives - Found that group 1 could list more original adjectives - Tells us we are more likely to forget if info is similar - Demonstrates retroactive interference

Answer 10

- Form of forgetting that occurs when we don't have necessary cues to access memory - The memory is available, but not accessible unless a suitable cue is provided - Can be context dependent forgetting or state dependent forgetting

Answer 11

- Occurs due to a lack of correct environmental (external) cues - E.g. colours, smells, sounds, temp

Answer 12

- 1975 - Demonstrates context dependent forgetting - 18 diving club participants took part in a repeated measures designing with 4 conditions - They learn and recall words on different environments - 38 unrelated words which they heard twice during learning stage

Answer 13

- Around 50% better recall when environment for learning and recall are the same - Shows lack of environmental context cues does negatively affect recall and supports context dependent forgetting

Answer 14

- Occurs due to lack of correct internal cues

Answer 15

- 1998 - Demonstrates state dependent forgetting - Participants given antihistamine drugs then had to learn list of words/passages and recall in following conditions 1. Learn drowsy, recall drowsy 2. Learn drowsy, recall alert 3. Learn alert, recall drowsy 4. Learn alert, recall alert - Conditions where there was a mismatch between states recalled poorest

Answer 16

- Weakness is theories are nomothetic - They both use large scale research studies, numerical findings, and propose general laws of behaviour that apply to the population - Not supported by single case studies that would offer descriptive insight into these memory processes - An interaction of both nomothetic and idiographic support for these theories would offer a more valid explanation of forgetting

Answer 17

- Mental framework of organizing/interpreting info

Answer 18

- Evidence provided in court by a person who witnessed a crime

Answer 19

- Questions that make it likely that a participants schema will influence them to give a desired answer

Answer 20

- Loftus and Palmer (1974) leading questions bumped/smashed experiment - Yuille and Cutshall's (1986) Field experiment involving a real life shooting

Answer 21

- 1974 - 45 students put into small groups and shown short films involving car accidents - After the film they were asked to estimate the speed of the cars travelling - 5 different conditions were the phrasing of the question was different - The verb differed from words 'smashed', 'collided', 'bumped', 'hit', 'contacted'

Answer 22

- Found significant differences between average estimations depending on severity of verb - E.g. 'smashed' averaged 40.8mph - 'contacted' averaged 31.8mph - The more extreme the verb the higher average estimation of the cars travelling speeds - Shows leading questions did have an effect

Answer 23

- 1986 - Suggest EWT is not easily affected by leading questions, misleading info or post event discussion - Involved an investigation into real life shooting incident - A thief stole some money and guns from a shop, the owner managed to free himself and when trying to take the thief's license number, shot and killed the thief in self defence when they thief fired shots at the owner - 21 witnesses observed the incident and were interviewed by the police, 13 agreed to a research interview 4-5 months after the incident to test effects of post event discussion - Researchers also asked leading and misleading questions based on Loftus's research

Answer 24

- Found most witnesses were highly accurate in accounts and there was little change in accuracy of recall over 5 month period - Shows leading questions, misleading info and post event discussion has no effect on real life witnesses accounts, showing memory experiments in labs have low ecological validity

Answer 25

- Research examining the EWT is an example of experimental reductionism as it attempts to explain complex behaviour by relying on isolated variables, operationalised in a lab experiment - However, as memory is complex, many psychologists argue reducing memory to isolated variables undermines complexity of human memory and of memory in an everyday context - Limits usefulness of EWT in explaining human memory accurately - Using an interactionalist stance including a more holistic approach would be more valid

Answer 26

- A conversation after an incident has occurred that may alter a witnesses memory - Info may be added to memory after the event has occurred - E.g. discussing what you have seen with other people

Answer 27

- Yuille and Cutshall

Answer 28

- States anxiety has a negative effect of accuracy on EWT when it is at very low/high levels, but moderate levels are more beneficial to the accuracy as adrenalin can sharpen senses and create clearer memories

Answer 29

- Loftus and Palmers car crash study - low levels of interest/anxiety caused by just watching cars on a small screen at the front of a lab led to a poor recall accuracy and easily distorted memories - Johnson and Scotts weapon effect experiment

Answer 30

- Yuille and Cutshall (1986)

Answer 31

- When a crime involves a weapon this creates anxiety - Witness will use selective attention to focus on weapon rather than on criminal or other details of the event - This reduces accuracy of eye witness recall

Answer 32

- 1976 - Participants waited outside in a lab overhearing exchange in a room - In one condition a man stormed out holding a pen whilst in the other they hear a heated exchange and a man comes out holding a bloody knife - Participants later asked to identify person

Answer 33

- Pen condition was more accurate in recognising the man - 49% in pen compared too 33% in knife - Shows anxiety from weapon reduces attention and lowers accuracy

Answer 34

- Weakness is it is reductionist - This theory centres on role of emotions on EWT accuracy - Ignores other factors e.g. age - It is known that very young/old people struggle to recall detail and anxiety affects people in different ways if they have anxiety disorders or a low tolerance of anxiety - An interactionalist stance combing a reductionist theory with a more holistic explanation would be more valid

Answer 35

- Fisher and Geiselman (1992) argued EWT could be improved if police used better techniques when interviewing witnesses - The techniques based on existing theories of memory and forgetting

Answer 36

- Additional elements of cognitive interview: - Reducing anxiety - Minimising distractions - Asking witnesses to speak slowly

Answer 37

- Report everything - Change order - Reinstatement of context - Change perspective

Answer 38

- Witnesses encouraged to include every detail of the event (incusing their own thoughts and feelings) even if it may seem irrelevant - May trigger other important memories encoded with the state cues

Answer 39

- Recall events of crime in a different order e.g. backwards - This will remove expectations and gap filling of a story told in order that should flow

Answer 40

- Returning to the scene of the crime (to use context and state cues available) - Or to imagine being back at the scene of the crime (mental reinstatement)

Answer 41

- Recall the incident from someone/something else perspective at the scene of the crime - Another way of disrupting a persons schema

Answer 42

- Cognitive: - More cues - Schemas removed - Longer interview with specially trained interviewee - Less practical

Answer 43

-16 police interviewers conducted 2 interviews on 47 witnesses - All first interviews given standard police interviews, group 1 given another one, group 2 then given a cognitive interview - IV was type of second interview used - Found cognitive interview obtained 47% more facts

Answer 44

- Shallice and Warrington - 1970

Answer 45

- Blakemore - 1988

Memory Flashcards

(82 cards)