Memory

Memory

1. Key Terms

   • encoding: changing information so it can be stored.
   • storage: holding information in the memory system.
   • retrieval: recovering information from storage.
   • multi-store: the idea that information passes through a series of memory stores.
   • sensory store: holds information received from the senses for a very short period of time.
   • short-term store: holds approximately 7 chunks of information for a limited amount of time.
   • long-term store: holds a vast amount of information for a very long period of time.
   • recency effect: information received later is recalled better than earlier information.
   • primacy effect: the first information received is recalled better than the subsequent information.
   • reconstructive memory: altering our recollection of things so that they make sense to us.
   • structural processing: thinking about the physical appearance of words to be learnt.
   • phonetic processing: thinking about the sound of words to be learnt.
   • semantic processing: thinking about the meanings of words to be learnt.
   • levels of processing: the depth at which information is thought about when trying to learn it.
   • interference: things that we have learnt that make it difficult to recall other information that we have learnt.
   • retroactive interference: when information we have recently learnt hinders our ability to recall information we have learnt previously.
   • proactive interference: when information we have already learnt hinders our ability to recall new information.
   • context: the general setting or environment in which activities happen.
   • anterograde amnesia: being unable to learn new information after suffering brain damage.
   • hippocampus: a brain structure that is crucial for memory.
   • retrograde amnesia: loss of memory for events that happened before brain damage occured.
   • reliability: in the context of eyewitness testimony, the extent to which it can be regarded as accurate.
   • leading questions: a question that hints that a particular type of answer is required.
   • cognitive interview: a method of questioning witnesses that involves recreating the context of an event.
   • stereotype: an oversimplified, generalised set of ideas that we have about others.

2. Studies

   • Peterson & Peterson: rehearsal, trigrams-->rehearsal is required
   • Murdock: multi-store, primacy and recency effects, word lists-->evidence for short and long term stores.
   • Barlett: war of the ghosts, unfamiliar information-->reconstructive memory, influenced by own beliefs.
   • Wynn and Logie: familiar stories, university-->memory of familiar events do no change.
   • Craik and Lockhart: levels of processing, questions on words, yes/no answers--> deeper process=more likely to be remembered.
   • Godden & Baddeley: context, underwater, list of words-->recall of information will be better if in the same context as the learning.
   • Underwood & Postman: interference, word pairs-->new learning hinders memory of previous information.
   • Loftus and Palmer: leading questions, smashed/hit-->'smashed' gave higher speed estimate, leading questions reduce the accuracy of answers.
   • Geiselman et al.: context, police training film, two groups incontext/out of context-->cognitive interiew provide more accurate recall.
   • Bruce and Young: familiarity, lecturers on CCTV-->students made more correct identifications that police officers.
   • Cohen: stereotypes, librarian/waiter in a restaurant-->participants described woman by the stereotype given, stereotypes reduce accuracy of accounts of people