Structures of Memory (AQA GCSE Psychology): Flashcards
Exam code: 8182
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Who proposed the multi-store model of memory?
a) Bartlett
b) Atkinson & Shiffrin
c) Murdock
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Cards in this collection (28)
Who proposed the multi-store model of memory?
a) Bartlett
b) Atkinson & Shiffrin
c) Murdock
b.
The multi-store model of memory was proposed by Atkinson & Shiffrin (1968).
What is the order of the stores in the multi-store model?
Information flows from environmental stimuli, to sensory memory, to short-term memory, to long-term memory, with the final output being the retrieved information.
Define sensory memory.
Sensory memory (SM) is the point at which information comes in from the five senses.
The duration of sensory memory is around seconds.
The duration of sensory memory is around 0.5 seconds.
What is the capacity of short-term memory?
a) 5–9 items
b) Around 0.5 items
c) Possibly limitless
a.
The capacity of short-term memory is 7 items plus or minus 2, i.e. 5–9 items.
True or False?
Coding in short-term memory is semantic.
False.
Coding in short-term memory is acoustic, i.e. sound- or word-based.
What is the duration of short-term memory?
The duration of short-term memory is up to around 30 seconds, though rehearsed items can be kept for longer.
Why is short-term memory described as a ‘first-in-first-out’ system?
New information constantly enters short-term memory, so new items push out old items. Items in STM are displaced by the information entering it.
Define long-term memory.
Long-term memory (LTM) is the part of memory that holds information indefinitely, potentially for a person’s full lifespan.
How is information coded in long-term memory?
Coding in long-term memory is semantic, i.e. based on meaning.
True or False?
The capacity of long-term memory is strictly limited.
False.
The capacity of long-term memory is huge, possibly limitless, because the brain can get rid of old, unused information and connections.
Give one weakness of the multi-store model of memory.
The model is overly simplistic, with a linear design and a lack of detail about each memory type.
Which case study supports the multi-store model by showing a man who could form no new memories but had some intact LTM?
The case of Clive Wearing supports the multi-store model, as it suggests STM and LTM are separate stores.
Give one weakness of the research used to support the multi-store model.
Research into the multi-store model relies on lab experiments using artificial tasks, which lack ecological validity, so it tells us little about memory in real life. Single case studies also cannot be generalised.
Define the serial position effect.
The serial position effect is the tendency for the position of an item in a list to determine whether or not that item is recalled.
Define the primacy effect.
The primacy effect is the tendency to recall items that appear at the beginning of a list, compared to items in the middle of a list.
Define the recency effect.
The recency effect is the tendency to recall items that appear at the end of a list, compared to items in the middle of a list.
Why are items at the beginning of a list recalled well?
Items at the beginning of a list have been rehearsed and so have been transferred to long-term memory.
Why are items at the end of a list recalled well?
Items at the end of a list are easily recalled because they are still in short-term memory.
Why are items in the middle of a list often forgotten?
Items in the middle have been pushed out of short-term memory by the items that follow and have not been rehearsed, so they are displaced.
Serial position effect is particularly likely when a list is longer than items.
Serial position effect is particularly likely when a list is longer than 9 items.
Who conducted the classic serial position curve study, and what research method did they use?
Murdock (1962) conducted a lab experiment into the serial position effect.
Murdock (1962) tested participants, who were Psychology students.
Murdock (1962) tested 103 participants, who were Psychology students.
What task did participants complete in Murdock’s (1962) study?
Participants listened to word lists of between 10 and 40 words, then used free recall to recall the words in any order.
True or False?
Murdock (1962) found that the primacy effect was the stronger of the two effects.
False.
Murdock concluded that the recency effect was the stronger of the two effects.
What do serial position studies contribute to the multi-store model of memory?
They support the multi-store model, as they provide evidence for two separate storage systems for STM and LTM.
Give one weakness of Murdock’s (1962) study.
Memorising word lists is an artificial task, which means the study lacks ecological validity.
True or False?
Murdock’s use of Psychology students makes his sample representative.
False.
Psychology students are an unrepresentative sample that cannot be easily generalised, and they are more likely to guess the aim of the experiment.
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