Memory Strategies

Starter: Answer the following exam question on strategies for improving memory…

Tip: 1 mark for identifying a strategy, 1 mark for explaining how it works and 1 mark for an example…x2

Memory Strategies How did you do?

Swap your exercise books with your partner and mark their work, using the mark scheme below. Also write: WWW – What went well… EBI – What they could do to improve their answer…

Cognitive Psychology

MODELS OF MEMORY The Multi-Store Model of Memory [MSM] (Atkinson &

Shiffrin, 1968) The Working Memory Model

You need to outline & evaluate both models

What is a “Model of Memory”?

A model of memory is a representation of memory It helps us understand how memory works and what

memory looks like inside our heads

Today we will be learning about the multi store

model of memory

Atkinson & Shiffrin (1968)

The Multi-Store Model

The information we learn passes through a number of STORES during the journey from Short term memory to Long Term memory

Atkinson & Shiffrin (1968)

The Multi-Store Model

The information we learn passes through a number of STORES during the journey from Short term memory to Long Term memory

Atkinson & Shiffrin (1968)

Sensory Memory (SM)

Short Term Memory (STM)

Long Term Memory (LTM)

Information

Attention

Rehearsal

Transfer

Retrieval

Forgetting

The Multi-Store Model

According to the model each store differs in terms of the way it encodes information, its capacity and duration

Task – What do we mean by…1.Capacity of information in each store?

2.Duration of information in each store?

3. How we encode information in each store?

Capacity

DurationEncoding

Space - The amount of information that can be stored

Time - How long the information can be stored

Format - The way in which the information is represented e.g. sound or image

Capacity, Duration and Encoding…

SM :•Capacity: Unknown but very limited•Duration: Very limited period (1-2 secs)•Encoding: Raw/Unprocessed (all 5 senses)

LTM •Capacity: Unlimited•Duration: Lifetime/Years•Encoding: Semantic (Meaning)

Sensory Memory (SM)

Short Term Memory (STM)

Long Term Memory (LTM)

Information

Attention

Rehearsal

Transfer

Retrieval

ForgettingSTM :•Capacity: Limited (about 7+- 2)•Duration: Very limited (20 secs)•Encoding: Acoustic (sound)

Research Investigating STM

Duration of Short-Term Memory (STM):

Peterson & Peterson(1959)

Robinson (2014) ExperimentA Petersons & Petersons Rip-Off

This experiment investigates the duration of your STM. You will be shown letter trigrams which you will then recall.

Ethical Issues:

Please raise your hand if I have your informed consent

You have the right to withdraw if you feel stressed

CXT

Distractor Task

OUTLOUD: Starting from 47 count backwards in 3’s.

Recall

Now recall the trigram.

XYT

Distractor Task

OUTLOUD: Starting from 57 count backwards in 4’s.

Recall

Now recall the trigram.

NZU

Distractor Task

OUTLOUD: Starting from 101 count backwards in 3’s.

Recall

Now recall the trigram.

XST

Distractor Task

OUTLOUD: Starting from 27 count backwards in 4’s.

Recall

Now recall the trigram.

KJG

Distractor Task

OUTLOUD: Starting from 157 count backwards in 2’s.

Recall

Now recall the trigram.

PLB

Distractor Task

OUTLOUD: Starting from 1.4 million count backwards in 3’s.

Recall

Now recall the trigram.

CXH

Distractor Task

OUTLOUD: Starting from 100 count backwards in 1’s.

Recall

Now recall the trigram.

NKU

Distractor Task

OUTLOUD: Starting from 10 count backwards in 11’s.

Recall

Now recall the trigram.

The Results

CXT XYT NZU XST KJG PLB CXH NKU

3 sec 6 sec 9 sec 12 sec 15 sec 18 sec 21 sec 24 sec

The Results

Task: 1)Summarise the results from the study. 2) What can we conclude about the duration of our STM?

After 18secs, fewer than 10% recalled

correctly.After only 3secs, 80% recalled

correctly.

Recall got progressively worse as the delaygrew longer!

Evaluating Peterson & Peterson (1959)

Sample IssuesHis sample lacked population validity – they were all students from America.

Methodological Issues

Trigrams are artificial – Therefore it lacks ecological validity

Participants may have mixed up the trigrams in the last conditions.

Ethical Issues Maybe he broke

protection from harm?

He dealt with many: Got informed consent from participants and gave the right to withdraw.