Memory

The processes of memory

1. Encoding- changing incoming information from one form to another eg. sensory information to a thought

2. Storage- retaining that information for when it needs to be retrieved

3. Retrieval- recalling the store information

Short term memory

-Peterson and Peterson: STM lasts about 30 seconds (duration)

-Participants were given a triagram to remember and a number to count back from so rehearsal couldn't happen

-After 3 seconds, 80% could remember the triagram. After 18 seconds, fewer than 10% could recall it, suggesting that STM lasts 30 seconds or less

-Baddeley: STM memories are harder to remember if they are acoustically similar

-Storage in STM: Miller- 7+-2. Chunking. Cowan: 4 is more likely 

-Retrieval: how memory is recalled

Long term memory

-Encoding: Baddeley- Semantically similar words are harder to remember.

-Duration: Bahrick- Infinite/very long time. Yearbook study showed that participants who had graduated less than 15 years ago had 90% accurate recall in photo recognition and 60% in free recall. For people who had graduated 48 years ago, they were 70% and 30% accurate, showing that LTM can last a very long time.

-Retrieval- LTMs are retrieved from the LTM and transferred to the STM to be recalled

Multi-store model of memory

1. Information is inputted into the sensory store

-Iconic- visual memories. Half a second

-Echoic- auditory memories. 2 seconds

2. Information that is paid attention to gets transferred to the STM. STM memories are forgotten due to decay and displacement. 

-Encoded: acoustically. Capacity: Miller 7+-2. Duration: P&P= 30 seconds

3. STM memories that are rehearsed get transferred to the LTM

-Encoded: semantically. Capacity: Limitless. Duration: Potentially forever. 

4. LTM memories are forgotten due to decay and interference (retroactive and proactive)

Evaluation of the MSMM

-Emotional memories go straight to the LTM without being rehearsed

-The model doesn't show how memories are transferred from the LTM to the STM because the arrows only go one way

-But the model does show the primacy regency effect and explains displacement

-Refuted by KF as KF suggests that there are different types of KF. He was able to recall information he read himself but not information that was read to him.

The working model of memory

1. The Central Executive: main component that co-ordinates the other sub-systems. It allocates information to the right component eg. visual info to the visuo-spatial sketchpad

2. Phonological loop= made up of the phonological store (stores information in our head in the same order) and the articulatory process (loops information in our head so that we rehearse it)

3. Visuo-spatial sketchpad: Stops us from bumping into things and allows us to recall visual information eg. the layout of our house. 

4. Episodic buffer: Added in 2000 by Baddeley as a back-up store to link the LTM to other components

Evaluation

-Supported by KF as there are different types of STM

-Supported by Baddeley's dual task study which showed that it's very difficult to use two of the same components of the WMM at the…