Memory flashcards

Memory is a core topic in A-Level Psychology covering how information is encoded, stored and retrieved. Students must understand the multi-store model proposed by Atkinson and Shiffrin, which describes sensory, short-term and long-term memory as distinct stores with different capacities and durations. The working memory model by Baddeley and Hitch replaced the idea of a single short-term store with a more complex, active system. Students also need to understand types of long-term memory, explanations for forgetting such as interference and retrieval failure, and the accuracy of eyewitness testimony including the effects of misleading information and anxiety. Research studies, their methodology and evaluations are essential throughout.

1. Card 1

   What are the three memory stores in the multi-store model?

   The sensory register, short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM), each differing in capacity, duration and encoding.

2. Card 2

   What is the capacity and duration of short-term memory?

   STM has a capacity of 7 plus or minus 2 items (Miller) and a duration of approximately 18 to 30 seconds without rehearsal.

3. Card 3

   How does information move from STM to LTM in the multi-store model?

   Through maintenance rehearsal, where information is repeatedly cycled in STM until it is transferred into long-term memory.

4. Card 4

   What are the four components of the working memory model?

   The central executive, phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad and episodic buffer, each handling different types of information processing.

5. Card 5

   What is the role of the central executive in working memory?

   The central executive is the controlling component that allocates attention and coordinates the other slave systems; it has limited capacity.

6. Card 6

   What is the difference between episodic, semantic and procedural long-term memory?

   Episodic memory stores personal events, semantic memory stores general knowledge and facts, and procedural memory stores how to perform skills.

7. Card 7

   What is proactive interference in forgetting?

   Proactive interference occurs when older memories disrupt the recall of newer information, for example old vocabulary interfering with a new language.

8. Card 8

   What is retrieval failure and what causes it?

   Retrieval failure occurs when memories exist but cannot be accessed due to missing cues; Tulving's encoding specificity principle explains this.

9. Card 9

   What did Loftus and Palmer's car crash study demonstrate?

   That leading questions can distort eyewitness memory; the verb used (e.g. smashed vs contacted) significantly changed speed estimates and false memories.

10. Card 10

    How does anxiety affect eyewitness testimony?

    High anxiety can cause the weapon focus effect, narrowing attention onto a weapon and reducing accuracy of other details, though some studies show anxiety aids recall.

11. Card 11

    What is the difference between the duration of STM and LTM?

    STM lasts around 18 to 30 seconds, whereas LTM is considered potentially unlimited in duration, lasting a lifetime in some cases.

12. Card 12

    What is a key criticism of the multi-store model?

    It oversimplifies memory by treating STM and LTM as single, unitary stores, ignoring evidence for multiple types of long-term memory and active processing.

• Students often confuse proactive and retroactive interference, mixing up which memory (old or new) is doing the disrupting rather than focusing on the direction of the effect.
• Many students incorrectly describe the central executive in the working memory model as having a large capacity, when in fact it is a limited capacity system that can be overloaded.
• A common exam error is stating that anxiety always impairs eyewitness testimony, ignoring research suggesting moderate arousal can sometimes enhance memory accuracy.

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