Memory

1 The capacity of LTM is much larger than STM it Unlimited capacity in LTM, 7 + / - 2 items in STM.

2 Right to withdraw. Participants should be reminded of their right to withdraw from the research. If participants are showing signs of distress, the psychologist should remind the participants of their right to withdraw

3 Loftus and Palmer loftus and Pickerill, Yuille & Cutshall (1986) who investigated evidence from an actual crime. In Loftus and Palmer’s study, participants were tested in a laboratory situation. Participants were asked questions about a film they watched of a car crash. The critical question asked how fast a car was travelling when an accident occurred. The verb in the question was changed so some questions included the words “smashed into”. Others included collided with, bumped into, hit or contacted.

4 Rehearsal is used as a transfer mechanism in the MSM. However, mere rehearsal is sometimes too simple a process to account for the transfer of information from STM to LTM. Even though students rehearse the information it doesn’t transfer from STM to LTM as predicted by the model. Furthermore, the type of information is important in whether it is recalled or not. For example, information in the magazine is only presented once, but it does transfer to LTM, despite lack of rehearsal.

5 reinstating the context – interviewee mentally reinstates the environmental and personal context of the incident, eg sights, sounds, weather etc report everything – interviewer encourages the reporting of every single detail of the event, even though it may seem irrelevant changing order – interviewer tries alternative ways through the timeline of the incident changing perspective – interviewee recalls from different perspectives, eg how it would have appeared to other witnesses.

6 The working memory model proposed by Baddeley and Hitch in 1970s as an updated version of STM WM is understood as an active processor The components and their functions and properties; central executive; phonological loop/store (articulatory and acoustic processing); visuo-spatial scratchpad/sketchpad; episodic buffer. Credit diagram

Brain imaging research showing different areas of the brain are active when performing different types of task D’Esposito et al (1995) who found using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) scans in the prefrontal cortex was activated when verbal and spatial tasks were performed simultaneously but not when performed separately, suggesting the brain area is associated with CE functioning. Concurrent/dual task studies Prabhakaran (2000) found biological evidence using fMRI scans that the episodic buffer is located in the right-frontal lobe. Clinical evidence of selective impairments to STM The Central Executive is supported by Trojani and Grossi (1995) reported on a case study of a brain damaged patient who had impaired functioning of the phonological loop but had a perfectly functioning visuo-spatial sketchpad, suggesting two separate stores. Gathercole and Baddeley (1993) found that participants had difficulty simultaneously tracking a moving point of light and describing the angles of a hollow letter F, because both tasks required VSSP functioning, whereas other participants had very little difficulty with tracking the light and completing a verbal task, indicating that the VSSP and the PL are separate slave systems.

6 Explains how different cognitive processes interact Comparison with passive view of STM in the MSM Use of evidence to support or contradict the concept of working memory Discussion/evaluation of working memory research eg issues of validity in dual task research/scanning studies where tasks might be seen as unrealistic/artificial; sampling issues and generalisation Problem of testing/fully explaining the central executive Applications eg explains processing deficits like reading difficulties and offers possible routes to therapy