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Factors affecting the accuracy of memory: Context, Factors affecting the…
Factors affecting the accuracy of memory: Context
Aim
Godden and Baddely aimed to see if context improved recall. The used "underwater"(wet) and "on the beach"(dry) as two conetxts
Context
Other things that are present at the time of learning act as a cue for recall. This improves accuracy of memory
Method
Drivers listened to and recalled words in same/ different settings.
Same context:dry/dry(DD), wet/wet(WW)
Results
Recall highest in two matching conditions(dry/dry or wet/wet). When a person was in same environment for learning and recall, their memories were more accurate
Conclusion
Context of learning acts as a trigger/ cue when trying to remember info, and improves accuracy of memory
Evaluation
Artifical task
relates to research using list of words
Recall was short term
study was an unrealistic as participants recalled the words almost immediately
Similar context
only acts as a cue for recall if the context at the time of learning and recall are very similar
Factors affecting the accuracy of memory: False memories
False memory
memory for something that did not happen but a person thinks its a true memory
Aim
Loftus and Pickrell aim to see if false memories could be created in participants though sugestion
Method
Participants given 4 stories about childhood events of which 3 were true and 1 false(false getting lost in a shopping mall was the false one)
Story was created with help of a relative so that it sounded realistic. Participants read each story and wrote what they remembered
Results
68% of true episodes remembered.
6 out of 24 (25%) of participants recalled false story fully or partially. Rest had no memory of it.
Conclusion
Shows that imagining an event can implant a false memory in a person reducing the accuracy of memory
Evaluation
Artificial task
false memory event is not of the same traumatic kind that could be found in therapy
Harmless events might be implanted easily but traumatic events may not
Ethical issues
Research raises ethical issues. Even though participants were debriefed, they may be left with implanted false memories which lingered after the study was finished.
Real world application
One strength is that the research has implications for eyewitness testimony
Memory as an active process: The theory of reconstructive memory
The theory
The war of the Ghosts study demonstrated that memory is an active process. People remember meaning of events and, when retrieving info, they rebuild memory
Memory is inaccurate
We do not have exact recall
Elements missing and memories not an accurate representation of what happened
Reconstruction
We record small pieces of info in long-term memory
During recall we recombine them to tell the whole story. Each time elements combined slightly differently.
Social and cultural influences
Way info is stored and recalled is affected by social and cultural expectations, like using phrase "going fishing" rather than "hunting seals"
Effort after meaning
We focus on meaning of events and make an effort to understands meaning to make sense of parts of the story
Evaluation
More realistic research
+
research reflects how we use memory in our everyday lives
research doesn't use artificial word lists or constant syllables but instead uses a story
Some memories are accurate
-
not all memories are reconstructed
e.g in the study particpipants often recalled "something black came out of his mouth", it was quite a distinctive phrase
Real world application
+
reconstructive memory explains problems with eyewitness testimony.
Bartlett's research showed memory is affected by expectations, indicating people do not always recall accurately
Structures of memory:The multi store model
Multi Store Model
States 3 memory stores, they have different encoding, capacity and duration.Information passes through stores via attention or rehearsal
Sensory Memory
Hold info from senses
short time
large capacity
Paying attention transfers it to STM
Role of rehearsal
Verbal repetition(rehearsal) keeps info in STM
If rehearsed for long enough transferred to LTM
LTM
Encoded by meaning
Permanent memory
Unlimited Capacity
Evaluation
Reseach support
-
model too simple suggess we have 1 STM and 1 LTM
Simple Model
+
Support for existence of different memory stores.
Artificial Materials
-
research that supports model used artificial materials