How cognitive theories have contributed to the study of psychology
This essay reads that human memory can be sub-divided into different systems, therefore psychologists produce theories of memory based on research which can be applied for practical use to support their ideas. The aim of the theories are to help explain how memory works and whether they can be of help to science. For example, understanding how memory is affected by suffers of amnesia or brain injuries.
James argued that memory should be split into primary memory and secondary memory. The former is memory based on what is currently happening and is short-term memory, whereas secondary memory is memory based on what has previously happened and is long-term memory. James’ theory …show more content…
He expressed a distinction between episodic memory and semantic memory. Episodic memory involves personal events compared to semantic memory that is ‘organised knowledge’ about the world we live in. Although these are separate types, Tulving agreed that they were interdependent on each other as semantic memory lacked detailed information about timings and location. Both have helped explain long-term memory in more depth and Parkin (1982) went as far as saying that amnesic patients provide the most compelling evidence for them. His argument was flawed however as the patients proved to have a good level of recollection on both types of memories. As a result psychologist group semantic and episodic memory together as declarative knowledge. Declarative knowledge is about know that things have happened or are facts and procedural knowledge is knowing how things have happened or are done. The different knowledge types have helped scientists explain Korsakoff syndrome patients’ way of …show more content…
The Levels-of-processing theory argued that traces of long-term memory are made as consequences of processes happening when learning takes place, therefore memory depends on the depth of processing. They also suggested that there are two types of rehearsal; maintenance and elaborative. Maintenance rehearsal is repetition and if the Multi-store model were correct, leads to improved long-term memory. Elaborative is information learnt at a deeper level, but experiments have concluded that this rehearsal improves memory greater thus critiquing the Multi-store model. A problem with this theory though is that it makes assumptions that deep processing is more effective than shallow. This was disproved by Morris, Bransford and Franks
This essay reads that human memory can be sub-divided into different systems, therefore psychologists produce theories of memory based on research which can be applied for practical use to support their ideas. The aim of the theories are to help explain how memory works and whether they can be of help to science. For example, understanding how memory is affected by suffers of amnesia or brain injuries.
James argued that memory should be split into primary memory and secondary memory. The former is memory based on what is currently happening and is short-term memory, whereas secondary memory is memory based on what has previously happened and is long-term memory. James’ theory …show more content…
He expressed a distinction between episodic memory and semantic memory. Episodic memory involves personal events compared to semantic memory that is ‘organised knowledge’ about the world we live in. Although these are separate types, Tulving agreed that they were interdependent on each other as semantic memory lacked detailed information about timings and location. Both have helped explain long-term memory in more depth and Parkin (1982) went as far as saying that amnesic patients provide the most compelling evidence for them. His argument was flawed however as the patients proved to have a good level of recollection on both types of memories. As a result psychologist group semantic and episodic memory together as declarative knowledge. Declarative knowledge is about know that things have happened or are facts and procedural knowledge is knowing how things have happened or are done. The different knowledge types have helped scientists explain Korsakoff syndrome patients’ way of …show more content…
The Levels-of-processing theory argued that traces of long-term memory are made as consequences of processes happening when learning takes place, therefore memory depends on the depth of processing. They also suggested that there are two types of rehearsal; maintenance and elaborative. Maintenance rehearsal is repetition and if the Multi-store model were correct, leads to improved long-term memory. Elaborative is information learnt at a deeper level, but experiments have concluded that this rehearsal improves memory greater thus critiquing the Multi-store model. A problem with this theory though is that it makes assumptions that deep processing is more effective than shallow. This was disproved by Morris, Bransford and Franks