Psyc 203 Exam 2

Front 1

Describe the study on flashbulb memories that focused on the challenger explosion and give a specific example of one participant's data

Back 1

method

they interviewed people immediately after the event and then interviewed them again 2 yrs later.

results:

Participants' testimonies did not remain consistent. Many details changed

Specific example:

1st testimony: person first heard about the event when she overheard some people talking about it in her college class. At the time she only new about the crash and that the students of the teacher had been watching when it happened, which she thought was very sad. when she returned to her room and watched the news, she learned all the details

2nd testimony: person said she found out about the even through a news flash while watching TV with her roommate in their freshman dorm room. She remembered being shocked and upset and went to talk to a friend and then parents after learning.

Front 2

describe the study that contrasted memory accuracy and confidence. What two types of memories did it test?

Back 2

Tested both flashbulb & everyday memories

Method:

had same people come in and talk about their experience on 9/11: 1 day, 7 days, 42 days and 224 days after. Recorded details given and recorded consistency/accuracy of details given on the later dates. also ask for & recorded confidence in memories given.

Results:

for everyday and flashbulb memories: accuracy, consistency/accuracy went down over time

For belief/confidence in memory: the same for both at first but went down as time went on for regular memory but stayed about the same (higher) for flash bulb mem

Front 3

Describe the memory accuracy study that involved free recall of words

Back 3

methods:

ppl study list of words that are all related a single "critical word" => asked to recall all the words they can from the list => recorded errors including words recalled that weren't on list & confidence in all errors

Results:

40% of ppl "remembered" critical word

ppl had high confidence in errors over half the time

Front 4

Describe the study that provides evidence for a sound-based phonological loop system

Back 4

Methods:

Had ppl study and then immediately recall one of 4 diff types of word lists

1. phonologically similar list (words that sound the same mad cap cad can cat etc.

2. Phonological control: don't sound same: cow day bar few etc.

3. semantically similar (words w/ similar meanings)

4. Semantic control words: unrelated meanings

measure percent correct and compare diff between semantic group and phonological group

Results

the semantic group showed no difference between similar and control list (both fairly high 70-60)

the phonological group did show a big difference between control and similar w/ similar doing much worse (abt 10%) and control doing normally abt 80%

Front 5

Describe the study that showed the word effect

how does this support the theory of a phonological loop?

what did this study find the capacity of the phonological loop to be?

Back 5

Method:

ppl given list of words with same number of syllables in each word => varied # of syllables in each word => had ppl recal words and measured percent correct and reading time

Results

lists w/ more syllables had worse recall and longer reading time = syllable length is coordinated with memory and reading time = word effect. Capacity = 2 syllables

phonological loop = sound-based coder. because longer syllables more difficult to read and remember suggests sound based more code must be used to encode/process those words for working memory bc syllable length is sound based

Front 6

What is articulatory suppression? What study previously mentioned was this made an addition to? Describe the changed study.

Back 6

it is a method of preventing use of the phonological loop in WM

it was an addition to the phonologically similar/diff vs semantically similar/different study

Method change:

Had people ppl constantly repeat sound while memorizing the lists so that their phonological loop was occupied with the repetition and couldn't be used to memorize the list.

Results:

memorization of phonologically diff words was worse but ppl could remember phonologically similar words just as well as diff words

Front 7

Describe the memory study that analyzed the effects of encoding for meaning. Who did the study?

Back 7

Method (Craik):

showed ppl list of words, one list at a time, and asked them one Q abt each one. 3 types of Q that could be asked: cap letters? Rhyme w/ _____? Fit in this sentence? 1st Q involved shallow processing; 2nd involved intermediate-level processing; 3rd involved deep processing => after finished list, showed ppl new words and asked if they'd seen them b4 (recognition test) => measured proportion recognized from each Q category

Results:

words encoded w/ deep processing had greatest proportion recognized followed by intermediate processing then shallow processing = encoding for meaning positively effects memory or at least recog

Front 8

What is an encoding factor

Back 8

a factor that influences (or may influence) encoding (memory)

Front 9

Describe the study that evaluated intention as an encoding factor

Back 9

Method: similar to meaning encoding study

had ppl judge series of words for either a) containing certain letters (shallow meaning), or b) pleasantness (deep meaning)

Some ppl knew test was coming and were told try and remember the words (intentional), others didn't (incidental) => after judging each word at a time, tested on recall => measured percent recalled

Results;

Deep encoded words still recalled better than shallow encoded words but knowledge of test didn't significantly influence performance = intention to learn by itself doesn't improve memory = not a very good encoding factor

Front 10

Describe the study that evaluated attention as an encoding factor

Back 10

Methods:

ppl shown list of words and told to remember them => also told to press a (different?) button each time they saw an * on the screen => measured recall and compared to control group w/ attn not divided

Results:

ppl tasked w/ divided attn remembered less than ppl tasked only w/ memory = attn is an encoding factor: the more attn you apply to remembering something the better you'll remember it

Front 11

Describe the individual differences study that had to do with a visual display. What is the name of the task called and what type of memory does it deal with. Who did this study?

Back 11

Called anti-saccade task; has to do w/ working memory. Engle did this study.

Method:

had only either high or low cap. WM ppl participate => ppl told to focus on middle of display but respond to target that appears randomly to the side of the display => b4 target given, distractor appears on the opposite side of where target will be => measured time to ID target, the faster the better => compared low cap groups w/ high cap groups

*Also pro-saccade condition given where distractor predicted where target would be = acted as control trial

Results

no diff btwn high and low caps in pro-saccade control trial BUT in anti-saccade, high cap groups faster than low cap groups = able to control attn better = WM is ability to maintain & use attn and knowledge

Front 12

Describe the individual differences study that involved the Stroop task. Who did this study?

Back 12

Engle did this study

Method:

used Stroop test on ppl of low and high WM cap. => varied % congruence (% of words w/ color name and ink color matching) at 0%, 50%, and 75% => measured % errors

0% is intended to be easiest bc of the lack of matching words & colors to throw ppl off

50% 2nd hardest bc matching sets now present

75% most difficult ratio of matching to non-matching

Results:

low and high cap ppl were (statistically speaking) the same for 0 and 50% BUT when tested at 75%

Front 13

what is proactive interference? What is retroactive interference?

Back 13

Proactive: material learned previously, prevents storage of new information

retroactive: new material learned/stimulus encountered prevents recall of previously held information

Front 14

What is cue-overload?

Back 14

Based off the idea that memory retrieval is triggered by retrieval cues, cue-overload is the theory that we experience forgetting when multiple memories/pieces of information are linked to the same retrieval cue, making it difficult or impossible to retrieve the specific item desired

Front 15

What is the Neuroscience finding in Wixted's article used to make his argument?

Back 15

General argument: memories/information is forgotten when it is degraded by the introduction and consolidation of new information/memories (retroactive interference) rather than through cue overload.

Neuroscience: process of mem consolidation lasts 4 several weeks, involves pre-synaptic neurons stimulate post-synaptic neurons = Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)

induction LTP = mem formation

maintenance LTP = mem being consolidated

One study found alcohols and benzos inhibit LTP induction but not maintenance in hippo

Another study found induction of LTP is an interfering event and causes partial forgetting of previously learned task => we forget due to induction of LTP in hippo and all new mems are formed by induction of LTP => they cause forgetting

Front 16

Give findings from Garry Gerrie that had to do with news

Back 16

Method:

told ppl: pretend to be newspaper editors and edit these 3 articles => one article, abt hurricane, varied btwn groups a) pic accompanying article from b4 hurricane b) pic from after hurricane => ppl come back next day => mem test abt whether certain phrases were in articles => some phrases talked abt injuries to ppl in hurricane (not in original article) => measured how many ppl in 2 groups said yes to those questions

Results:

ppl from b4 photo group had low error rate for injury statements (>10%)

Ppl from after photo group had higher relative error for injury statements (abt 1/3 incorrect) BUT not other types of statements => photos can influence mem to create false mems

Front 17

Describe the learning study that focused on interleaved study

Back 17

Method (Bjork):

told ppl to memorize styles of 12 diff artists by studying 6 paintings from each => had ppl study in 2 diff ways: blocking and interleaved => took one test for blocking mem and another test for interleaved => measured proportions of ppl's performance and of how effective they thought they were for the two tests

Results:

ppl did better (but estm. much lower) after interleaved study, but not blocking study (estm much higher performance)

Front 18

Describe the learning study having to do with testing during study

Back 18

Method:

Asked ppl to read material 4 times (SSSS), read material 3 times and take a quiz (SSST), or read material once and take 3 quizzes (STTT) => tested after either 5 minutes or one week => measured performance

Results

When tested 5min later, all 3 groups had (statistically speaking) about the same performance w/ (ssss) doing slightly better than (sttt) and (ssst) in the middle abt even w/ both

When tested 1 week later (sttt) did best, then (ssst), then (ssss) => testing better for long-term retention

Front 19

describe the study of memory having to do with cars. What did it show?

Back 19

Method:

ppl shown simulated car accidents as part of "safety videos" => asked Q abt them including one that was phrase 3 diff ways depending on group: how fast were the cars going when they _______ into each other? 1) contacted 2) hit 3) smashed => recorded ppl's responses

Results:

contacted= 30-31mph,

hit = ~34 mph

smashed = 40-41 mph

Shows the way questions are asked (i.e. leading Q) can influence memory