Cognitive Psychology

Individual Differences

Process speed: ppl complete tasks at different times & speeds, likely due to speed they can process information & ability to stretched capacity of STM. Use of chunking to expand capacity of STM, Miller proposed magic number of 7 (can hold + or – 2 pieces in...

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Developmental Issues

Memory & age: Processing speeds differ between individuals, ppl write & read with different speeds linked with capacity of their STM. Younger children have a shorter digit span (capacity & memory span of STM without rehearsal) than older children. Memory...

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Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive psychology is how we think and process information to get a mental output. 1950’s is when cognitive psychology arises, following the end of the second world war, more studies of understanding human performance e.g best train soldiers to use technology. Led...

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Multi-store Model (Atkinson & Shiffrin)

Sensory memory: Enters via sensory input Brief and only lasts 1-2 seconds. Paying attention to the info passes it to STM Forgotten through decay/ lack of attention to info Short Term Memory (STM): Lasts 15-30 seconds, stores 5-9 items. Has subvocal rehearsal loop Not...

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The Working Memory Model (Badley & Hitch)

Central executive: Modality free attention mechanism with limited capacity. Decision making, involves problem solving Controls attention & plays role in planning information Control; over other slave systems. Phonological loop: Speech based sounds, limited...

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Baddley (Classic Study)

Aim: Test the effect of sematic & acoustic similarity on the learning & recalling of word sequences in LTM using control to prevent rehearsal between presentation & testing to minimise STM effects. Procedure:78 ppts used in independent measures. Lab based...

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Tulving: Procedural & Declarative

Semantic: Facts, meaning and knowledge. Information about ourselves, stores information about the world. Involves conscious thought & doesn’t rely on cue’s for retrieval. Can work independently. Found in frontal & temporal lobe. Fragmented structure. Episodic:...

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Reconstructive Memory

The idea that memory is not recorded passively, suggesting that memories are stored in bits We extract the underlying meaning but don’t necessarily recall info entirely. Perception is an active construction of what we think we seeing using prior knowledge Current...

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HM Case Study

HM was diagnosed as suffering with anterograde (inability to form new memories due to impairment of moving data from STM to LTM) & retrograde amnesia (person’s pre-existing memories are lost to conscious recollection but can form new memories). In 1953, Hm aged 27...

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Contemporary Study: Sebastian & Hernandez-gil

Aim: Study developmental pattern of working memory over time, including changes from ageing & dimension. Analyse development of phonological loop in children 5-17 years old looking at age digit span stopped increasing See if Anglo-Saxon data (15 years end) were...

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