Memory | AQA A-Level Psychology (7182)
Memory
- 136 questions
- 5 subtopics
- Paper 1: Introductory topics in psychology
- Paper 1
Memory is the second topic of Paper 1.
It covers two models of how memory is structured, two explanations for why it fails, and the factors that reduce the accuracy of eyewitness accounts, ending with the cognitive interview as a way of improving them.
Sample questions from Memory
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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The multi-store model of memory
Define short-term memory according to the multi-store model.
Show the answer
A temporary store where information is held while being actively processed. -
The multi-store model of memory
Why might information that is deeply processed for meaning be better retained in long-term memory?
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Because long-term memory primarily uses semantic coding, so encoding information based on its meaning aligns with how LTM naturally stores information. -
Types of long-term memory
What is procedural memory?
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The long-term store for how to do things, such as riding a bike or driving, which is recalled automatically without conscious effort. -
Types of long-term memory
What did Tulving et al.'s brain scanning research find about episodic and semantic memory?
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Episodic and semantic memories were associated with different areas of the prefrontal cortex, with episodic recall linked to the right side and semantic memory to the left. -
The working memory model
When you read words silently and convert them into a sound-based code, which sub-component of the phonological loop is responsible for this conversion?
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The articulatory control system, which converts written material into an articulatory/phonological code. -
The working memory model
What is the function of the episodic buffer?
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It is a temporary store that integrates information from the other components and from long-term memory into coherent episodes -
Explanations for forgetting
In which temporal direction does retroactive interference operate?
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Retroactive interference works backwards in time, with new memories disrupting recall of old learning. -
Explanations for forgetting
Define context-dependent forgetting.
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Context-dependent forgetting occurs when external environmental cues present at encoding are absent at retrieval.
The 5 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| The multi-store model of memory | Memory as three stores in sequence, with the coding, capacity and duration of each, the two parts of the sensory register, and the rehearsal that moves information between stores. | 28 |
| Types of long-term memory | Tulving's episodic, semantic and procedural memory, the difference between explicit and implicit memory, and the evidence from Clive Wearing, HM and brain scanning, with the limitations of that evidence. | 13 |
| The working memory model | Short-term memory as separate components rather than one store: the central executive, the phonological loop and its two parts, the visuo-spatial sketchpad, and the episodic buffer. | 38 |
| Explanations for forgetting | Interference and retrieval failure as the two explanations, covering the two directions interference operates in and the difference between context-dependent and state-dependent forgetting. | 19 |
| Factors affecting the accuracy of eyewitness testimony | Leading questions and post-event discussion as sources of misleading information, the effect of anxiety on recall, and the techniques used in the cognitive interview. | 38 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Psychology Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,999 questions with their answers.