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Here is the study guide for weeks 6 and 7.Most of the answers can be found both in the book and in the notes from the class (and you may integrate the different types of information). However, just for clarity sake, I have divided the questions according to chapters and lectures.
STUDY GUIDE
FROM: CHAPTER 6
1. What are the three main processes logically necessary in a memory task? Briefly describe them.
2. What are proactive interference and retroactive interference? Talk about similarities and differences.
3. Describe the Brown-Peterson task and its results. What do these results suggest about memory? What was the alternative explanation proposed by Keppel and Underwood (1962)?
4. Talk about the release from proactive interference (Wickens, 1970). What does this effect suggest about short term memory?
5. Describe the two serial position effects (recency and primacy). Which variable affect primacy (for example, Rundus, 1971)? Which variable affect recency?
[See also lecture notes]
6. Describe Atkinson-Shiffrin's model of memory (Fig 6.5). What are the main features of the three memory structures (or stores)? What are the control processes that operate on these structures?
[See also lecture notes]
7. How does Atkinson-Shiffrin's model explain primacy and recency effects?
8. Describe the three main problems with the Atkinson and Shiffrin Model (Warrington and Shallice, Keppel and Underwood, Roediger and Crowder). What are possible solutions for these problems?
9. Briefly describe the main idea behind the temporal distinctiveness model.
10. Define "span of memory". Which are the variables that affect this measure? What is the relationship between memory span and time of decay of information?
[See also lecture notes]
11. Describe Baddeley and Hitch model of working memory (components and function of each component).
12. Describe two aspects of the nervous system physiology that can be associated with sensory memory and short term memory.
FROM: CHAPTER 7
1. Define the difference between episodic and semantic memories according to Tulving. What are the reasons and the empirical evidence that support such a distinction?
2. Describe Ebbinghaus' relearning task. What was the dependent variable in Ebbinghaus' studies? What are the results?
3. According to Murdock, a cue allows to retrieve three types of information from memory. Describe them.
4. What does the encoding specificity hypothesis state?
5. Describe Craik and Lockhart's level of processing hypothesis. Describe the Craik and Tulving (1972) study and its results.
[See also lecture notes]
6. What are the two processes that operate in retrieval according to "generate-recognize" theories?
7. What are the two processes that operate in retrieval according to the dual process theory?
8. Which are the areas in the brain involved in episodic encoding and retrieval (research report 7)?
9. Define and give an example of explicit memory and implicit memory. The authors of the textbook believe that the distinction between implicit and explicit memory is not strongly supported by empirical evidence. How does the research on sleep and cognition support this distinction?
FROM: LECTURES
1. What is a "chunk" according to George Miller?
2. What is the generation effect?
3. Sleep and cognition: Which kind of learning is improved by sleep? Which sleep phases seem to be important in memory consolidation?
4. What is implicit memory? Give two examples. What are the differences between implicit and explicit memory?
5. Describe the recall and the recognition paradigms? What is the difference between cued and free recall?
6. Describe Bartlett's research on memory. What is a schema and what is its importance in memory?
7. What are the three possible strategies used to memorize events? Give a brief description of each one.
8. What is the encoding specificity effect? Give an example of research that studied this phenomenon.
9. Which are the three mechanisms proposed to account for forgetting? Briefly describe them and talk about evidence in favor and against them.
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