Psy 342 Learning & Memory

Study Guide for Exam 3

Purdy et al. Chapters 8-9

Chapter 8 

• Describe the flow or movement of information through memory in the Atkinson-Shiffrin model. Be sure to describe the three structures of memory and explain the processes that may take place in each structure.

• Explain the methodology and  typical results for the whole report technique.  What confound led Sperling (1960) to develop the partial report technique?

• Explain Sperling’s partial report methodology, along with typical results and conclusions regarding iconic memory.*

• Compare and contrast iconic and echoic memory in terms of (1) duration of the trace, (2) capacity of the store, and (3) coding/representation of the information.

• Describe Darwin, Turvey, and Crowder’s (1972) partial report technique and results for briefly presented auditory information.

• Define the suffix effect and describe the experimental situation used to demonstrate the effect. *

• Who was responsible for coining the phrase, “The magic number seven, plus or minus
  two?"  Describe the behavioral evidence to which this phrase applies.*

• In the Brown-Peterson paradigm, describe the general method used and typical pattern of results obtained. Describe the implications of the results for decay and interference theories of forgetting.*

• Compare and contrast Atkinson & Shiffrin’s definition of short-term memory with Baddeley’s definition of short-term memory.

• What evidence exists to justify Baddeley’s notion that working memory is a multi-component system?

Chapter 9

• Explain the function of the phonological loop.

• Describe the following phenomena and how they provide evidence for the phonological loop: 
  (1) phonological similarity effect, (2) unattended or irrelevant speech effect, (3) word-length effect, and (4) articulatory suppression. *

• What does the irrelevant speech effect suggest regarding studying while listening to music?

• In the information processing model, one of the most important factors that determines whether an item will be recalled is the memory store that holds the item.  Describe the factors that determine how well an item is recalled in the levels of processing model.*

• Describe the characteristics and give an example of a task that taps processing at the shallow, middle, and deep level.*

• Compare and contrast elaborative rehearsal with maintenance rehearsal. 

• Explain why Craik and Lockhart suggested that researchers use an incidental learning procedure when studying levels of processing.  *

• Describe distinctiveness and elaboration.

• Describe the procedure, results, and implications of Hyde and Jenkins (1973). 

• In general, our memory for visual images is good. How does Paivio's dual-coding hypothesis explain this phenomenon?

* Suggested areas of focus for the essay questions