PSYC 340 Exam #2 UPDATED ACTUAL Questions and
CORRECT Answers
How do we get stuff into our heads? Encoding / Acquisition
How do we hold that stuff in our heads? Storage / Retention
How do we get that stuff out of our heads? Retrieval
What kinds of memory errors do we make? Forgetting
The Modal Model Route to Memory input --> sensory memory --> short-term memory --> long-term memory
Need to know capacity (how much they can hold) and duration (how long they
can hold it) for each one of the for each one of the subsystems.
Sensory memory subsystem of The Modal Model - Has unlimited capacity (everything you're currently hearing, seeing, touching,
tasting are entering your sensory memory
- Duration of this information lasts fractions of a second
Short-term memory subsystem of The Modal Model - Temporary storage system
- Capacity 7 ± units of information. 7 is the average
- Duration is about 30 seconds if you don't rehearse it
, What can happen to information that goes to the short- Four things could happen with this information
term memory subsystem in the Model Model?
1. Could output that information → write it down, speak it
2. Could lose it → you processed it for that moment and use it in that moment
then disregard it
3. Rehearsal : a control process → could repeat the information over to yourself
to help you remember it
4. Information could be passed to long term memory
Long-term memory subsystem of The Modal Model - Unlimited capacity (you can always learn new things)
- Unlimited duration (hold on to this knowledge forever)
- In order to output or forget information in this system you must pass it back to
short term memory and output
Sensory memory for vision iconic memory
sensory memory for hearing echoic memory
Skerling Experiment - Whole Report → tachistoscopically showed a grid of 12 letters → participants
reported low accuracy of letters.
- Partial report tone immediate report → tachistoscopically showed the letters
with different tones immediately after showing → participants were able to
accurately report a full row of letters
- Partial Report Tone displayed → tachistoscopically showed the letters and
delayed playing the tone. Participants reported low accuracy of letters
serial position effect - our tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list
- memory is good for items at the beginning (primacy effect) and end (recency
effect) & memory is bad for items in the middle
Primacy effect good memory for items at the beginning of list accounts for long term memory.
These words at the beginning of the list had a lot of rehearsal time to be passed
to the long-term memory. As you go down the list the words get less and less
rehearsal time.
recency effect good memory for items at the end of the list accounts for short-term memory.
Study that supported the recency effect being driven by 1. During the 30 second unfilled delay condition → Participants get all the words
short term memory? on the list, set a timer and tell them to wait 30 seconds before asking them to
recall the words on the list.
2. 30 second filled-delay → Researchers give a list of words and instead of
asking you to wait, they give you a distracting task (maybe counting backwards)
to fill up your mental capacity to prevent you from rehearsal.
CORRECT Answers
How do we get stuff into our heads? Encoding / Acquisition
How do we hold that stuff in our heads? Storage / Retention
How do we get that stuff out of our heads? Retrieval
What kinds of memory errors do we make? Forgetting
The Modal Model Route to Memory input --> sensory memory --> short-term memory --> long-term memory
Need to know capacity (how much they can hold) and duration (how long they
can hold it) for each one of the for each one of the subsystems.
Sensory memory subsystem of The Modal Model - Has unlimited capacity (everything you're currently hearing, seeing, touching,
tasting are entering your sensory memory
- Duration of this information lasts fractions of a second
Short-term memory subsystem of The Modal Model - Temporary storage system
- Capacity 7 ± units of information. 7 is the average
- Duration is about 30 seconds if you don't rehearse it
, What can happen to information that goes to the short- Four things could happen with this information
term memory subsystem in the Model Model?
1. Could output that information → write it down, speak it
2. Could lose it → you processed it for that moment and use it in that moment
then disregard it
3. Rehearsal : a control process → could repeat the information over to yourself
to help you remember it
4. Information could be passed to long term memory
Long-term memory subsystem of The Modal Model - Unlimited capacity (you can always learn new things)
- Unlimited duration (hold on to this knowledge forever)
- In order to output or forget information in this system you must pass it back to
short term memory and output
Sensory memory for vision iconic memory
sensory memory for hearing echoic memory
Skerling Experiment - Whole Report → tachistoscopically showed a grid of 12 letters → participants
reported low accuracy of letters.
- Partial report tone immediate report → tachistoscopically showed the letters
with different tones immediately after showing → participants were able to
accurately report a full row of letters
- Partial Report Tone displayed → tachistoscopically showed the letters and
delayed playing the tone. Participants reported low accuracy of letters
serial position effect - our tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list
- memory is good for items at the beginning (primacy effect) and end (recency
effect) & memory is bad for items in the middle
Primacy effect good memory for items at the beginning of list accounts for long term memory.
These words at the beginning of the list had a lot of rehearsal time to be passed
to the long-term memory. As you go down the list the words get less and less
rehearsal time.
recency effect good memory for items at the end of the list accounts for short-term memory.
Study that supported the recency effect being driven by 1. During the 30 second unfilled delay condition → Participants get all the words
short term memory? on the list, set a timer and tell them to wait 30 seconds before asking them to
recall the words on the list.
2. 30 second filled-delay → Researchers give a list of words and instead of
asking you to wait, they give you a distracting task (maybe counting backwards)
to fill up your mental capacity to prevent you from rehearsal.
