Cognition and Memory

Flashcards covering key concepts in cognition, memory models, and the reliability of eyewitness testimonies

Multi-Store Model (MSM) of Memory

Posits that memory consists of three distinct stores: the sensory register, short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM). Information flows sequentially through these stores via attention and rehearsal processes.

Iconic Memory

The brief retention of visual information, typically lasting less than a second.

Echoic Memory

Holds auditory information for a short duration, approximately 2-4 seconds.

Short-Term Memory (STM)

Has a limited capacity of about 7±2 items, as argued by George Miller (1956).

Chunking

A strategy where individual elements are grouped into larger, meaningful units, enhancing STM capacity.

Serial Position Effect

Items at the beginning (primacy) and end (recency) of a list are recalled more readily, attributable to LTM and STM, respectively.

Depth of Processing

Semantic processing leads to better memory than shallow, structural processing, regardless of rehearsal.

Central Executive

The supervisory component of the working memory system. It coordinates attention and integrates information from the phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and episodic buffer.

Phonological Loop

Temporarily stores and manipulates verbal and auditory information. It consists of the phonological store (inner ear) and the articulatory rehearsal process (inner voice).

Word Length Effect

Participants remembered short words better than long ones, which supports the notion that the phonological loop has a time-based capacity.

Episodic Buffer

Integrates information across modalities (e.g., visual and verbal) and interfaces with LTM. It allows for the temporary storage of integrated episodes.

Visuospatial Sketchpad

Responsible for processing visual and spatial data (the "inner eye"). Tasks like mental rotation and navigation rely on this system.

Eyewitness Testimony

Involves individuals recounting what they witnessed during an event, often a crime. Research has consistently shown their fallibility.

Confirmation Bias

Leads eyewitnesses to focus on information that aligns with their expectations.

Misinformation Effect

Misleading post-event information affects memory accuracy.

Weapon Focus Effect

The tendency of witnesses to focus on a weapon, which reduces their ability to recall other details.

Own-Age Bias

Witnesses are more accurate in identifying people of their own age group.

Unconscious Transference

A person seen in one context is mistakenly identified as someone seen in another.

Other-Race Effect

Describes poorer memory for individuals of races different from the witness’s own.