Question 1

What is the difference between STM and LTM in the multi-store model?

Accepted Answer

STM has a limited capacity (7±2 items) and short duration (about 18-30 seconds without rehearsal), while LTM has unlimited capacity and can last a lifetime. The MSM proposes that information moves from STM to LTM through rehearsal. However, the WMM challenges this by showing STM is not a single store but has multiple components.

Question 2

How does the working memory model explain multitasking?

Accepted Answer

The WMM suggests we have separate slave systems (phonological loop for verbal info, visuospatial sketchpad for visual/spatial info). If two tasks use different systems, they can be performed simultaneously (e.g., listening to music while driving). If they use the same system, performance drops (e.g., talking on the phone while driving).

Question 3

Why do we forget information over time?

Accepted Answer

Forgetting can be due to interference (new info overwrites old, or old info disrupts new) or retrieval failure (lack of appropriate cues). Decay theory suggests memory traces fade over time, but this is hard to prove. Context-dependent forgetting (e.g., forgetting where you left keys when in a different room) supports retrieval failure.

Question 4

How reliable is eyewitness testimony?

Accepted Answer

EWT is often unreliable due to misleading information (e.g., leading questions) and post-event discussion. Loftus & Palmer (1974) showed that verb changes ('smashed' vs 'hit') altered speed estimates. The cognitive interview improves accuracy by reinstating context and reporting everything, but it's time-consuming.

Question 5

What are the three types of long-term memory?

Accepted Answer

Episodic memory stores personal experiences (e.g., your first day at school), semantic memory stores general knowledge (e.g., Paris is the capital of France), and procedural memory stores skills (e.g., riding a bike). They are supported by different brain areas: hippocampus for episodic, temporal lobe for semantic, and cerebellum for procedural.

Question 6

How can I improve my memory for exams?

Accepted Answer

Use elaborative rehearsal (linking new info to existing knowledge) rather than maintenance rehearsal. Apply the encoding specificity principle: study in similar contexts to the exam. Use mnemonics, chunking, and spaced repetition. Also, get enough sleep as consolidation occurs during sleep.

Memory

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How to Revise Memory — AQA A-Level Psychology

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