GCSE Psychology - Memory

Which memory store can hold approximately 7 pieces of information?

• Short term store

• Sensory store

• Long term store

• Medium term store

Answer explanation

Your short term memory can hold approximately 7 pieces of information. If any more needs to be remembered, it is likely that at least one piece will be forgotten

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Multi-store model

Which area of your long term memory is responsible for remembering general knowledge?

• Semantic memory

• Procedural memory

• Episodic memory

• Reconstructive memory

Answer explanation

Your semantic memory contains general knowledge which you and other people will be able to remember. Examples include things such as capital cities, and colours of objects.

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Types of long term memory

Which area of your long term memory is responsible for remembering personal things that have happened in your past?

• Episodic memory

• Semantic memory

• Procedural memory

• Reconstructive memory

Answer explanation

Your episodic memory contains personal information that only you are likely to know. Examples include what presents you received for birthdays and where you have been on holiday

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Types of long term memory

Which area of long term memory is responsible for remembering how to perform certain actions (such as riding a bike)?

• Semantic memory

• Procedural memory

• Episodic memory

• Reconstructive memory

Answer explanation

Your semantic long term memory is also known as 'muscle memory', and is responsible for remembering how to perform actions, such as tying a shoelace and walking

Which memory store has unlimited capacity?

• Short term store

• Long term store

• Medium term store

• Sensory store

Answer explanation

Your long term memory store has unlimited capacity and unlimited duration. That means it can hold as much as you want forever!

Which of the following is a property of episodic memory?

• Only the person involved will have those memories

• Lots of other people will have those memories

• Those memories are difficult to describe

• Those memories last forever

Answer explanation

Because your episodic memory contains personal information, only you will have these memories. This is not the case for your semantic and procedural memories which will be shared by lots of people.

Which of the following is a property of procedural memory?

• Only the person involved will have those memories

• Lots of other people will have those memories

• Those memories are difficult to describe

• Those memories last forever

Answer explanation

Procedural memories are very difficult to describe to other people. Try explaining to someone else exactly what you have to do to tie your shoelace or ride a bike - it is very difficult!

Which of the following is a property of a semantic memory?

• Only the person involved will have those memories

• Lots of other people will have those memories

• Those memories are difficult to describe

• Those memories last forever

Answer explanation

Semantic memories usually involve general knowledge - this means that lots of other people will also have this information.

Which of the following is a limitation of the 'multi-store' memory model?

• All memories automatically arrive in the long term store

• You can experience a 'mental block', even if you have thoroughly rehearsed the information

• The model does not have much experimental evidence

• The long term store does not have an infinite capacity

Answer explanation

We all suffer mental blocks from time to time, regardless of how much we rehearse information (e.g in an exam). This is a weakness of the multi-store model which suggests that if you rehearse something enough, it will stay in your long term memory and will be able to be retrieved whenever you want it.

Which type of processing makes things go into your short term store?

• Visual processing

• Acoustic processing

• Semantic processing

• Episodic processing

Answer explanation

Acoustic processing (thinking about the sounds) of information usually makes information go into your short term store. An example of this is putting some words to music