Cognitive Approach BTEC

What are the two assumptions of the cognitive approach?

• Behaviours occur in a social context

• Behaviour is a product of information processing

• Wider culture and society influence people's behaviour

• The brain can be compared to a computer

Answer explanation

The general assumptions of the cognitive approach relate to how a computer works including input, information processing, and output (retrieval).

Which of these is the first part of the memory system?

• Short-term memory

• Sensory memory

• Long-term memory

• The brain

Answer explanation

Sensory memory, receiving information from our five senses, is the first point of contact for the memory system.

What is the duration of short-term memory?

• 2-4 seconds

• 15 seconds

• Up to 30 seconds

• A long time

Answer explanation

Short-term memory is a temporary memory store, lasting between 15-30 seconds depending on the person (Peterson and Peterson, 1959). Material can stay in STM longer if we repeat it over and over (maintenance rehearsal). If we do this for a long time, it will pass to long-term memory (a permanent store that could last up to a lifetime).

What is the capacity of short-term memory?

• Very high

• Unlimited

• 7 + or - 2

• Between 5 and 9

Answer explanation

Short-term memory was found by Miller (1956) to be 'seven plus or minus two', meaning most people have the capacity between five and nine items of information. Long-term memory is practically unlimited, and sensory memory is very high due to the millions of cells.

How do we encode information into short-term memory?

• Acoustic

• Iconic/Visual

• Semantic

• Tactile

Answer explanation

Encoding for short-term memory is mainly acoustic (based on sounds). This was found by Baddeley (1966), where people recalling words from a list made more mistakes with acoustically similar words e.g., 'cat' instead of 'cap'. Encoding for long-term memory is semantic (based on meaning).

Which of these is a strength of the characteristics of the three memory stores?

• Research can't be generalised to everyday memory

• There are practical applications through 'chunking'

• There is evidence showing the three memory stores are different with different characteristics

• Individual differences are not accounted for

Answer explanation

Practical applications and research evidence are both strengths. Whereas issues with research such as generalisability and individual differences are weaknesses. Individual differences in memory stores could be age (where remembering decays).

What are the two examples of recall (from remembering)?

• Recognising

• Repetition

• Cued

• Free

Answer explanation

Free and cued recall are the two types of recall. Free recall means without 'assistance'. Cued recall uses cues for assistance.

What is recognition?

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Answer explanation

Recognition is remembering something because we have encountered it before. For example, remembering the name of someone we went to school with if we hear it outloud.

What is the difference between 'meaningful cues' and 'cues without meaning'?

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Answer explanation

Meaningful cues - STM

Cues without meaning - Snow while learning psychology

What did Sir Bartlett say about 'reconstructive memory'? What experiment did he use?

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Answer explanation

He said that memory is a reconstruction not a reproduction! He used the 'War of the Ghosts' story to prove his theory.