AQA Psychology for GCSE Revision Guide

Chapter 1 Memory 25 0 1 2 3 4 5 Synonyms Antonyms Unrelated words Nonsense syllables Three-digit numbers Nonew list Typeof interferingmaterial Meannumberof items recalled an active process: The theory of reconstructive memory Topic 8 Factors affecting the accuracy of memory: Interference twe’re not going to stand for it.Here are some fake headlines em so they are true, and thenwrite the first sentence of an . s ory t words, THOROUGHLY explain the more thanfive sentences –one emainAO1points. THOROUGHLYexplaina strengthof the theory. Point Example Conclusion THOROUGHLYexplainaweaknessof the theory. Point Example Conclusion Description Interference If twomemories competewith each other, onememorymay prevent us from accessing the othermemory. Aim McGeoch andMcDonald aimed to seewhether the accuracy of recalling a list ofwordswould be affected by a competing set ofwords. Method Participants learned a listof tenwords and thenwere shown a new list. Therewerefivedifferentnew lists:wordswith the samemeanings as thefirst list (synonymns),wordswithoppositemeanings (antonymns),unrelatedwords,nonsense syllables, three-digit numbers,ornonew list. Results When participants recalled the initial list ofwords,memory was affected by the new list (see graph on right). The effectwas strongestwhen the new listhadwordswith similarmeanings to the first list. Conclusion This shows that interference from a second set of information reduces the accuracy ofmemory. Interference is strongestwhen the two sets of information are similar. Evaluation Controlled research One strength of the studywas that therewas high control. Techniques like counterbalancingwereused to reduce the impact that learning the lists in the sameorderwouldhaveon the results. This reduced extraneous variables in the study. Artificial task Oneweakness of the study is that it does not reflect real-life memory activity. We don’t often have to remember lists ofwordsor very similar things. Thismeans that the conclusion about the effect of interference is limited because of its artificiality. EXTRA: Not really forgetting Anotherweaknesswith interference is that itmay not be an explanation of forgetting. Itmay be that information is not forgotten but just cannot be accessed because an appropriate cue has not been given (Tulving and Psotka). Therefore interferenceonly appears to cause inaccuratememory. T h e s p e c i fi c a t i o n s a y s … Factors affecting the accuracyofmemory, including interference. Retro style– ‘retro’means going backwards. Thoughas thepicture suggests,not everyone can pull off the retro look ... Graph showing results of the study byMcGeoch andMcDonald. Exam booster Outlineandevaluate factors affecting theaccuracyof memory. [9marks] This exam question requires you towrite about at least two factors – it is probably best to focus on just two factors because, if you describe three factors youwill end upwith too much description and leave yourself less time for the evaluation (AO3). APPLY IT Read the itembelow and then answer thequestion that follows. Laura is revising forher exams.She nds that when she learnsbusiness studies and accounting on the sameday she can’t recallwhich topic areas belong towhich subject.She thinks it isbecause they areboth todowithmoney. • Describe and evaluate one factor affecting the accuracyofmemory. Refer toLaura’sproblemswith revising inyour answer. [9marks] 1. Describe how interference can be applied tousingmemory in the realworld. [2marks] 2. Explain one problemwith interference as a factor that affects the accuracy ofmemory. [3marks] 3. Outline and evaluate the effect of interference on the accuracy ofmemory. [9marks] 25/05/2018 10:41 26 Topic 8 Activities Factors affecting the accuracy of memory: Interference Topic 9 Factors affecting the accuracy of memory: Con Interference theory anagrams Everyone loves an anagram, apparently.Can you unjumble thesewords related to interference theory? 1 FIERCERENNET Between twomemories= forgetting. 2 HOGMECC One of the researchers. 3 SCANTNOON SLAYBELLS A type of stimulusmaterial in the study. 4 IDGIST Another type ofmaterial –numbers. 5 LIARISM More forgetting if twomemories are . 6 ATONINGCARBUNCLE Theway to control order effects. 7 DAMNCOLD Anotherof the researchers. 8 ITALICFAIR The environmentof a lab. 9 ITVLUNG Memory researcher keen on cues. 10 SACSEC Perhapswe forgetbecausewe don’t have to thememory. Match them up Howmuch do you know about interference theory andMcGeoch andMcDonald’s study? Find out by matching the firsthalf of each sentence in the left-hand columnwith the secondhalf in the right-hand column. Then put the sentences in the correct order. 1. When theparticipants recalled thefirst list ofwords ... A. … syllables. 2. After they learned the list ... B. … the two sets of information are similar. 3. Anothernew list contained consonant ... C. … if the accuracy of recalling a listofwords is affected by a competing set ofwords. 4. McGeoch andMcDonald aimed tofindout ... D. … theparticipantswere shown anew list. 5. When twomemories interferewitheachother ... E. … theirmemorieswere affectedby the new list. 6. Another conclusionwas that interference is strongestwhen ... F. … numbers. 7. Another list contained three-digit ... G. … onememorymay prevent us from accessing the other memory. 8. Participantsfirstof all learned ... H. … new list. 9. McGeoch andMcDonald concluded that ... I. … a list of tenwords. 10. Onenew list containedwordswith the same ... J. … interference from a second setof information reduces the accuracy ofmemory. 11. Someparticipantswere shownno ... K. …meanings as the first list. Description Context Other things that are present at the timeof learning act as a for recall. This improves the accuracy ofmemory. Aim Godden and Baddeley aimed to see if context improved recal Theyused ‘underwater’ (wet) and ‘on the beach’ (dry) as the two contexts. Method Divers listened to and recalledwords in the sameordifferent settings: Same context:dry/dry (DD),wet/wet (WW). Different context:wet/dry (WD),dry/wet (DW). Results Recallwashighest in the twomatching conditions (dry/dry or wet/wet).When a personwas in the same environment for learning and recall, theirmemoriesweremore accurate. Conclusion Context of learning acts as a trigger or cuewhen trying to remember information, and thus improves the accuracyof memory. Evaluation Artificial task Oneweakness relates to the research using lists ofwords. Researchwithmore complexmaterials in real life produced better recall. This suggests that contextdoesnot affectmemory asmuch a Baddeley suggested. Recallwas short term Anotherweakness is that the studywas unrealistic as participants recalled thewords almost immediately. Thisdoesnot relate to scenarios like examswhere the gap between learning and recall is longer. Therefore researchonly tells us about short-term recall. EXTRA: Similar context A furtherweaknesswith context is that itonly acts as a cue for recall if the context at the timeof learning and recall are very si This rarely happens in real-world situations (Smith). Therefore, context only improvesmemory recall in limited situations. 1. Outlinewhat ismeant by a ‘context’. [2m 2. Use your knowledge of psychology todescribe how context affects the accuracy ofmemory. [3m 3. Describe and evaluate a study that has investigated how context affects the accuracy ofmemory. [9m GCSEPsychology_pages.indd 26-27 AQA Psychology for GCSE www.illuminatepublishing.com Also in this series: AQA Psychology for GCSE Student Book (978-1-911208-04-4) AQA Psychology for GCSE Digital Book Bundle (978-1-911208-05-1) All the essential content for one topic – description and evaluation Two ‘write-in’ activities on each topic help you practice and process the information on that topic Activities designed to help you to correctly interpret and answer exam questions Suggested answers to all activities are available as a free download Apply it questions help you apply your knowledge to a scenario question. Some Apply it questions focus on research methods. Knowledge check questions are typical exam-style questions for that topic Suggested answers to all questions are available as a free download Bad jokes Invaluable exam tips This is the minimum amount of information you need to do well in your exams Revision Guide A c t i v i t i e s o n e v e r y t o p i c to b o o s t y o u r e x a m s k i l l s a n d p e r f o r m a n c e ! E v e r y t h i n g y o u n e e d t o k n o w f o r y o u r e x a m !