Experimental design
What is an independent variable?
The variable the researcher changes.
What is a variable?
Anything that can change or vary in an experiment.
What is forgetting?
Losing information that was once held in memory.
What is encoding?
How information enters memory in a usable form.
Who proposed the Levels of Processing model?
Craik and Lockhart (1972).
What is a dependent variable?
The variable the researcher measures.
Give one reason why controlling variables is important.
It ensures the experiment measures what it’s meant to.
What is retrograde amnesia?
Memory loss for events before an injury or illness.
What are the two types of long-term memory?
Declarative (facts) and procedural (skills).
What are the three levels of processing?
Structural, phonemic, and semantic.
Name one type of experimental design.
Independent measures OR repeated measures.
What are extraneous variables?
Factors other than the IV that could affect the DV.
Give one possible cause of amnesia.
Brain injury, certain drugs, or Alzheimer’s disease.
What is retrieval?
The process of accessing stored information.
Which level leads to the strongest memory?
Semantic (deepest processing).
What is an advantage of using a repeated measures design?
Fewer participants needed; controls participant differences.
What is a control group?
A group where the independent variable is not manipulated. It is needed for comparison to experimental group.
What is the main difference between retrograde and anterograde amnesia?
Retrograde = past memories lost; Anterograde = can’t form new memories.
What are the two types of declarative memory?
Semantic and Episodic.
What was the aim of Craik & Tulving’s experiment?
To investigate how depth of processing affects memory recall.
What is a disadvantage of using independent measures?
Participant variables may affect results (differences between groups).
Give one example of a controlled variable in a memory experiment.
Using the same words, environment, or timing for everyone.
What did the case study of HM teach psychologists about memory and the parts of the brain involved in it?
Different parts of the brain store different types of memory.
What are the four key features of a memory store?
Input, capacity, duration, and access.
What conclusion did they reach?
Deeper (semantic) processing leads to better memory recall.