Case Study Method in Memory Research

Case Study Method in Memory Research

• High ecological validity: Case studies, such as studying amnesia, are crucial for investigating real-world phenomena not easily replicated in a lab.
• Lack of objectivity: Potential for researcher bias due to personal connection with the participant.
• Rich qualitative data: Case studies often gather detailed information through interviews.
• Demand characteristics: Participants might respond differently in open-ended questions, but this isn't a concern in a case study.
• Milner and Scoville's study: Investigated the relationship between hippocampal damage and amnesia.
  • Participant: H.M., with brain surgery to reduce seizures.
  • Method: Longitudinal study, recall tasks (STM, LTM), tracking task (procedural memory), interviews with H.M and family.
  • Findings: Anterograde amnesia (unable to form new memories), preserved STM, and intact procedural memory.

Multi-Store Model of Memory

• Linear progression: Sensory memory (iconic, echoic) → short-term memory → long-term memory.
• Short-term memory: Limited capacity (less than 30 seconds) for held information (e.g. maintaining).
• Long-term memory: Stores information for longer periods (semantic, episodic, procedural).
• Maintenance rehearsal: Repeating information to hold it in STM
• Chunking: Grouping items to increase STM capacity.
• Glanzer and Cunitz study: Investigated primacy and recency effects (serial position effect).
  • Method: Participants heard a list of words and then recalled them. One group recalled immediately (immediate recall), and the other group did a filler task.
  • Findings: Primacy effect (remembering first items), recency effect (remembering last items), and a U shaped curve based on filler tasks. This influenced the amount of items recalled.
  • Primacy effect: Long-term memory associated with first items.
  • Recency effect: Short-term memory. Recency effect is impacted by the filler task which impacted what was recalled last.

Working Memory Model

• Central executive: Controls and directs the flow of information.
• Episodic buffer: Holds integrated information.
• Phonological loop: Inner voice and hearing. Verbal information is processed.
• Visuo-spatial sketchpad: Inner eye, processes visual and spatial information.
• Baddeley and Hitch study: Tested multitasking ability with dual tasks.
  • Method: Participants performed verbal reading tasks (e.g., answering true/false questions while repeating "the" or a number). Also involved recalling digits concurrently.
  • Findings: Participants could perform multiple tasks at once, implying independent working memory parts. Dual tasks also overloaded and interfered with the central executive.
  • Dual tasks: Showed interference
  • Articulatory suppression task (e.g. repeating "the"): Overload of central executive and interference with other processing.