Case Study Method in Memory Research

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Questions and Answers

What is one strength of the case study method in investigating memory?

It provides quantitative data that can be easily analyzed.

It allows for the replication of experiments under controlled conditions.

It ensures complete objectivity in research.

It allows for high ecological validity. (correct)

What is a limitation of using the case study method?

It fails to provide any qualitative data.

It always involves large sample sizes.

It can lack objectivity due to researcher bias. (correct)

It is too easy to replicate the study across different populations.

What was the main aim of the study conducted by Milner and Scoville?

To determine if amnesia affects procedural memory.

To assess the effectiveness of recall tasks in memory studies.

To explore if damage to the hippocampus causes amnesia. (correct)

To identify the impact of age on memory retention.

What type of amnesia did H.M. experience according to the findings?

Anterograde amnesia Signup and view all the answers

Which method did researchers use to assess H.M.'s procedural memory?

A tracking task involving a star in the mirror. Signup and view all the answers

What type of data was primarily collected from H.M. and his family?

Qualitative data from interviews. Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of H.M.'s memory was found to be intact after the surgery?

Short-term memory Signup and view all the answers

What potential situational factor might have influenced H.M.'s memory performance?

The location where memory tasks were conducted. Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct order of memory in the multi-store model?

Sensory memory, Short-term memory, Long-term memory Signup and view all the answers

Which type of memory consists of recalling personal experiences and events?

Episodic memory Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary aim of the study conducted by Glanzer and Cunitz?

To investigate the serial position effect in recall Signup and view all the answers

In the working memory model, what role does the central executive play?

It controls operations and manages memory store interactions. Signup and view all the answers

Which component of the working memory model is responsible for holding information not currently in use?

Episodic buffer Signup and view all the answers

In the study by Baddeley and Hitch, what task were participants asked to perform while answering questions?

Count backward Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon explains why participants remembered the first few and last few nouns in the Glanzer and Cunitz study?

Primacy effect Signup and view all the answers

Which component of working memory is associated with verbal and auditory information?

Phonological loop Signup and view all the answers

What does 'articulatory suppression' in a memory study refer to?

The interference caused by repeating irrelevant information Signup and view all the answers

What memory phenomenon was observed when participants were prevented from rehearsing words in the Glanzer and Cunitz study?

Memory decay Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

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.

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Description

Explore the case study method as it relates to memory research, including the examination of real-world phenomena like amnesia. Learn about the advantages and limitations of using this method, as well as key findings from influential studies such as Milner and Scoville's work with H.M. This quiz will enhance your understanding of memory functions and research methodologies.