Cognitive PsychologyCognitive Psychology

Study of thinking processesStudy of thinking processesBased on computer metaphor i.e. we try to Based on computer metaphor i.e. we try to understand the mind by comparing it to a understand the mind by comparing it to a computer:computer:

Input Processing Output

Storage

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MemoryMemory

How many different memory stores do How many different memory stores do people have?people have?

How do they differ from each other?How do they differ from each other?

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Glanzer & Cunitz (1966)Glanzer & Cunitz (1966)

Serial position experimentSerial position experiment

PPs hear a list of words. Asked to recall PPs hear a list of words. Asked to recall them in any order (free recall)them in any order (free recall) Cond 1: immediate free recallCond 1: immediate free recall Cond 2: free recall after interference taskCond 2: free recall after interference task

To obtain results, plotted position of each To obtain results, plotted position of each word in the list against how many of the word in the list against how many of the PPs recalled itPPs recalled it

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Glanzer & Cunitz (1966)Glanzer & Cunitz (1966)%

rec

all b

y P

Ps

Position in word list

With interference

task

Without interference

task

Primacy Effect: LTM

Recency Effect: STM

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Glanzer & Cunitz (1966)Glanzer & Cunitz (1966)

Results:Results: PPs recalled more words at beginning PPs recalled more words at beginning

(primacy) and end (recency) of the list(primacy) and end (recency) of the list The interference task removed the recency The interference task removed the recency

but not the primacy effectbut not the primacy effect

Implies that primacy words were stored Implies that primacy words were stored somewhere different to recency wordssomewhere different to recency words

We have two separate We have two separate memory storesmemory stores

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STM & LTMSTM & LTM

STM and LTM differ in a number of ways STM and LTM differ in a number of ways including:including: Function (what they are used for)Function (what they are used for) Capacity (how much info they can hold)Capacity (how much info they can hold) Duration (how long info can be held for)Duration (how long info can be held for) Encoding (the form in which info is stored)Encoding (the form in which info is stored) Forgetting (how info is lost from storage)Forgetting (how info is lost from storage)

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