APFCE: Cognitive Approach UPDATED
ACTUAL Exam Questions and CORRECT
Answers
Peterson and Peterson (1959): Aim - CORRECT ANSWER - To investigate the duration of
short-term memory, and provide empirical evidence for the multi-store model.
Peterson and Peterson (1959): Procedure - CORRECT ANSWER - 24 students asked to
repeat a trigram out loud.
Immediately after had to say a 3 digit number and count backwards in 3/4s. Repeats had them
counting in time delays of 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 seconds. Following that they had to recall the
trigram 8 times. Overall the trigrams were repeated 48 times.
Peterson and Peterson (1959): Findings - CORRECT ANSWER - The longer the interval
delay the less trigrams were recalled. Participants were able to recall 80% of trigrams after a 3
second delay. However, after 18 seconds less than 10% of trigrams were recalled correctly.
Peterson and Peterson (1959): Conclusion - CORRECT ANSWER - Short-term memory
has a limited duration when rehearsal is prevented. It is thought that this information is lost from
short-term memory from trace decay. The results of the study also show the short-term memory
is different from long-term memory in terms of duration. Thus supporting the multi-store model
of memory.
Peterson and Peterson (1959): Evaluation - CORRECT ANSWER - High Internal
Validity and Control; conducted in a highly controlled laboratory- by preventing rehearsal, the
study isolated the effect of time delay on memory decay
Replicability and Reliability; standardised procedure for replication, increasing reliability-
high degree of control over extraneous variables.
Low Generalisability; conducted on 24 University students therefore low population validity
(sample is small and unique).
Potential Demand Characteristics; may have been able to guess the aims of the study and
adjust behaviour, therefore might not accurately reflect memory processes.
, Low ecological validity; artificial task doesn't reflect how memory works in normal
everyday situations- lacks mundane realism
Oversimplification of Memory Processes; doesn't account for the complexity of cognition
(assumes all rehearsal is the same).
HM; Milner (1966): Aim - CORRECT ANSWER - The aim of this case study was to
better understand the effects that the surgery had had on patient HM.
HM: Milner (1966): Procedure - CORRECT ANSWER - Longitudinal case study
- method triangulation
- psychometric testing: IQ test
- results were above average.
- direct observation of his behaviour
- interviews with both Hm and with family members.
- cognitive testing: memory recall tests as well as learning tasks
- reverse mirror drawing
- Corkin later did an MRI scan to determine the extent of damage done to HM's brain.
HM; Milner (1966): Findings - CORRECT ANSWER - - he could not acquire new
episodic knowledge (memory for events) and he could not acquire new semantic knowledge
(general knowledge about the world)- ANTEROGRADE AMNESIA.
- able to form a cognitive map of the spatial layout of his house.
- He had the capacity for working memory (could talk, remember a number a while).
- memories in the form of motor skills (procedural memories, were well maintained); knew how
mow the lawn and could learn new skills like reverse mirror drawing.
HM; Milner (1966): Conclusion - CORRECT ANSWER - This suggests that the brain
structures that were removed from his brain are important for the transfer of information from ST
to LT memory.
ACTUAL Exam Questions and CORRECT
Answers
Peterson and Peterson (1959): Aim - CORRECT ANSWER - To investigate the duration of
short-term memory, and provide empirical evidence for the multi-store model.
Peterson and Peterson (1959): Procedure - CORRECT ANSWER - 24 students asked to
repeat a trigram out loud.
Immediately after had to say a 3 digit number and count backwards in 3/4s. Repeats had them
counting in time delays of 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 seconds. Following that they had to recall the
trigram 8 times. Overall the trigrams were repeated 48 times.
Peterson and Peterson (1959): Findings - CORRECT ANSWER - The longer the interval
delay the less trigrams were recalled. Participants were able to recall 80% of trigrams after a 3
second delay. However, after 18 seconds less than 10% of trigrams were recalled correctly.
Peterson and Peterson (1959): Conclusion - CORRECT ANSWER - Short-term memory
has a limited duration when rehearsal is prevented. It is thought that this information is lost from
short-term memory from trace decay. The results of the study also show the short-term memory
is different from long-term memory in terms of duration. Thus supporting the multi-store model
of memory.
Peterson and Peterson (1959): Evaluation - CORRECT ANSWER - High Internal
Validity and Control; conducted in a highly controlled laboratory- by preventing rehearsal, the
study isolated the effect of time delay on memory decay
Replicability and Reliability; standardised procedure for replication, increasing reliability-
high degree of control over extraneous variables.
Low Generalisability; conducted on 24 University students therefore low population validity
(sample is small and unique).
Potential Demand Characteristics; may have been able to guess the aims of the study and
adjust behaviour, therefore might not accurately reflect memory processes.
, Low ecological validity; artificial task doesn't reflect how memory works in normal
everyday situations- lacks mundane realism
Oversimplification of Memory Processes; doesn't account for the complexity of cognition
(assumes all rehearsal is the same).
HM; Milner (1966): Aim - CORRECT ANSWER - The aim of this case study was to
better understand the effects that the surgery had had on patient HM.
HM: Milner (1966): Procedure - CORRECT ANSWER - Longitudinal case study
- method triangulation
- psychometric testing: IQ test
- results were above average.
- direct observation of his behaviour
- interviews with both Hm and with family members.
- cognitive testing: memory recall tests as well as learning tasks
- reverse mirror drawing
- Corkin later did an MRI scan to determine the extent of damage done to HM's brain.
HM; Milner (1966): Findings - CORRECT ANSWER - - he could not acquire new
episodic knowledge (memory for events) and he could not acquire new semantic knowledge
(general knowledge about the world)- ANTEROGRADE AMNESIA.
- able to form a cognitive map of the spatial layout of his house.
- He had the capacity for working memory (could talk, remember a number a while).
- memories in the form of motor skills (procedural memories, were well maintained); knew how
mow the lawn and could learn new skills like reverse mirror drawing.
HM; Milner (1966): Conclusion - CORRECT ANSWER - This suggests that the brain
structures that were removed from his brain are important for the transfer of information from ST
to LT memory.
