10 sample essays to 10 extended response questions on cognitive psychology, worth 8 marks each.
covering every point in the edexcel specification such as theories, key studies, key question and individual differences in memory.
Cogn. essays
● Evaluate the contemporary study (8)
One strength of Sebastian and Hernandez-Gil (2012) is that the findings can be
generalised to the whole Spanish population. This is because 570 participants took part
in the study and their digit span was measured. This means that the findings are
representative of the Spanish population as anomalies in this large sample will average
out. This increases the generalisability of the conclusions of this study to other
populations. On the other hand, this study used an artificial measure of verbal memory
capacity - digit span, which does not take into account all the information that the
phonological loop can handle since it is based on the order of the digits. This implies
that the study truly measured the maximum number of digits each group can recall in
the correct order and not their verbal memory capacity. This means that the
conclusions from this study are invalid.
One weakness of this study is that it has low ecological validity. This is because the
task of recalling as many digits as possible in the correct order isn’t an everyday task
that one would usually expect to do. This means that the conclusions of the study
cannot be applied to the real world, such as that verbal memory capacity increases with
age or is the same for both dementia patients and the elderly, since in the real world,
verbal memory capacity is also affected by language and education in maths. On the
other hand, these conclusions are supported by other studies that looked at the digit
span of other cultures. For example Ellis and Hennelley (1980) found that digit span for
the Welsh was lower compared to that of the English as the Welsh digits in words take
longer to pronounce and hence occupy more space in the phonological loop and
increase the time for subvocal repetition and the chance of memory fade. This implies
that the conclusions drawn from this contemporary study are reliable as similar findings
were found from different studies.
, 2
In conclusion, Sebastian and Hernandez-Gil was artificial and not ecologically valid, but
its conclusions can be replicated as they were supported by other studies looking at
different cultures.
● Evaluate the working memory model (8)
One strength of the working memory model (WMM) is that there is experimental
research evidence to support the model. The model proposes that there are 2 slave
systems that make up part of the model. One of the slave systems is known as the
phonological loop which deals with auditory information (spoken and written) and
preserves word order. Thi can be further subdivided into the phonological store that
holds words heard (speech perception) for 1-2 seconds (inner ear) and the articulatory
process which holds words heard/seen and silently repeated (looped) like an inner
voice (speech production). The support for the role of the phonological loop as a slave
system, comes from a study conducted by Baddeley (2003). For example, Baddeley
(2003) tested participants’ recall of similar sounding letters (E,G,P,etc) and found that
they got lower scores than with dissimilar letters (W,X,K,etc). If the phonological loop is
overloaded, that would explain this. This supports the notion of the role of the
phonological loop. This is good as it suggests that the model is credible as it has
scientific research to support the components of the model. However, studies such as
this which support WMM lack ecological validity because they are unrealistic and
artificial. For instance, Baddeley’s lists of similar sounding words are not an ordinary
everyday activity and don’t tell us how memory works in normal situations. This means
that the research which supports the model may be flawed, which may also undermine
the credibility of the model itself.
In conclusion, the WMM is a highly influential model which has developed our
understanding of memory. It has both case study and experimental research to support
it. However, more work is needed to better clarify some of the key components such as
the central executive and the episodic buffer. To develop the model further, more
discussion is required surrounding the role of long term memory which the model
overlooks.
Evaluate the theory of reconstructive memory (8)
A weakness with the original studies into Reconstructive Memory is that they
were not very scientific. For example, Bartlett showed how participants changed The
War of the Ghosts to fit in with their own expectations and understanding, such as
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