Cognitive Psychology

B.F Skinner's behaviorism experiments proving environmental influence on memory recall.

George Sperling's experiment demonstrating that sensory memories hold more information than previously thought for a brief period.

Albert Bandura's social learning theory showing the influence of observational learning on memory.

Sigmund Freud's theories about unconscious influences on behavior.

Field experiment

Longitudinal correlational study

Controlled laboratory experiment

Cross-sectional survey

Loftus’ studies question sensory memory duration by revealing variability in iconic and echoic memories among eyewitnesses after observing events.

She confronts models suggesting that long-term memory is permanent and unalterable once an event has been encoded without exceptions.

Her work disputes short-term memory capacity limits by demonstrating extensive retention duration within working memory tasks involving eyewitnesses.

Loftus’ research challenges the reliability and stability of encoded memories due to their susceptibility to post-event misinformation effects.

Encoding specificity

Spacing effect

State-dependent memory

Context-dependent memory

Assess reaction times in response to visual stimuli.

Interview elderly patients suffering from dementia about their childhood memories.

Conduct a twin study to investigate the genetic influence on memory capacity.

Design an experiment where participants have to remember either individual numbers or chunks composed by several numbers grouped together.

Maintenance rehearsal

Elaborative processing

Shallow processing

Deep processing

Having participants create mind maps or use rehearsal techniques before immediate free-recall tests; recorded observations about strategy efficiency follow up each session.

Subjects memorize equal-length lists using acronyms or repetition and their recall is tested after two weeks with interference tasks between learning and recalling stages.

Students use acronym-based or traditional study methods throughout a semester then compare final exam scores across groups with similar GPA levels entering the course.

Pre-test/post-test design measuring increase in knowledge immediately after learning techniques applied during single classroom lessons across different topics.

Focusing solely on rote memorization without understanding context.

Regularly skipping studying sessions to avoid cognitive burnout.

Increasing the amount of unrelated informational nuggets per study session.

Applying dual coding by combining verbal and visual information.

Some concepts are too complex to be represented visually.

Not everyone has equal proficiency in their visual and verbal memory systems.

The brain's interconnectedness suggests it could process both types of information simultaneously.

The theory doesn't account for auditory learning styles.

The educational system and its emphasis on rote memorization versus critical thinking skills.

Genetic predispositions toward certain types of neurotransmitter efficiency related to memory.

Universal sensory capacities that determine how all humans encode environmental stimuli.

The prevalent climate and weather patterns experienced by individuals from different cultures.