Elementary Psychology PSY:1001
2024 Paper #2
Memory improvement can be beneficial to you for many reasons, including remembering
events you’ve been involved with. The objective of this paper is for you to describe how you
will effectively encode information into long-term memory (LTM). Specifically, you will
pretend to be an eyewitness during a non-violent criminal case! Answer all the questions
below, being sure to carefully follow ALL instructions.
1) Describe the information that you will be storing in long-term memory (LTM). [This
should be some bit of fairly complex information that you are required to remember to
present in court. Pretend you are the key eyewitness to a crime]. Do NOT choose a
fictional crime that involves violence (murder, sexual assault, etc.). You will lose points
if your example depicts a violent crime. Instead, focus on a crime that is non-violent (e.g.,
robbery, car theft, etc.). (1 point)
a. Explain what the information is and why you are trying to store it in LTM
(describe the crime, and your role as a witness). For example, you witnessed a car
theft and got a glimpse of the culprit, what pieces of information do you need to
make sure you remember for the court appearance?
2) Explain how this information will be stored in LTM. (8 points)
a. Describe the memory processes from the Multistore Model that you’ll need to
learn the information described in Part 1 and how this information will be stored
in LTM. (3 pts)
b. Discuss the duration and capacity of sensory memory, short-term memory and
long-term memory. (3 pts)
c. Describe what type of long-term memory your testimony would be based on and
explain why. (Be specific on the type of LTM). (2 pts)
3) Malleability of memories and retrieval. (5 points)
a. In Elizabeth Loftus’ research, participants responded about the speed of the car
based on the word used in the question. What are some examples of how an
analogous situation could potentially impact your testimony (e.g., leading
questions)? (3pts)
b. Define the two types of retrieval discussed in discussion section and give an
example of each related to your testimony. (2pts)
4) In lecture and discussion, we discussed other sources of impaired memory. (6 points)
a. Define proactive interference. (1pt)
b. Explain how proactive interference might affect retrieval of the information
described in Part 1 and how it would relate to your testimony (e.g., picking out a
culprit from a line-up of suspects). (2pts)
c. Define retroactive interference. (1pt)
d. Explain how retroactive interference might affect retrieval of the information
described in Part 1 and how it would relate to your testimony (e.g., picking out a
culprit from a line-up of suspects). (2pts)
5) Proofread your paper carefully as quality of writing (including grammar, spelling,
organization, and staying within the requirements) is important. Do not include
quotations; put everything in your own words. (5 points)
Basic Paper Requirements
Your paper must be typed, double-spaced, and in essay form. Margins should be one inch on all
sides and 12-point font (Times New Roman) should be used. Papers must be two to three pages
in length. DO NOT WRITE OVER THREE PAGES. You must use complete sentences and
developed paragraphs. Remember to proofread for spelling and grammatical errors before
submitting your paperaper.
