Understanding_Psychology_Tma_01

TMA 01 Plan • Introduction  Introduce the reader to the 3 methods of organising thoughts that can be utilised to improve memory  Layout order of topics that will be covered  Aim – Explain how memory organisation through the use of mental images, concepts and schemas can improve memory recall • Methods: o Mental Images  Explain what a mental image is (What)  Detail how mental images can be used to improve memory recall (How)  Provide examples (experiments) where this was tested (Supporting evidence) o Concepts  Explain what a concept is (What)  Show how using concepts can organise memories and assist with recall (How)  Provide examples (experiments) where this was tested (Supporting evidence) o Schemas  Explain what a Schema is (What)  Show how schemas can assist to increase memory recall (How)  Provide examples (experiments) where this was tested (Supporting evidence) • Conclusion  Re-state how organisation of memories through the use of all 3 methods discussed can improve recall (Summarise) and link to the supporting evidence provided. TASK 1: Part B Introduction: People’s memory may be improved by organising our way of thinking. Three methods have been identified that appear to assist memory recall; these methods are: mental images; concept formation; and schemas, all of which play some part in organising our way of thinking. The aim of this essay is therefore to describe these methods indicating how they can be utilised to improve memory recall. Methods: Mental Images – Creating a mental picture by simply thinking about something can define the term mental image. Spoors et al. (2011, p. 45) believe that generally ‘as adults, we tend to do most of our thinking in words’, this is referred to as semantic thought, which is thinking based on words and meaning. However, experiments have been carried out that suggest remembering written or verbal information is better for forming a mental image that can be associated to the information being learnt or saved in our memory. This type of thinking is known as iconic thought. This has proven extremely effective when learning a new language. Spoors et al. (2011, p. 45) provide an example of a mental image that could be one used to remember ‘the French word poubelle pronounced ‘pooh-bell’ and translated to mean bin in English’. The mental picture (or image) you could associate to this could be lifting the lid on a bin which is shaped like a bell and is very smelly. The concept is that the image you have created helps to remind you of the word pooh bell (a smelly bell) and a bin it’s English translation. Spoors et al. (2011, p. 45) suggest ‘this works best if the images we form are large, colourful and bizarre’. Mental images provide a cue when trying to recall information stored in our memory. An experiment carried out by Michael Raugh and Richard Atkinson (1975) surrounding the use of the key word technique produced interesting results. Two groups of participants had to learn a list of sixty Spanish words. Half the group were instructed to use the key word technique to assist with their recall, the remainder were just asked to learn the list of words. When the two groups were retested there was an 88 per cent recall from the group using the key word technique as compared to only 28 per cent for the participants not using the key word technique. This experiment clearly illustrates how the use of the key word technique can increase memory recall. Concept Formation - The means of developing categories is called concept formation. Spoors et al. (2011, p. 50) describes concept formation as ‘the process of making a mental representation of a group of objects or events that share similar properties’. Spoors et al. (2011, p. 50) provide an example of a concept that could be ‘animal’, which would then contain sub-concepts such as birds, fish, mammals etc. Birds could then be divided into further sub-concepts like robins, finches, crows etc. Each concept tends to be formed with a set of defining features classifying a robin as a bird because it has wings, feathers and can fly. However these features are not applied rigidly as a penguin or ostrich can be classified as birds even though they do not fly. Spoors et al. (2011, p. 53) indentified Weston Bousfield (1953) carried out an experiment in which the use of categories were used when recalling information. Bousfield asked participants to learn a list of sixty words that could be divided into four categories. Even though the words were presented in a totally random order, the participants tended to remember them in groups which belonged in the same category i.e. if a participant remembered the word apple they would also remember the words peach, lemon and strawberry. In this example we can see how grouping the words under the category of fruit enabled the participants to remember several of the random words together. Again it provides a clear illustration of how this method may increase our memory. Schemas – Finally, a schema could be described as a filing system associated to an activity that has been experienced. Interestingly Spoors et al. (2011, p. 54) describes a schema as ‘a mental framework of knowledge developed as a result of experience’. Schemas can help us recall information as they provide a framework so that memories can be stored (filed) appropriately and can then be used to provide cues to prompt recall. Spoors et al. (2011, p. 54) provide the following example, ‘if you apply concept formation to the word dentist it could be categorised as an occupation. However, if you listed everything you associate with the word dentist this would give you your dentist schema’. This schema might contain items such as a waiting room, the sound of a drill, the dentist’s chair and mouth wash. This schema is formed as a result of the experience of visiting a dentist. Any subsequent visit reinforces and builds upon this schema. Jean Piaget an influential Swiss psychologist was the first to use the term schema. He spent 50 years investigating the ways in which children develop their thinking or cognitive skills. He postulated that the children learnt by developing schemas which were built up from their experiences of the world. Conclusion: In summary after reviewing the three methods associated with organising our way of thinking it can be identified that each of these can provide cues to assist with memory recall. Mental images; concept formation and schemas have indeed been shown through experimentation carried out by psychologists to do this. These experiments show that these techniques were very successful for such activities as learning new languages and increasing our vocabulary; to recalling associated information through the use of our life experience formed schemas and concept formation. (957) References: Pat Spoors, Ernest Dyer, Linda Finlay and George Marsh (2011) Understanding Psychology, Milton Keynes, The Open University