AQA A-Level Psychology 4.2 Memory: models, forgetting and eyewitness testimony

What module 4.2 demands

Memory studies how we encode, store and retrieve information, the models that explain its structure, why we forget, and how accurate eyewitness testimony is. It is examined in Paper 1. The examiners reward precise knowledge of the models (coding, capacity, duration; the components of working memory), the supporting evidence, and the real-world application to eyewitness testimony and the cognitive interview.

This guide covers each dot point in order, then the exam patterns, with matching dot-point pages for practice.

Models of memory

The multi-store model (Atkinson and Shiffrin) describes three unitary stores: the sensory register, short-term memory (acoustic coding, 7 plus or minus 2 items, about 18-30 seconds) and long-term memory (semantic coding, potentially unlimited, lifetime). The working memory model (Baddeley and Hitch) replaces STM with an active system: the central executive, phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad and episodic buffer.

Types of long-term memory (Tulving) are episodic, semantic and procedural, supported by case studies and brain scanning.

Forgetting and eyewitness testimony

Forgetting is explained by interference (proactive and retroactive, worse when memories are similar) and retrieval failure (the absence of cues, including context- and state-dependent forgetting). Eyewitness testimony can be distorted by misleading information (leading questions, post-event discussion) and anxiety (weapon focus, but sometimes improving recall). The cognitive interview improves accuracy through its four techniques.

Check your knowledge

1. Outline the coding, capacity and duration of short-term memory. (3 marks)
2. Describe the working memory model. (6 marks)
3. Explain retrieval failure as an explanation for forgetting. (4 marks)
4. Outline how anxiety can affect the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. (4 marks)