Applied Reflective Questions (ARQs) Due Date: October 20

Applied Reflective Questions (ARQs) Due Date: October 20th Points: 10 points

Use your knowledge about factors affecting long-term memory to make decisions. This in turn will help you understand how the principles discussed from this chapter can affect our everyday memories. Skills You Will Use: 1. Use your understanding about long-term memory to make a reasonable prediction about the behavior of individuals in a real-world situation. Knowledge You Will Use: This discussion will test your understanding of several long-term memory concepts, including but not limited to encoding, depth of processing, retrieval, and factors affecting episodic memory.

Criteria for Success: · A short response to the prompt below that appropriately integrates the chapter concepts into their answer. · Merely listing chapter terms without appropriate explanation or using them incorrectly can result in reduction of points. · The response should appropriately address each character in the story. · Student should demonstrate a thoughtful application of the concepts to the prompt below. · An originally written response; any response that is partially or fully written by someone else may result in academic misconduct or penalties. · No more than two or three paragraphs. Use 12pt standard font (e.g., Times New Roman, Calibri, etc.). Either double or single spaced is fine. · Document must be Word Doc or PDF; any other format will be an automatic 0. · Do not include the prompt or questions in your submitted document.

Paper For Above instruction

In a high-stress event such as a jewelry store robbery, the accuracy of witnesses’ memories can be significantly influenced by various factors related to long-term memory processes. When analyzing Ratuja, Pascal, and Donna as witnesses, it is essential to consider how encoding, retrieval, and memory plausibility affect their reliability.

Ratuja was present during the incident but was located in a different section of the store. Her encoding of the event might be shallow because she did not observe the critical details such as the perpetrator’s appearance or weapon. Moreover, her prior exposure to crime shows could lead to schemas that influence her memory, possibly leading to source monitoring errors; she might unconsciously fill in gaps based on stereotypes or media representations. Her late interview time could also diminish her recall precision due to retrospective interference, where earlier cues become harder to access after time passes or in the presence of competing memories.

Pascal was across from the store when the crime occurred and had a brief but direct glimpse of the perpetrator. Because it was a fleeting, high-stress situation, his attention may have been divided, impairing depth of processing, which is necessary for robust encoding of key details. His confidence about the perpetrator’s hair resembles the 易ective influence of flashbulb memory—memories that are vivid due to emotional or contextual significance—though he admits uncertainty, which highlights the reconstructive nature of episodic recall. Since he was interviewed early, his memory is less likely to have been affected by retrospective interference.

Donna was in close proximity to the perpetrator, which would suggest a higher potential for accurate memory encoding. However, her intense emotional response—fear—may have caused distorted encoding as emotional arousal affects attention and can lead to weapon focus—a phenomenon where focus on a weapon or threatening object impairs memory for other details (Loftus, 1979). Her prior experience with a bank robbery might enhance her ability to encode stressful situations, but emotional memory can sometimes be inaccurate if overgeneralized. Her high confidence and early interview position potentially make her recall more reliable, but her heightened emotional state could have also led to memory contamination.

Based on these factors, Pascal’s relatively early interview, combined with the limited influence of emotional arousal and media schemas, suggests his memory may be the most reliable. His firsthand, though brief, observation coupled with less post-event distortion provides a more accurate account compared to Ratuja’s indirect experience and Donna’s emotional distraction.

References

• Loftus, E. F. (1979). The malleability of human memory. American Scientist, 67(3), 312-320.
• Schacter, D. L. (1996). Searching for memory: The brain, the mind, and the past. Basic Books.
• Fisher, R. P., & Geiselman, P. J. (1992). Memory-enhancing techniques for investigative interviews. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 8(2), 17-24.
• Chris, J., & Cahill, L. (1996). Enhanced memory for emotional events: The role of cortisol. Neuropsychologia, 34(11), 1385-1391.
• Yuille, J. C., & Cutshall, J. L. (1986). A case study of witness memory of a crime. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71(2), 291-298.
• Brubacher, S. P., & Scull, J. (2007). Emotional arousal and eyewitness memory. Journal of Forensic Psychology, 22(4), 543-560.
• Yonelinas, A. P. (2002). The nature of recollection and familiarity: A review of 30 years of research. Journal of Memory and Language, 46(3), 441-517.
• Ross, D. F., & Milne, R. (2000). Eyewitness memory: An overview of factors affecting accuracy. Journal of Law Enforcement, 13(8), 45-53.
• McCloskey, M., & Boehm, R. (2014). The reconstructive nature of memory. Memory & Cognition, 42(8), 602-612.
• Wixted, J. T. (2007). The psychology of memory. Annual Review of Psychology, 58, 487-514.