YEAR 12 PSYCHOLOGY LESSON PLAN

UNIT: The Conscious Self

AREA OF STUDY: Memory
Aims for the Lesson:
Double period 100 minutes Students will be introduced to the concept of memory, the Information
Processing Model, the Atkinson-Shriffin Model sensory memory, short-term memory and the serial position
effect.
Learning Outcomes:
Models for explaining human memory;
o Atkinson-Shiffrins Multi-Store Model of Memory, including maintenance and elaborative
rehearsal, serial position effect, and chunking.
o Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitchs Model of Working Memory: central executive, phonological
loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad, episodic buffer.
o Levels of Processing as informed by Fergus Craik and Robert Lockhart.
o Organisation of long-term memory including declarative (episodic and semantic) and procedural
memory, and semantic network theory.
Resources Used/Attached:
PowerPoint Presentation.
Atkinson-Shiffrin Model worksheet.
Introduction:
Slide 1 5 minutes Introduce memory as a concept.
Slides 2-3 5 minutes Have students come up with their own definitions for memory.
Slide 4 Explain that there are different models for explaining memory.
Procedure:
Slides 5-10 10 minutes Go through the Information Processing Model of Memory.
Slides 11-14 5 minutes Ask students to answer the two questions for the Information
Processing Model.
Slide 15 5 minutes Introduce the Atkinson-Shiffrin Multi-Store Model of Memory.
Slide 15 10 minutes Have students read about and complete the sensory memory
section on the worksheet.
Slides 16-18 5 minutes Go through sensory memory with students.
Slide 19 10 minutes Have students read about short-term memory and answer
worksheet.
Slide 20 5 minutes Go through short-term memory with students.
Slide 21 Ways of increasing short-term memory.
Slide 22 5 minutes Complete the Serial Position Effect Activity with students.
Slides 23-24 10 minutes Explain the Serial Position Effect.
Conclusion:
Slide 25 5 minutes Summarise what we have learnt today. No homework tonight.

THE ATKINSON-SHIFFRIN MULTI-STORE MODEL OF MEMORY


LONG-TERM
MEMORY
SENSORY
MEMORY
Not attended to
Lost from
Sensory Memory
Attention SHORT-TERM MEMORY
(WORKING MEMORY)
Not rehearsed
or encoded
Lost from STM
(working memory)
Encoding and
Storage
Retrieval
Maintenance Rehearsal
Elaborative Rehearsal



















LONG-TERM MEMORY
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
DURATION: ______________________
WHY? ___________________________
________________________________
CAPACITY: _______________________
WHY? ___________________________
_________________________________

ELABORATIVE REHEARSAL:
_________________________________
_________________________________
________________________
ORGANISATION OF LTM
_________________________________
_________________________________
DECLARATIVE MEMORY:
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
SEMANTIC MEMORY:_______________
_________________________________
_________________________________
EPISODIC MEMORY:________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
PROCEDURAL MEMORY:
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
SHORT-TERM MEMORY
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
DURATION: ____________________
______________________________
WHY? ________________________
______________________________
CAPACITY: _____________________
______________________________
WHY? ________________________
______________________________
WORKING MEMORY:
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________

CHUNKING:
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________

MAINTENANCE REHEARSAL:
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
THE
ATKINSON-
SHIFFRIN
MULTI-STORE
MODEL OF
MEMORY
SENSORY MEMORY
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
DURATION: ____________________
WHY? ________________________
______________________________
CAPACITY: _____________________
WHY? ________________________
______________________________

ICONIC MEMORY
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
DURATION: ____________________
CAPACITY: _____________________

ECHOIC MEMORY
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
DURATION: ____________________
CAPACITY: _____________________
















SHORT-TERM MEMORY
A memory system in which
information is stored for a relatively
short period of time, unless renewed
in some way (also known as working
memory).
DURATION: between 12 and 30
seconds, generally 20 seconds.
WHY? To allow information to be
worked on and interpreted.
CAPACITY: 7 plus or minus 2 units of
information.
WHY? STM has a limited capacity.
When it becomes full, new items can
only enter by pushing old items out.
WORKING MEMORY:
Emphasises the part of memory
where information is temporarily
held and actively worked on.
CHUNKING:
The grouping of separate bits of
information into a larger single unit
(or chunk).
MAINTENANCE REHEARSAL:
Repeating the information to be
remembered over and over again so
that it can be maintained/retained in
STM/working memory.
THE
ATKINSON-
SHIFFRIN
MULTI-STORE
MODEL OF
MEMORY
SENSORY MEMORY
The entry point of memory where
new incoming sensory information is
stored for a very brief period.
DURATION: Long enough for each
impression to slightly overlap.
WHY? Enables the attention to and
selection of information for further
processing.
CAPACITY: Unlimited, but can be
limited by our range of sensitivity.
WHY? To give everything the chance
of being attended to.

ICONIC MEMORY
The brief sensory memory for
incoming visual information.
DURATION: 0.2-.0.4 of a second.
CAPACITY: Unlimited.

ECHOIC MEMORY
The Brief sensory memory for
incoming auditory information.
DURATION: 3-4 seconds.
CAPACITY: Unlimited.
LONG-TERM MEMORY
Is the memory system that stores vast
amounts of information for a long
period of time, possibly permanently.
DURATION: Relatively permanent across
ones lifetime.
WHY? So that we can remember all that
has happened in our lives.
CAPACITY: Believed to be unlimited.
WHY? So we can store everything that
we need to remember about our lives.

ELABORATIVE REHEARSAL:
The process of linking new information
in a meaningful way with other new
information or information already
stored in LTM to aid in its storage and
retrieval.
ORGANISATION OF LTM
Comprised of procedural and declarative
memory (semantic and episodic
memory).
DECLARATIVE MEMORY:
Long-term memory of specific
facts/events, which can be stated.
SEMANTIC MEMORY: Declarative
memory of facts/knowledge about the
world.
EPISODIC MEMORY: Declarative
memory of personally experienced
events.
PROCEDURAL MEMORY:
The long-term memory of actions and
skills that have been previously learned.
The Information Processing Model of Memory
And
The Atkinson-Shiffrin Multi-Store Model
Memory is the processing, storage and
retrieval of information acquired through
learning.
Memory is an active information processing
system that receives, organises, stores and
recovers information.
Makes comparisons
between memory
and the processes
used in computing.
Three processes;
Encoding.
Storage.
Retrieval.
The process of converting information into a
useable form so that it can be represented
and stored in memory.
COMPUTER the action of typing on a
keyboard is translated into an electronic code
that the computer can read.
AUTOMATIC ENCODING the encoding of
information without deliberate effort.
Tends to relate to information about individuals
location in space and time.
E.g. The colour of your bedroom walls.
EFFORTFUL ENCODING specifically attending
to the information to be retained.
E.g. Remembering the definition for memory.










YEAR 12 PSYCHOLOGY LESSON PLAN
UNIT: The Conscious Self
AREA OF STUDY: Memory
Aims for the Lesson:
Single 50 minute period Students will be introduced to measures of retention, and long-term memory.
Learning Outcomes:
Models for explaining human memory;
o Atkinson-Shiffrins Multi-Store Model of Memory, including maintenance and elaborative
rehearsal, serial position effect, and chunking.
o Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitchs Model of Working Memory: central executive, phonological
loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad, episodic buffer.
o Levels of Processing as informed by Fergus Craik and Robert Lockhart.
o Organisation of long-term memory including declarative (episodic and semantic) and procedural
memory, and semantic network theory.
Manipulation and Improvement of Memory;
o Measures of retention including the relative sensitivity of recall recognition, and relearning.
Resources Used/Attached:
PowerPoint Presentation.
Memory Quick Quiz worksheet.
Atkinson-Shiffrin Model worksheet.
Introduction:
Slide 2 Recap of Last Lesson list the topics that we will be covering today.
Slide 3 10 minutes Students fill out the Memory Quick Quiz worksheet and quickly go
through the answers.
Procedure:
Slides 4-8 10 minutes Go through measures of retention with students recall,
recognition, and relearning.
Slides 9-12 5 minutes An example of a multiple choice and short-answer question on
retention from last years exam. Show students the correct way to answer
these.
Slide 13 10 minutes Students have to read the pages on long-term memory and fill out
the Atkinson-Shiffrin worksheet.
Slide 14 5 minutes Go through the aspects of long-term memory with students.
Slide 15-16 10 minutes Explain the diagram for the organisation of LTM and semantic
network theory. Have students come up with a semantic network on the
board.
Conclusion:
Slide 17 5 minutes Summarise what we have learnt today. Discuss next lesson.
For those of you, who have not finished their Atkinson-Shiffrin Model
worksheet, please finish for homework.
MEMORY QUICK QUIZ
Respond true or false for each of the following statements and provide a brief rationale for your
response.
1. The three key processes in the information processing model are: encoding, storage, and
recovery.




2. The three distinct levels of memory according to the Atkinson-Shiffrin Model of Memory are;
sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.




3. Our echoic memory does not last as long as our iconic memory.




4. Sensory memory has a limited capacity.




5. Short-term memory is the memory system where interpreting and analysing information occurs.




6. Chunking allows us to retain information for longer periods of time in short-term memory.




7. Maintenance rehearsal involves organising and dealing with information in terms of its meaning.




8. The recency effect suggests there will be superior recall of items at the beginning of a list.


MEMORY QUICK QUIZ - ANSWERS
Respond true or false for each of the following statements and provide a
brief rationale for your response.
1. The three key processes in the information processing model are: encoding, storage, and
recovery.
False. The three key processes are encoding, storage, and retrieval. This is because
information has to be located and retrieved from long-term memory.

2. The three distinct levels of memory according to the Atkinson-Shiffrin Model of Memory are;
sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.
True. The three distinct levels are sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term
memory.

3. Our echoic memory does not last as long as our iconic memory.
False. Echoic memory lasts for 3-4 seconds while iconic memory lasts for 0.1-0.2 seconds.

4. Sensory memory has a limited capacity.
False. Sensory memory has an unlimited capacity, but we must pay attention to information
for it to be transferred to short-term memory.

5. Short-term memory is the memory system where interpreting and analysing information
occurs.
True. In short-term memory, information is worked on.

6. Chunking allows us to retain information for longer periods of time in short-term memory.
False. Chunking allows for larger units of information to be retained, not information for
longer periods of time.

7. Maintenance rehearsal involves organising and dealing with information in terms of its
meaning.
False. Maintenance rehearsal involves repeating information over and over again. It is
elaborative rehearsal that organises information in terms of its meaning.

8. The recency effect suggests there will be superior recall of items at the beginning of a list.
False. The primacy effect suggests that there will be superior recall of items at the beginning
of the list, whereas the recency effect suggests that there will be superior recall of items at
the end of the list.








YEAR 12 PSYCHOLOGY LESSON PLAN
UNIT: The Conscious Self
AREA OF STUDY: Memory
Aims for the Lesson:
Single 75 minute period Students will learn about the other models for explaining human memory, Baddeley
and Hitchs Model of Working Memory and Craik and Lockharts Levels of Processing.
Learning Outcomes:
Models for explaining human memory;
o Atkinson-Shiffrins Multi-Store Model of Memory, including maintenance and elaborative
rehearsal, serial position effect, and chunking.
o Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitchs Model of Working Memory: central executive, phonological
loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad, episodic buffer.
o Levels of Processing as informed by Fergus Craik and Robert Lockhart.
o Organisation of long-term memory including declarative (episodic and semantic) and procedural
memory, and semantic network theory.
Resources Used/Attached:
PowerPoint Presentation.
Evaluation of the Different Models of Memory Worksheet.
Introduction:
Slide 2 5 minutes Mention what we have previously covered the Information
Processing Model of Memory and the Atkinson-Shiffrin Multi-Store Model
of Memory.
Slide 3 Overview of the components of the Baddeley and Hitch Working
Model of Memory.
Procedure:
Slides 4-9 20 minutes Go through the phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad, the
central executive, the episodic buffer and how these components interact.
Slides 10-12 10 minutes Ask students to answer the questions from last years exam relating
to Baddeley and Hitchs Working Model.
Slides 13-17 15 minutes Go through Craik and Lockharts Levels of Processing Framework
shallow and deep processing, tips for deeper processing and an example of
this type of processing.
Slide 18 10 minutes Watch clip on the advantages and disadvantages of each of the
models of memory and have students fill in as much of the worksheet as
they can.
10 minutes Students have to fill in the third section of their worksheet by themselves,
using their textbook.
Conclusion:
Slide 19 5 minutes Summarise what we have learnt today. Tell students what they have
to do for homework finish the evaluation of different memory models
worksheet, and read chapter 6 of the textbook.
EVALUATION OF THE DIFFERENT MODELS OF MEMORY
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
ATKINSON AND
SHIFFRINS MULTI-
STORE MODEL OF
MEMORY






BADDELEY AND
HITCHS MODEL OF
WORKING MEMORY







CRAIK AND
LOCKHARTS LEVELS
OF PROCESSING
FRAMEWORK

















YEAR 12 PSYCHOLOGY LESSON PLAN
UNIT: The Conscious Self
AREA OF STUDY: Memory
Aims for the Lesson:
Single 50 minute period Students will be introduced to the different theories of forgetting. They will be
taught their definitions and examples. The strengths and weaknesses of each forgetting theory will be
discussed in subsequent lessons.
Learning Outcomes:
Strengths and limitations of theories of forgetting;
o Forgetting curve as informed by the work of Herman Ebbinghaus.
o Retrieval failure theory, including tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon.
o Interference theory.
o Motivated forgetting as informed by the work of Sigmund Freud, including repression
and suppression.
o Decay theory.
Resources Used/Attached:
PowerPoint Presentation.
Students textbooks.
Introduction:
Slide 2-3 3 minutes Have students brainstorm what forgetting is. Go through the proper
definition with them.
Procedure:
Slides 4-5 10 minutes List the different theories of forgetting and why forgetting may
occur. With the forgetting activity, get students into groups of three to
come up with a definition and example for their theory of forgetting.
Slide 6 5 minutes Have students contribute their definition and example for the
Forgetting Curve explain in more detail.
Slides 7-8 5 minutes Ask students for their definition and examples of the Retrieval
Failure Theory and its Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon. Explain in
greater detail, using the slides.
Slides 9-11 10 minutes Explain interference theory to the kids. Ask for definitions and
examples for each of the types; proactive and retroactive, expand upon
them then discuss their differences.
Slides 12-14 10 minutes Explain what motivated forgetting is and the different types. Ask
students to contribute their definitions and examples for each of the types.
Provide students with the slides to take notes from.
Slide 15 5 minutes Ask the group of students to define and give an example for. Explain
further if necessary.
Conclusion:
Slide 16 2 minutes Summarise briefly inform students about the next class content.
Give out the homework- answer any homework-related questions.
SECTION C: EXTENDED ANSWER QUESTION (10 MARKS)
Answer the question in the space provided. Write using black or blue pen. Your response may include
diagrams, charts and tables.
Maria is a researcher who is interested in the effects of interference on the memory of secondary school students.
She wants to investigate whether it is better for recall of newly learned information (nonsense syllables) to go to
sleep immediately after learning, or carry out usual activities, then sleep.
Maria intends to perform her research using students in the Year 11 English class at the local secondary college.
There are 20 students in the class.
Design an investigation that Maria could use to achieve their research aim. Your answer should include;
Variables to be tested and the way they are to be operationalised.
A testable research hypothesis.
Ethical considerations.
An experimental design including methods of data collection and the identification and minimisation of
potential extraneous variables.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________(PTO)
SECTION C: EXTENDED ANSWER QUESTION (10 MARKS)
Answer the question in the space provided. Write using black or blue pen. Your response may include
diagrams, charts and tables.
Maria is a researcher who is interested in the effects of interference on the memory of secondary school students.
She wants to investigate whether it was better for recall of newly learned information (nonsense syllables) to go to
sleep immediately after learning, or carry out usual activities, then sleep.
Maria intends to perform her research using students in the Year 11 English class at the local secondary college.
There are 20 students in the class.
Design an investigation that Maria could use to achieve their research aim. Your answer should include;
Variables to be tested and the way they are to be operationalised.
A testable research hypothesis.
Ethical considerations.
An experimental design including methods of data collection and the identification and minimisation of
potential extraneous variables.
INTRODUCTION:
This research aims to investigate the effects of interference on memory. The independent variable will be
sleep immediately after learning (IV Condition 1) versus sleep after learning and thirty minutes of
undertaking usual activities (IV Condition 2). The dependent variable will be memory ability,
operationalised as the percentage of nonsense syllables correctly recalled after learning.
RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS: That secondary school students will demonstrate a superior (memory) recall
ability when learning is immediately followed by sleep, than when learning is followed by thirty minutes of
usual activities then sleep.
METHOD:
PARTICIPANTS: Volunteers from twenty year 11 English students at a secondary college.
PROCEDURE: Maria will inform participants of the aim(s) of the research, the procedures they will need
to undertake, any risks involved, and their right to withdraw at any time. She will advise them that they will
be debriefed at the researchs conclusion.
A repeated measures design will be used in which students will attend two experimental sessions: on one
occasion they will be in IV Condition 1 and in the other in IV Condition 2. Counterbalancing will be used to
compensate for the possible confound of order effects (half will be in Condition 1 at Time 1, and half in
Condition 2 at Time 1).
MATERIALS: A list of ten nonsense syllables which students will spend fifteen minutes learning and a
test of nonsense syllables to collect quantitative data on the Dependent Variable.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS:
Informed consent from guardians/parents was required for participants under the age of eighteen years.