SOSC1960 Discovering Mind and Behavior Assignment 1

Assignment 1 (15%): Memory | Deadline: July 18th, 2014 | Consultation Deadline: July 16th, 2014

Task: Our memory is not perfect and all of us have experienced instances of forgetting. Psychologists have come up
with different theories to explain why our memory fails. Choose ONE recent situation in which you forgot (and later
remembered) something important. Describe it briefly and show how each of these theories of forgetting would
explain your memory lapse.

Format: Use the working template to write your answers. Your answer to this assignment question should be 500
words at maximum. Marks will be deducted if you do not follow this format and the word limit.

Scenarios:

Theory Why You Forgot How You Could Have Avoided Forgetting
Levels of processing

Decay

Interference

Cue dependent forgetting

Assessment rubric

Poor Satisfactory Good Excellent

Analysis The analysis does The analysis The analysis is The analysis is
not correspond to corresponds to the comprehensive exhaustive and
the instance of instance of and covers most covers all important
memory lapse at memory lapse, but important features, and shows
all, merely naming misses some features, and accurate
some concepts. important features, shows accurate understanding of the
Inaccurate and/or involves understanding of theories.
understanding of inaccurate the theories.
the theories of understanding of
forgetting. the theories.
Write-up The answer is not The answer is The answer is The answer is
understandable at generally clear but clear. exceptionally clear
all or ambiguous ambiguous in some and well-organized,
for the most parts. point. and offers
idiosyncratic
insights.