MEMORY: LEVELS

OF PROCESSING
By: Rijak Kaur, Daksh Mehta, Dimpy Verma
Suhana Sharma, Diya Joji, Debomita Banerji
Swara Jain — Group 3, 1BPSYB
Under the Guidance of: Dr. Shreyasi Roy
 Memory
Memory is defined as the cognitive Memory is a fundamental aspect of
process by which information is human cognition, and for many years, it
encoded, stored, and retrieved when was predominantly understood on basis
needed. 3 key processes- of duration of storage, such as short
term memory and long term memory.
• Encoding: Encoding is the process
of taking in information and turning However, in 1972, Fergus Craik and
it into a form that your brain can Robert Lockhart proposed a
store, like saving a file on a groundbreaking perspective that shifted
computer. the focus from where memories are
• Storage: Storage is about keeping stored to how they are processed. This
that information in your brain over shift in thinking led to the development
time, whether for a short while or of the Levels of Processing theory.
for years, like storing files in a
folder.
• Retrieval: Retrieval is when you pull
out the stored information to use it,
like opening a file you saved earlier.
The Levels of Processing Model
The Levels of Processing Model was proposed Shallow Processing — only involves maintenance
rehearsal (repetition to help us hold something in STM)
by Fergus I. M. Craik and Robert S. and leads to fairly short-term retention of information.
Lockhart in 1972. It challenges the traditional 1. Structural Processing (appearance) which is
view of memory as a series of discrete stages. when we encode only the physical qualities of
something. E.g. – the typeface of a word, or how
It emphasises the depth of processing involved the letters look.
in encoding information and its influence on
• Intermediate Processing —
subsequent memory recall. According to this
1. Phonetic Processing (sound) which is when we
model, memory is influenced by the nature and encode its sound.
extent of mental processes applied during
• Deep Processing — involves elaboration rehearsal which
encoding, rather than the duration or repetition
involves a more meaningful analysis (e.g. images,
of information. thinking, associations, etc) of information and leads to
better recall.
The Levels of Processing Model proposes three 1. Semantic Processing which happens when we
distinct levels of processing: shallow, encode the meaning of a word and relate it to
similar words with similar meanings.
intermediate, and deep.
EXPERIMENT: Craik & Lockhart(1972)
◦ Aim
To investigate how deep and shallow processing affects memory recall.
◦ Materials Required
Pencil, paper, eraser, sheet , word list
◦ Procedure
In their 1972 paper, Craik and Lockhart described the procedure for their
experiment in the following way:
◦ 1. Participants were presented with a list of words. Each word was shown to them
for a brief period.
◦ 2. Processing Tasks: The words were processed in different ways based on the
type of task assigned:
- Shallow Processing: Participants were asked to consider superficial features of
the words, such as whether the words contained a specific letter or fit a particular
physical characteristic.
- Deep Processing: Participants were asked to engage in semantic processing,
such as determining whether the words fit into certain sentences or if the words
were related to a particular meaning or concept.
◦ Interim Interval:
Allow a brief interval after processing the words (e.g., 5-10 minutes) to prevent immediate
recall and to simulate a more realistic memory retention period
◦ 3. Memory Test: After processing the words, participants were given a memory test where they
had to recall or recognize the words from the list they had seen earlier
◦ 4. Comparison of Recall: The recall and recognition performance of participants who engaged
in deep processing were compared to those who engaged in shallow processing to evaluate
the effect of processing depth on memory retention.
Craik and Lockhart used these steps to demonstrate that deeper processing leads to better
memory retention and recall.
Key Findings
The key findings of Craik and Lockhart's "Levels of Processing"
experiment include:
1. Depth of Processing Impact: Participants who engaged in deep,
semantic processing of information (focusing on meaning) recalled it
more accurately and for a longer period compared to those who
engaged in shallow processing (focusing on physical or sensory
characteristics).
2. Retention Correlation: The study demonstrated that memory
retention is closely related to the depth of processing, with deeper
processing leading to better recall and recognition.
3. Processing Levels: Shallow processing (e.g., focusing on the
appearance of words) led to poorer memory performance compared
to deep processing (e.g., focusing on the meaning of words).
These findings highlighted the importance of how information is
processed rather than just the amount of time it is stored, shifting the
focus from the structure of memory systems to the nature of cognitive
processing.
Result: Words processed at a deeper
semantic level were remembered
better than words processed at
shallower levels, such as structural or
phonemic.

Conclusion:The depth of processing

affects memory retention; deeper,
more meaningful processing leads to
better recall than shallow processing.
Real-Life Applications

This explanation of memory is useful in everyday

life because it highlights the way in which
elaboration, which requires deeper processing of
information, can aid memory. Some examples of
this are:
◦ Reworking – putting information in your own
words or talking about it with someone else.
◦ Method of loci – when trying to remember a
list of items, linking each with a familiar place or
route.
◦ Imagery – by creating an image of something
you want to remember, you elaborate on it and
encode it visually (i.e. a mind map).
Limitations
The Levels Of Processing Model faced a number of
criticisms. A few being:
1. It does not explain how the deeper processing
results in better memories.
2. Deeper processing takes more effort than shallow
processing and it could be this, rather than the
depth of processing that makes it more likely people
will remember something.
3. The concept of depth is vague and cannot be
observed. Therefore, it cannot be objectively
measured.
4. Eysenck (1990) claims that the levels of processing
theory describes rather than explains. Craik and
Lockhart argued that deep processing leads to
better long-term memory than shallow processing.
However, they failed to provide a detailed account
of why deep processing is so effective
Precautions
◦ The Levels of Processing experiment by Fergus Craik and Robert Lockhart (1972) investigated how different types of
processing affect memory retention. Here are some key precautions they took to ensure the validity of their findings:
1. Controlled Stimuli: They used controlled and consistent stimuli (words) to ensure that any differences in memory
performance could be attributed to the depth of processing rather than variability in the materials used.
2. Standardized Procedures: They employed standardized procedures for encoding (such as shallow and deep
processing tasks) and retrieval to ensure that differences in memory were due to processing depth rather than
procedural inconsistencies.
3. Replication and Consistency: They conducted multiple experiments to replicate their findings and confirm that the
observed effects were robust and not due to chance or specific experimental conditions.
4. Avoiding Confounds: Efforts were made to minimize confounding variables, such as the individual’s prior knowledge
or expectations, that could influence the results.
5. Clear Definitions: They clearly defined what constituted shallow versus deep processing to ensure that the different
levels of processing were operationalized in a consistent manner.
These precautions helped establish the validity and reliability of their conclusions about the relationship between the
depth of processing and memory retention.
 Thank
You!