Psychology of Learning and Memory

Essay

In the previous scenario, Dr McNulty is referred to a disciplinary panel. This is a formal process to review allegations of misconduct or failures in professional duties. During the disciplinary hearing, Dr McNulty (who is an honest person and has no intention of misleading the panel) would be required to recall her actions on the day of the incident in detail. Being a doctor is very important to Dr McNulty, and she hopes to avoid any severe sanctions. Her ability to recall the incident accurately will be critical to her defence. It is important that Dr McNulty provides an accurate account, as the disciplinary panel may refer her to a medical regulatory body, such as the General Medical Council (GMC), which could take further action, including suspending or revoking her medical licence.

Answer the essay question:
"What are the cognitive processes that Dr. McNulty would rely on to recall the incident in the disciplinary panel, and what factors might affect the accuracy of her memory for this event? Critically evaluate the theory and evidence to support your answer"

Guidance

For the first essay:
You must address all three cognitive domains-perception, attention, and working memory. For each domain, you should:
Explain the cognitive process you are referring to and how it helps explain the tragedy.
Support your explanation with both theory and research evidence, described in good detail.
Critically evaluate how each cognitive process can explain different elements of the tragedy.

For the second essay:
Focus on the processes that support long-term memory and the factors influencing memory accuracy.

In both essays, you must include theories and evidence to support your answer. Ensure that all claims are backed by evidence from journal articles, and describe studies in sufficient detail (e.g., explain what was done in the study, how changes were measured, what was found, and how it relates to your argument). While the coursework involves some problem-solving and creative thinking, all information and explanations must be supported by relevant journal articles. Little credit will be given for unsupported ideas.

In each essay are several factors you could discuss, and one challenge will be to select the most relevant information to give the strongest response. Be selective in deciding what to include and what to leave out to ensure a focused and coherent argument.