Chapter 10- Memory Components, Forgetting & Strategies

Question 1

What is memory?

Answer 1

It’s our capacity to remember

Question 2

What is memory structure comprised of?

Answer 2

• Working memory (short-term memory)

- Long-term memory

Question 3

What’re the functions of memory?

Answer 3

• Storage of info.
• Retrieval of info.
• System specific functions

Question 4

What is the Two-Component Memory Model comprised of?

Answer 4

1) WORKING MEMORY
Subsystems:
- Phonological loop
- Visuospatial sketchpad
- Central executive

2) LONG-TERM MEMORY
Subsystems:
- Procedural memory
- Semantic memory
- Episodic memory

Question 5

What is Working Memory (WM)?

Answer 5

• Memory system associated w/ sensory, perceptual, attentional & short-term memory processes
• Involved in all situations requiring temp use & storage of info

Question 6

Function of Working Memory?

Answer 6

• Enables ppl to respond to demands of a “right now” situation
• Critical role in decision making, prob solving, mov’t planning & execution
• Interacts w/ long-term memory
• Serves as interactive workplace

Question 7

Adams & Dijkstra (1966) Capacity- WM

Answer 7

• Maintains info for 20-30 msec before losing parts of info
• Can store about 7 items (+/-)
• Person can increase capacity (chunking)

Question 8

What is Long-Term Memory (LTM)?

Answer 8

Serves as more permanent storage repository of info

Question 9

What is the function of LTM?

Answer 9

Allows ppl to have info about specific past events as well as general knowledge

Question 10

What is the duration of LTM?

Answer 10

Unknown since we cannot satisfactorily measure duration of info in LTM

Question 11

What is the capacity of LTM?

Answer 11

Relatively unlimited

Question 12

What are the 3 different types of memory systems in LTM + explain each?

Answer 12

1) Procedural
- Stores info about “how to do” specific activities
E.g., Motor skills

2) Semantic
- General knowledge about world based on experiences
- Meaningfulness
- E.g., Concepts

3) Episodic
- Knowledge about personally experienced events
- Allows us to “travel back in time”

Question 13

How do you distinguish between knowing what to do & how to do?

Answer 13

Declarative Knowledge

• Knowledge that can be verbalized
• I.e., “What to do” to perform a skill

Procedural Knowledge
- Knowledge that enables one to actually perform a skill
I.e., Know “how to do” a skill
- Typically not verbalizable or difficult to verbalize

Consider distinction btwn verbally describing how to tie your shoe & actually tying them

Question 14

What is encoding?

Answer 14

Process of transforming to-be-remembered info into a form that can be stored in memory

Question 15

What is storage?

Answer 15

Process of placing info in long-term memory

Question 16

What is rehearsal?

Answer 16

Process that enables a person to transfer info from working to long-term memory

Question 17

What is retrieval?

Answer 17

Process of searching through LTM for info needed for present use

Question 18

How do you assess remembering and forgetting?

Answer 18

Explicit & Implicit memory tests

Question 19

What are examples of explicit memory tests?

Answer 19

• Recall test
• Recognition test

Each provides diff info about what has been remembered or forgotten

Question 20

What is an example of an implicit memory test?

Answer 20

• Asses info in memory that’s difficult or impossible to verbalize
• I.e., Info that would not be accessed on an explicit memory test

Question 21

What are the causes of forgetting + explain?

Answer 21

1) Trace Decay
- After certain amount of time, how much loss occurs (from passing of time in working & LTM)
- Working memory
- LTM

2) Proactive Interference
- Occurs prior to presentation of info that’s to be remembered
- Ex. Just told about previous test scores before thought new lecture = so focused on bad news that memory capacity decreases before stuff you are to learn
- Working memory
- LTM

3) Retroactive Interference
- Give phone # to remember, before allowed to repeat, can say a bunch of other #’s, then asked to repeat original # = Screws up what you were to remember
- Working memory
- LTM

Question 22

What are some mov’t characteristics related to memory performance?

Answer 22

1) Location & Distance
- Mov’t end-point better remembered than mov’t distance
- Mov’t within own body space remembered better than outside body space

2) Meaningfulness of mov’t
- If can be related to something person knows = more meaning to it

Question 23

What are some strategies that can enhance memory performance?

Answer 23

1) Increasing mov’t meaningfulness

2) Intention to remember
- Intentional & incidental memory

3) Subjective organization
- Organizing sequence of mov’t

4) Practice test context effects
- Encoding specificity principle (Tulving & Thomson, 1973) = Relationship btwn memory encoding & retrieval process
= More test context resembles practice context, better retention performance

Question 24

Laugier & Cadopi (1996)

Answer 24

• In any sort of mov’t, if given more concrete info, easier to remember
• If no meaningfulness = more abstract = less things remembered