Chapter 6: Everyday Memory Flashcards
The Memory Paradox
The phenomenon where memory can be both reliable and unreliable
Mnemonists
People who train to become memory atheletes
Method of Loci
When a person imagines walking through their house and placing different pieces of information at each location
Memory
Process of encoding, storing, and retrieving information about our experience of the world
Sensory memory
The initial, brief storage of sensory information
Short term memory
Storing info for a short time
Long term memory
Storing information for a long time
Processes of memory
Encoding and retrival
Chunking
Organise smaller bits of info into larger meaningful ones
Elaboration
Making links between new and old knowledge
Self referencing effect
Thinking how info is relevant to me
Hierarchical organisation
Arranging material into meaningful network associations
Depth of encoding
Degree to which a person encodes info. Deeper encoding = better understanding
Spacing effect
Phenomenon where spaced learning leads to better retention
Context dependent memory
Ability to recall info better in the same context it was learned
State dependent memory
You recall better when you are in the same mental/emotional state when you were encoding the info
7 sins of memory
- Transcience
- Absent Mindedness
- Blocking
- Misattribution
- Suggestibility
- Bias
- Persistence
What did Lotus and Palmer experiment show us?
The impact of suggestibility on memory
Transcience
Forgetting memory over time
Absent mindedness
Not paying attention, so failure to encode
Blocking
Inability to access memories that are intact and encoded
Misatribution
Failure to remember the source of the memory
Suggestibility
Tendency to reshape one’s memory according to misleading external information
Bias
Tendency to reshape memory according to one’s beliefs, knowledge, or feelings
Persistance
Intrusions of memory we wish we can forget
