Chapter 8 Memory and Information Processing Flashcards
memory
ability to store and later retrieve information about past events
What were cognitive psychologists influenced by with regards to memory? (1) How do they define memory? (2)
- influenced by the rise of computer technology
- think of the brain as a computer that processes input and converts it to output
- hardware as brain & nervous system, software as rules & strategies
Atkinson and Shiffrin’s model of memory - how many items can short term memory for how long?
holds about 7 items for several seconds
Atkinson and Shiffrin’s model of memory - define sensory register
holds incoming information
Atkinson and Shiffrin’s model of memory - define working memory. what is it also called?
- active form of short-term memory
- also known as the “mental scratch pad”
Atkinson and Shiffrin’s model of memory - define long-term memory
relatively permanent store of information
We use memory to problem solve.
Define problem solving. What control process do we use to problem solve, and what does it involve? (3) What can humans do? What happens to them?
- problem-solving: using information-processing system to make decisions
- executive control process: part of system that monitors activity
- executive process includes selection, organization, manipulation, and interpretation of information
- humans are parallel processors = can carry out several mental activities at a time
- many processes improve between infancy and adulthood then show some decline
Memory in infants. How do we assess them? (3) (age) yo can recall from (time frame) (3). What does their memory depend on?
- asses infant memory with imitation, habituation, and operant conditioning techniques
- imitation: infants repeat activity it has seen
- operant conditioning (ex. children learn that car shakes when move their leg attached to the mobile. Recall later that car shakes)
- 3 month yo can recall 1 week ago, 6 mo yo 2 weeks, 18 mo 3 months
- memory appears cue-dependent and context-specific
What can 6 month yo infants do with regards to memory? 9mo? 13 mo? 2 yo? older infants?
- 6 mo: imitate novel behavior
- 9: solve problem of reaching for an object out of reach (by using a stick for example)
- 13 mo: recall sequence of events, as long as 3 mo
- 2 yo: use words to reconstruct earlier events
-older infants: increasingly pay attention to cues provided by adults and let adults know they need assistance by doing things such as pointing or reaching
What are the 4 major hypothesis for memory in children?
- changes in basic capacities: more memory space & increase in speed of processing
- changes in memory strategies: increasing use of effective encoding and retrieval strategies
- increased knowledge of memory: how long to study & more positive study strategies
- increased knowledge about the world: improved memory & familiar material easier to recall
What are some strategies children use to remember? (6)
rehearsal, organization, chunking, elaboration, metamemory, autobiogrpahical memory
memory in children - rehearsal. What age?
- repeating items in memory
- 5-7 yo
memory in children - organization. At what age? How does it compare to the rehearsal?
- classifying items into meaningful categories (ex. animal)
- 9 yo
- mastered later than rehearsal
memory in children - chuncking. What is an example?
- organizational strategy in which a long number is broken up into manageable subunits
- ex phone number
memory in children - elaboration
actively creating meaning
