cognition lec 2 Flashcards
cognitive psychology
scientific examination of cognitive processes
_ assumptions of cognitive psychology
3
1 mental processes can be studied scientifically
2 humans are intentiom active information processors
3 mental processes take time and have resource and structural limtations
long-term memory =
a very organised, large capacity memory system
_ aspects of long-term memory
2
1 procedural= implicite knowledge, no awareness
2 declarative = explicitly aware of 2 aspects
2 groups of declarative long-term memory
episodic = personally experienced events semantic = world knowledge, language , concepts
define
procedural memory
formed as a result of proceduralism.
define proceduralism =
the shift from slow, explicit information about procedure to rapid, implicit implementation of open-loop procedure
define declarative memory=
= knowing that we are explicitly aware of 2 types of information
1 = episodic
2 semantic
define episodic
a type of declarative memory
personally experienced events and memories
can be grouped into 3 hierachical organisations
1 = lifetime periods = living with someone etc, particular job 2= general events = birthdays 3= event specific = images, feelings
define
semantic
type of declarative memory
world knowledge, language, concepts
context-independent
distinguish between
childhood amnesia
reminiscence bump
retention function
childhood amnesia = almost total lack of memories from 1st 5 years of life
reminiscence bump = large no. of memories between 15 and 25
retention function = memories from recent past
define
flashbulb memories
memories for emotionally significant events
seems especially vivid, but no more accurate than any other memories
semantic memory organised =
organised in terms of meanings and relationships = not dependent on context
organised in terms of related facts.
knowledge determined by = pattern of relationships and not the no. of facts
semantic networks of knowledge are formed through the process of consolidation
how are permanent, generalised memories formed?
The process of consolidation forms the semantic network s of knowledge which results in..
define
semantic networks
storage of nodes (concepts) in a network of relationships
memory search = function of spreading activation
formed through consolidation
structure responsible for consolidation =
hippocampus
involved in navigation, brain activity, emotion, memory
mode of action
hippocampus
monitors other areas of the brain when we experience the world
forms a map of experiences, full of contextual infor.
when does the hippocampus play back the information
records when experiencing world
and plays back memories to other memory sites (cortext) when in REM sleep => making the new information permanent
damage to the hippocampus =
retrograde amnesia along a temporal gradient
and an inability to form new declarative memories = anterograde amnesia
both amnesia
= no loss of intellectual/perceptual ability, working memory capacity.
good learning of new motor tasks but unable to recall learning them
define retrograde amnesia
unable to remember events from before surgery
define
anterograde amnesia
unable to form new long-term memories
buffer model =
aka the human information processing model /3-store model
limited capacity memory (7ish)
full awareness of contents
search automatic
3
1=sensory register (>attention>)
2=STM (>storage>)
3=LTM (
how does the storage information of the LTM improve
The longer the information stays in the STM buffer then the better the storage in LTM
define
maintenance rehearsal
repetition keeps infor, in the STM and helps it transfer to LTM
experiments associated with STM
STM seemed to be the key to make the system work
memory span experiments
serial position curve
ST memory scanning
Neuropsychological evidence
classic view of STM
aka Primary memory
same as buffer model = limited capacity memory span, full awareness of contents
but
search automatic
STM could not explain __
meaningfulness effect
memorising meaningful material easier> “nonsense”
one of the earliest research findings
Ebbinghaus
what questions did ___ have about meaningfulness effect
2
ebbinghaus
1= why should the meaning of the material affect how it is stored
2= how could a model of memory overlook this finding
levels of processing experiment
3
craik and Tuvling
1= orthographic 2= rhyme 3= semantic
examples of
levels of processing experiment
and subsequent cogonition test
shark
orthographic = does the word start with s
rhyme = does the word rhyme with park
semantic = is the word a type of fish
semantic = 73% rhyme = 56% orthographic= 17%
Define
levels of processing framework
an attemp to address meaningfulness effects by focussing on the type of processing in STM
differences in STM and LTM are due to =
different rehearsal strategies, not diff memory systems
describe
memory
memory = continuum
2 extremes = physical and meaning
1) physical=
maintenance rehearsal
shallow processing
poor memory
2) meaning
elaborative rehearsal
deep processing
good memory
The more deep something is processed =
the better it will be remembered
Working memory=
Baddeley & Hitch
no such thing as separate STM
STM = most recently activated portions of LTM
What happened to the STM workbench/buffer =
with room for 7 +- 2 items = wasn’t capturing all the research findings
the construction of STM and whole 3-store model abandonned
recall vs recognition
Even if you can’t recall something you can still recognise it because = information still stored in LTM
define
encoding specificity
information is not encoded as a set if individual items.
memory is a rich set of inter-related information present during encoding
retrieval depends on
the amount of overlap between information present at retrieval and encoding
encoding specificity state dependent effects
a change in context from the time of encoding to the time of retrieval can interfere with recall
particularly for episodic memories
4 1=mood states 2=alcohol 3=drugs 4=stress and arousal
one or more strong cues from the encoding context are needed to reactivate the memory
context during encoding is important =
encoding determines how information gets stored
retrieval processes control how we get information out
memory is not static
everytime you acess a memory trace= the new context and new information can be added to the stored information = constructive processes
define
constructive processes= reconsolidation
everytime you access a memory trace= the new context and new information can be added to the stored information
constructuve processes in LTM
2
1=false memory effects
2=re-consolidation
define
false memory effects
recalling or recognising events or facts you’ve never seen, heard, or read
memory contains a rich set of inter-related information present during encoding
demand characteristics
Loftus even offered $25 for accurate recall= still found the distortions produced by misleading questions
eye-witness identification=
depends on how they are obtained
recognition memory for faces, voices and names is good
high rate of false positives
most police investigation use simultaneous line-up or photo parade
eyewitnesses ust use a relative judgment strategy
relative jidgements in eyewitness identifcationsss = original memory may be incidental
good opportnity for constructive processes effect of schemata, stereotypes, suggestion
