Cognition/Memory (8-10%) Flashcards
Memory
process by which information is acquired (encoded) stored in the brain and later retrieved
Flash-bulb Memory
a vivid, long lasting memory of a surprising important, emotionally arousing event (9/11) (STRONG emotion)
Memory is affected by…
- how well we focus our attention, our motivation
- interference from other events and experiences
- how much we practice or rehearse
- our state of consciousness when we learn something our state of consciousness when we recall it (colors of memory in inside out)(Mood Congruence Theory)
Cue Dependence Theory
recall best when encoding cues present during encoding are present during retrieval; these encoding cues are called encoding specificity
-AKA State Dependence
-emotional state, environmental context, mood congruence
Sensory Memory
split second holding tank for incoming sensory information
-all info from your senses (less than a second)
-passed to STM or forgotten
Types of Sensory Memory
Iconic: photographic, split second photo of a scene
Echoic: equally brief memory of sound
Short Term Memory (STM)
if we pay attention to a stimulus from our senses it reaches STM
-also called working memory
-can store a few items of unrehearsed information for up to 30 seconds
-holds info retrieved from LTM
Rote/Maitenance Learning
repeating info without assigning meaning keep it in STM (doesn’t go to LTM)
Encoding
conversion of information into a form that can be stored in memory
Types of Encoding
-visual code (images)
-acoustic code (sounds) *most used
-semantic code (meanings, knowledge)
Selective Attention
determines which sensory messages get encoded
-we encode what we are attending to or what is important to us
Storage in STM
about 7 pieces of info
-storage = retention of information in memory
Chunking
trick your STM, combining units of meaningful information
Retrieval
recovery of information from LTM; we scan information one at a time not all at once
Forgetting in STM
failure to retrieve information
Decay
fading of information that is not rehearsed
Displacement
new info will push out older information (5-9 pieces in STM)
Long Term Memory (LTM)
can store unlimited amount of information for unlimited amount of time
-STM anf LTM go through encoding, storing, and retrieving of info
-earliest memories are from 3-4 years old
Elaborative Rehearsal
organizing new information to make it more meaningful, and integrating it with info already in LTM
Levels of Processing Theory
the deeper you process something the easier it is to remember
-learning and understanding -> most important
Encoding Failure
your brain fails to create a memory link (often because of distraction, you don’t elaborately rehearse, or don’t deeply process information)
Storage in LTM
deeply processed information is better remembered than shallowly processed information
Craik and Tulving
claims that we best recalled material that has been processed by meaning; apply the information
Types of Memories
Procedural Memories: how to perform skill
Declarative Memories: factual information
-Semantic Memories: general info, facts
-Episodic Memories: personal experiences
Semantic Network Theory
memories are stored as nodes (concepts)
-spreading activation: when retrieving a node it stimulates related nodes
Schema
cognitive structure that organizes knowledge about events or objects
Schema Theory
episodic and semantic memories are stored as schemas for better organization and recall