human memory Flashcards
what is memory
the ability to store and retrieve information over time
there are different types of memory
what are the different types of memories and describe them
iconic memory:
s-ensory memory that exists for a few milliseconds
-involves all modalities (touch, taste, smell,olfactory, sight).
-its purpose is to retain an image of something you have seen for a very short time
short-term memory:
-temporary storage of a short amount of information
-has a limited capacity of holding 7 (+/-2) items
-Its duration is relatively short, holding information for around 20–30 seconds without rehearsal
-enables you to perform immediate tasks like remembering a phone number long enough for you to dial it
working memory:
-A Newer version of short-term memory
-more complex, including components like the phonological loop (dealing with verbal and auditory information) and visuospatial sketchpad (handling visual and spatial information)
-STM is mainly about storage, while working memory involves both storage and manipulation of information to understand and learn it.
-Working memory involves multiple components that handle different types of information, whereas STM is considered to be a single, unified store.
long-term memory:
-Has an unlimited capacity storing huge amounts of information for a very long duration lasting from minutes to lifetime (months/years)
-information moves from STM. to LTM via encoding, strengthening by factors like rehearsal, elaboration, repetition, meaningful
prospective memory:
-remembering to do a task in the future
-future-oriented intentions
declarative memory:
-explicit memory that you can consciously recall and coherently express or verbalise;, invloves episodic and semantic
semantic memory:
-recollection of concepts, knowledge and facts about the world
episodic memory:
-recollection of past memories, events, experiences
procedural memory:
-how to perform tasks and actions/skills
-non-declarative memory that is implicit as you may not be able to consciously verbalise it but you can automatically perform the task
what’s the difference between dissociation and double dissociation and its importance in pscyhology?
Dissociation
Definition: Dissociation refers to a situation where a certain cognitive function is impaired while another remains intact. This can be observed in studies involving brain-damaged patients.
implication: Dissociation provides evidence that two cognitive functions can operate independently of one another. For example, a person may have difficulty with language production (speaking) but can understand language perfectly well. This suggests that the brain regions or mechanisms responsible for these two functions are distinct.
Double Dissociation
Definition: Double dissociation occurs when two related cognitive functions are shown to operate independently through two individuals (or groups) where each shows a deficit in one of the functions but not the other.
Implication: This provides stronger evidence for the independence of the two cognitive functions or processes. For example, if Person A has impaired language production but intact language comprehension, and Person B has impaired language comprehension but intact language production, it demonstrates that these two abilities involve separate neural mechanisms.
Importance in Psychology: Double dissociation is a powerful tool for understanding the organization of the brain. It helps scientists and psychologists pinpoint specific areas of the brain responsible for different cognitive functions and understand how these functions can be separated from one another.
what are the three process of memory
-encoding
(The process of acquiring, organising, and transforming information into a format that can be stored in our memory. It involves converting information from our sensory experiences into a meaningful and usable form for our brain)
-storage
(The retention of encoded information in our memory over time. This storage can either be temporary, known as short-term memory, or long-lasting, known as long-term memory. Short-term memory allows us to hold a small amount of information for a short period, while long-term memory enables us to store and retrieve information for a longer duration)
-retrieval
(The process of accessing and recalling stored information from our memory when needed)
what other process are involved in memory structure?
rehearsal that strengthens the information to be stored in our memory
what is the memory structure
sensory input- sensory store
-encoding- STM- rehearsal- LTM-retrieval - STM
what are the two sensory memories and their durations
auditory memory
-after speaking, the vibrations of hair cells still occur 3 seconds after speech has stopped
visual memory
after looking at an image, then the image is removed, you can still visualize it for another 250 ms afterwards
what are the components in which working memory contain to process information?
-Central executive- resembles attention (you must select what do I pay attention to-whatever you think is important and worth your awareness, your central executive will draw your attention to that)
-phonological loop- i.e., if I give you my phone number and you’re verbally rehearsing it, your unconsciously sub-vocally rehearsing it and storing it in phonological loop
-visuo-spatial sketchpad- identical to phonological loop, it will just hold visual and spatial info like the slides on the board and even if another slide it us you can still see that diagram in your mind
which psychologist determined capacity for STM and which year
and what other process did he determine?
Miller, 1956
chunking (grouping bits of information together to make it easier to remember)
what are the types of interference
-retroactive interference
(When newly learned information interferes with the recall or retrieval of previously learned information. In other words, it is when new memories disrupt the ability to remember older memories)
-proactive interference
(When previously learned information interferes with the retention or recall of new information. It occurs when past memories hinder the ability to form new memories or retrieve recently acquired information) when I accidentally inserted my college email to try to login to computer for my exams instead of my new university username
what is the primacy-recency effect?
refer to our tendency to remember the first and last items in a list or set of information more easily than the middle items. These effects play a significant role in how we remember and recall information.
The primacy effect is the phenomenon of remembering the first few items in a list. When we encounter a series of items, our attention and focus are typically highest at the beginning, which allows us to encode and store the information more effectively in our memory. This happens because our brains have more time and capacity to process and remember these early items.
On the other hand, the recency effect refers to the tendency to remember the last few items in a list. This occurs because these items still reside in our short-term memory when we are asked to recall or retrieve the information. Our short-term memory has limited capacity, and the last items are more easily accessible because they were the most recently encountered and stored.
what is the psychologist that suggested the level of processing in memory and what describe what that means
Craik & Lockhart (1972)
The deeper and strongly you encode the information the more likely to retain and access this info in the long run.
The more attention you pay, the deeper the encoding (taking notes, thinking about the material also deepen).
The less attention you pay, the shallower the encoding.
The greeter the processing of the meaning of the stimuli and encoding, the deeper the level of processing.
How to ensure you process meaning?
you can see the info having relevance to your life, therefore the greater the meaning you view it with.
And rehearsal isn’t a great way of memorising stuff as it lacks meaning and you more likely to not remember it over the long run.
what process requires transferring info from STM to LTM
Elaborate- become interested in the topic and immerse yourself with knowledge with genuine interest. Encoding it at a deeper level.
The more neurones you have the greater the connections and the faster you encode the info and also less likely to lose info due to many neuronal routes to the same info.
The brain can also remove info i.e., if you go out with someone for 2 years then break up, you’d stop rehearsing/ thinking about them/ elaborate so over time those neuronal connections become weaker
what is the term used for storage into long term memory?
consolidation
(gist of experiences rather than exact form)
what natural structural change occurs during consolidation?
long term potentiation _ strengthening of neuronal synapses due to increased stimulatory inputs.
(NMDA receptors is important for this process of neuronal connections.)
