Lecture 2 Flashcards
Memory
the capacity to retain and retrieve information
How to measure memory
recall, recognition, relearning
Recall
ability to retrieve information which has
been learned earlier – recalling facts
Recognition
ability to identify previously encountered information – multiple choice on exam, series of 10 faces to pick out
Relearning
effort is saved in having learned something before – exposure makes it easier; learning material for a second time for final exam
Recall Task
Culture can influence memory; is biased based upon prior experiences that enhance memory capacity
Recognition Task
Being exposed to list of names makes it easier to recall Rudolph’s friends
Information Processing Model
memory and mind are like a computer, contemporary model
Encoding: how to put information in, retain, store, and retrieve. Memory = hard drive. How do you enter in data? How do you store it?
Levels of Processing Theory
different levels of processing impact encoding
Ex) Files in brain
Three box model of memory
Sensory Memory
Short Term Memory
Long Term Memory
Sensory Memory
retains for 1-2 seconds acts as a “holding bin” ~ ½ second in visual subsystem ~ longer in auditory system decides if it is worth processing to compare it to what you know about the world
Iconic Memory
fast-decaying store of visual information
Echoic Memory
fast-decaying store of auditory information
Short Term Memory
Holds limited amounts of information for up to 20-30 seconds
Research indicates it is a “working memory”: What is that sound or image similar to in my memory system
Pattern recognition: compares to information already in our long term memory, goes to LTM or decays/is lost
Magic Number
Number of items we are able to hold in our short term memory
Historically: 7 +/- 2
Recent research suggests may be closer to 4
Ex) Using number tests to remember
Digit Span Test
Ex) IBMCIAFBI, video of man reciting 99,000 digits of pi
Chunking
a strategy which helps us hold information, cultural variations – chunk together slides and learn as a unit rather than individual flashcards
Long Term Memory
Longer storage for minutes to decades
Organized by semantic categories – remembering what you need at grocery store vs. at a shoe store
Contents of Long Term Memory:
Explicit and Implicit Memory
Explicit Memory
the act of consciously or intentionally retrieving past-experiences
Implicit Memory
past experiences influence later behavior and performance, people not consciously aware they are remembering ex) Procedural, where car keys were placed
Semantic memories
facts, rules, concepts, general knowledge
Episodic Memories
experiences events, personal recollections
Procedural
motor skills, knowing “how” to do things
Priming
increases identification of objects/words based on recent exposure to other stimuli
Primary Effect
memory of beginning pieces of list
Recency Effect
memory of end pieces of the list
Frequency
numerous mention increases memory
Distinctiveness
increases likelihood
Chunking increases memory
Reconstructed Memory
needs to be assesed
Effective Encoding
how to best learn information
Maintenance Rehearsal
Retain in STM, repeat
Elaborative Rehearsal
know it, review, practice, give meanings
Visual Imagery
create visual images to represent words/concepts to remember
Method of Loci
match up existing visual images with concepts
Mnemonics
systematic strategies for remembering information; memory tricks or useful tools to aid memory, ROYGBIV
Dual-Coding Theory
memory is enhanced by using both semantic and visual codes since either can lead to recall
Flashbulb Memories
dramatic positive or negative memory Memories for traumatic events more vivid than ordinary events Main aspects of trauma remembered Can distort details Accuracy fades over time
Source Memory
recall of when, where, and how information was acquired
Memory Misattribution
assigning a memory to the wrong source
Ineffective Encoding
we don’t “remember” it in the first place – didn’t learn material in an effective way for test
Decay Theories
memories fade with time
Retroactive Interference
new information interferes with old; mixing information for different tests/subjects
Proactive Interference
old information interferes with new
Motivated Forgetting
painful memories blocked from consciousness (Freud)
Retrieval Cues
external information helps memory (remembering image)
Encoding Specificity
a cue can help as a reminder when it recreates the specific way the information/memory was encoded
State dependent and context dependent: mental and physical states can enhance memory
Memories created when drinking increased when drinking again, wearing the same sweats while studying
Similar environment or setting can serve as memory cues, like going back to the scene of the crime
Amnesia
refers to memory deficits
Retrograde Amnesia
deficit in recalling events that happened BEFORE the onset of amnesia
Anterograde Amnesia
deficit in learning AFTER the onset of the disorder
Post Traumatic Amnesia
range of cognitive impairments including memory loss following an accident. Can be substantial, but often decreases to the level of events surrounding the accident.
Can be emotional, from traumatic event. People can still gain their memory back.
Childhood Amnesia
the inability to remember things from the first years of life, as if we did not have capacity to store memories just yet.
*May not be best terminology
Dementia
a clinical condition in which the individual loses cognitive abilities and functioning to the degree in which it impedes normal activity and social relationships; forget places/names/people/procedural memories
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia; all dementias are NOT Alezheimer’s
Symptoms of Dementia
Loss of memory for recent events and familiar tasks
Changes in cognitive functioning ultimately leading to a change in personality
Loss of ability to perform most simple functions
Aphasia
loss of ability to use language
Apraxia
loss of ability to carry out coordinated body movement
Agnosia
loss of ability to recognize familiar objects (can’t recognize NOSE->FACES)
Causes of Alzheimers
Formation of plaques or tangles in areas of the brain controlling memory or vital cognitive functioning
Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s usually done by exclusion. Historically the diagnosis was only confirmed through autopsy which identified the characteristic tangles/plaques central to the disease
