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
