Lecture 8: Memory Flashcards
What is memory illusion?
A false, but subjectively compelling memory
What is heuristic
A mental shortcut(or rule of thumb) which helps one streamline one’s thinking
What is representative heuristic
Judging the probability of an event by its superficial similarity to a prototype
What Is memory?
Retention of information over time, which defines our sense of identity
What paradox of memory?
When our memories being surprisingly good in some situations, but surprisingly poor in other situations..
When recalling events we actively reconstruct our memories. Rather than simply passively reproducing them
Name the 2 dimensions
span and duration
What is sensory memory
Brief storage of perceptual information before it passed to short term memory
What is short term memory
Transforms information received from sensory memory into more meaningful materials
(duration: longer than sensory memory but still limited)
What is long term memory
Stores information for days to years
some( not all) memories are passed down
What is iconic memory?
Visual sensory memory
What is chunking?
It’s for organizing information into meaningful groupings
…Allows for the explanation of the span of short term memory
What is echoic memory
Auditory sensory memory
What is working memory? What is the duration and span for it?
Ability to hold on to information one is currently thinking about, attending to or processing actively
The duration is 20 seconds or less
The span is 7 plus/minus 2 pieces of info
What is rehearsal?
It’s when repeating information to extend the duration of retention in short term memory
…Allows for the extension of the duration of information in short term memory
What is maintenance rehearsal?
Repeating the information in its original form, to retain it in short term memory
What is elaborative rehearsal?
Linking information to each other in a meaningful way to improve retention of information in short term memory
What is Decay?
Fading of information from memory over time
What is Interference
Loss of information from memory due to competition form additional incoming information
What is retroactive interference?
Learning something new interferes with, hampers earlier learning
What is proactive interference?
Earlier learning interferes with new learning
Short term memory has…
A much smaller span and much shorter duration
Long term memory has…
A much larger span and much longer duration
Semantic Memory
A long term memory in which our knowledge of facts about the world
Episodic Memory
A long term memory in which there is a recollection of events in our lives
Explicit memory
A long term memory in which memories that are recalled intentionally and of which we have conscious awareness
What are Implicit memories?
They are memories we do not deliberately
remember or reflect on consciously
What is procedural memory
Memory for how to do things, including motor skills and habits
What is priming
The ability to identify a stimulus easier/quicker after we’ve encountered similar stimuli
Explain long term memory using explicit and implicit using that one slideshow chart..
So long term memory, goes from explicit then to semantic and episodic
and then
there is one from implicit to procedural and priming
Explain Encoding, go into depth
Encoding is the process of getting information into our memory banks. It’s considered as the role of attention.
Events are not encoded if you are not attending to them.
Almost all events that we encode, include only some of the details of the experience.
Why it is easier to remember some things from memory compared to others? We are more likely to remember something when the conditions present at the time we encoded are also present at retrieval
Explain Mnemonics..
Learning aids or strategies that enhance recall and memory (through using association)..
We use mnemonics DURING encoding to helps us retrieve useful information
Example:
1. Chunking
2. acronyms(i.e, MBA,NBA,etc.)
3. Making a song
4. Helps enhance our short term and long term memory
Explain Storage..
Process of keeping information in memory
Schema: an organized knowledge of structure, or mental model that we have stored in our memories
Can serve as useful function..may also lead to memory errors
Explain Retrieval..
Reactivation or reconstruction of experiences from our memory stores..Tip of the tongue phenomenon- experience of knowing that we know something but being unable to access it
Forgetting may result from failure to retrieve information rather than failure to encode
Ex. unable to recall a person’s name even though you just spoke to them
Why it is easier to remember some things from memory compared to others? Where is this shown..?
We are more likely to remember something when the conditions present at the time we encoded are also present at retrieval..
Context dependent learning- learning superior retrieval of memories when the external context of the original memories matches the retrieval context
Mood dependent learning- learning superior retrieval of memories when we are in the same mood state (during retrieval) as we were during encoding
Where is memory stored?
Hippocampus and Amygdala
What’s the role of Amygdala
Helps us remember the emotions associated with fear provoking experiences
What is the role of the Hippocampus
Plays a key role in episodic memory!
Damage: impairs explicit memory
..Helps us remember the events themselves
Name the 4 types of amnesia..
- retrograde amnesia
- anterograde amnesia
- generalized amnesia
- Infantile amnesia
What is retrograde amnesia
Loss of some memories from our past
What is anterograde amnesia
The inability to encode new memories from our experiences
What is generalized amnesia
The loss of all details of one’s life (rare)
What is Infantile amnesia
Inability of adults remember personal experiences that took place before an early age(i.e. 2-3 years old)
Why does amnesia occur?
The hippocampus is only partially developed…Lack of a schema of self impairs ability to encode or store memories of experiences in a meaningful way
