Memory Flashcards
Memory Processes
- Encoding
- Storage
- Retrieval
Stages of processing memory
- Sensory Memory
- Working/ Short Term Memory
- Long Term Memory
Sensory Memory
Raw perception of senses (1+ seconds)
Short Term Memory Limits
7 +/- 2 bits of information. About 18 seconds
Working/ Short Term Memory Components
- Visuospatial Sketchpad
- Episodic Buffer
- Phonological Buffer
- Central Executive
Long Term Memory
Unlimited capacity. Accessed via working memory
Types of long term memory/ storage
- Declarative
- Non-declarative (Procedural)
Declarative memory
Explicit memory with conscious recall
Components of Declarative Memory
- Semantic Memory
- Episodic Memory
Semantic Memory
Facts- general knowledge (Declarative Memory)
Episodic Memory
Personally experienced events (Declarative Memory)
Non-declarative (Procedural) Memory
Implicit memory without conscious recall
Components of Non-declarative (Procedural) Memory
- Skills- Motor & Cognitive
- Classical conditioning effects
Encoding
Getting information into the brain by translating it into neural codes
Retrieval
Bringing stored information into consciousness
Context Effects- Physical Environment (Context-Dependent Memory)
Trigger associations by environment
Context Effects- Internal Environment
Mood Congruent Memory
Tendency to recall memories that are consistent with our current mood
Context Effects- Internal Environment
State Dependent Memory
What is learned in one state is more easily remembered when in the same state
Phonological Loop
Briefly stores mental representations of sounds
Visuospatial Sketchpad
Stores visual and spatial information
Episodic Buffer
Temporary storage space where info from long-term, phonological and visuospatial can be made into conscious awareness
Central Executive
Directs the overall action. Plans and controls subsystems and integrates with episodic buffer
Key Researcher of Working Memory
Alan Baddley
Decay Theory
With time and disuse the long-term memory fades
Interference Theory
Forget information because other items of information in long-term memory interfere with retrieval
Proactive Interference
Material learned in the past interferes with recall of new memory
Retroactive Interference
Newly acquired information interferes with the ability to recall previously learned information
Repression
Blocking conscious recall of anxiety-arousing information
Prospective Memory
Concerns remembering to perform an activity in the future
Retrograde Amnesia
Memory loss for events that took place prior to the onset of amnesia
Anterograde Amnesia
Memory loss for events that occur after the onset of amnesia
Dementia
Impaired memory and other cognitive deficits that accompany brain degeneration
Infantile Amnesia
Memory loss for childhood
Primary Effect
Reflecting the superior recall of the earliest items
Recency Effect
Superior recall of the most recent items
Chunking
Combining individual items into larger units of meaning to improve retention
Retrieval Cues
A stimulus that activates information stored in long term memory
Effortful Processing
Initiated intentionally and requires conscious attention
Automatic Processing
Encoding that occurs without intention and requires minimal attention
Maintenance Rehearsal
Simple, rote repetition. Keeps information active in working memory
Elaborative Rehearsal
Focusing on expanding on the meaning of information
Dual Coding Theory
Encoding using both verbal and visual codes enhances memory
Method of Loci
A memory that associates information with mental images of physical locations
Mnemonic Devices
A memory that reorganises information into more meaningful units and provides extra cues
Schema
Mental framework about an aspect of the world (generalised idea)
Source Monitoring Error
Attributing an event to the wrong source (misattribution)
Misinformation Effect
Information encountered after the event can affect what is remembered about the event
Suggestive Questioning
The language that is used when questioning can distort memory
Memory Distortion
Memory reconstruction can lead to memory distortion. People fill in gaps with plausible guesses and assumptions
Autobiographical Memory
Memory for the events we have experienced in our own lives
Reminiscence Bump
Memories recalled between 10 years- 30 years
