Memory Flashcards
What three things do memories include
Past experiences, knowledge and thoughts
What are the three stages of memorising
Encoding, storage and retrieval
What does sensory memory incoporate
Visual and auditory sensory information
How long does info stay in the sensory memory
0.5 to 2 seconds
Describe the STM
Short term memory has a limited capacity/memory span of about 7 items for about 30 seconds.
How are things lost by the STM
Displacement or Decay
How can you increase STM capacity
Chunking and Rehearsal
What is chunking
Organising smaller units of information into a chunk. Eg. A phone number
What is rehearsal
Repeating information to youself many times. This extends the time it is held in the STM and increases the chance that it will be transferred and encoded into the LTM
What is the serial positioning effect
When the first few and last few facts from a string of information is remembered best . First few due to rehearsal (now in LTM) and last few due to still being in the STM (recency effect)
What is working memory
It is an extension of the STM. It can process data while held in the STM. This allows the STM to complete simple cognitive tasks
Describe the LTM
Long term memory has an unlimited capacity and can hold information for a long time.
When does the transfer of info from the stm to ltm happen
Upon successful encoding of the information from the STM. Once in the LTM it is then stored and may be retrieved at a later date.
What three things promote successful transfer of information from stm to ltm
Rehearsal, organisation and elaboration
What is organisation
WHen info is grouped or categorised in a way that is logical to the learner.
What is elaboration
Where the info is given more detail to make it more meaningful and interesting, this makes it easier to transfer to the ltm.
What is encoding
The conversion of one or more nerve impulses into a form that can be received and held by the brain.
Name the two types of encoding
Rehearsal is a shallow form of encoding and Elaboration is a deeper type of encoding that leads to improved information retention.
What are contextual cues
Contextual cues aid the retrieval of information from LTM to STM. It is a signal or reminder relating to the conditions or circumstances that were present at the time and place when the information was encoded into the LTM.
