Memory Flashcards
Attention
First step of us being able to form a memory requires us to pay attention to something. Allows us to limit potentially overwhelming amount of information
The ability to ignore extraneous conversations in a large room speaking at once is know as the cocktail part effect at noisy parties people can focus on what one person is saying even if there is many conversations happening
Dichotic listening tasks
When there is lots of conversations happening there might be instances where information from other conversations can suddenly come to our attention. If someone in another conversation says you name this might grab ur attention
Researchers have studied how we can use selective capacity to listen two messages simultaneously using dichotic listenting tasks. In these tasks participants will here one message through on ear and another in the other ear using headphones.
Participants are asked to listen to only one message (attended channel) and ignore the other (unattended channel) participants repeat the attended channel out loud. It was shown that people are so good at ignoring the unattended channel that changes like language aren’t noticed. However changes like gender changes of the speaker wrrr always detected by listeners. Showing we pay attention to both but only process one more deeply. Both messages enter our awareness and our brain then chooses which message to focus on by diverting our attention to one while subconsciously monitoring the other message should it become relevant.
Attentional spotlight and visual tasks
Some have likened attention to shining a spotlight around a dark room. We can only see the objects we shine the light on.
One way researchers examine attention is visual search tasks. We spend a lot of time searching for various objects for example trying to find a friend in a crowd. How long it takes you to find things in a complex visual scene is dependent on a number of features. (Easier if object is a different colour)
When the object differs due to multiple variables it becomes harder to find (shale and colour) targets defined by a single feature pop out regardless of how many distractions are in the scene. Researchers suggest this means we use parallel processing in these instances allowing us to process several stimuli at once to find which is different.
In contrast when target is defined by two or more features it was found to take much longer to find as we need to use serial processing meaning we have to attend to each stimuli one at a time therefore taking longer and more cognitive processes
Divided attention
Sometimes we can easily divide attention sing while washing dishes in other situations it may be difficult to divide attention like trying to write and essay while watching a movie
Attention is finite as we only have limited cognitive resources. If you have enough resources to simultaneously complete two tasks you can. If you don’t you won’t be able too. This depends on what cognitive resources the two tasks require. Research suggests the greater difference between the tasks the easier it is to simultaneously complete them as they aren’t competing for the same resources. However different tasks can still take away focus from another for example talking on the phone while driving can cause people to miss traffic lights be worse at navigating etc. this is due to both relying on cognitive resources involving executive control a mechanism by which we set goals and priortise, choose strategies and direct the use of many other cognitive processes
Inattentional change blindness
No attending to something is known as inattentional blindness and refers to when we can’t see something because we aren’t paying attention to it. A related phenomenon called change blindness where you can fail to notice a dramatic change due to not paying attention. Like not noticing someone got a hair cut or changed their hair colour.
Inattentional blindness and change blindness are great representatives of how easy we miss importan information because we aren’t paying attention.
Short term vs long term memory
Short term memory refers to information retained temporarily for 30 seconds or less. It has a limited capacity of about 7 give or take 2 items of information. This informations could be numbers, letters or words.
First step of forming memory involves encoding of info when we pay attention to information it will be encoded and enter our short term memory stores. If we rehearse this information it is possible to retain info in short term for longer than 30 seconds however will still eventually be forgotten unless transferred to long term memory stores. This process is called consolidation
Short term vs working memory
Short term memory was originally thought to be passive but new research renamed short term memory to working memory. Working memory has the same capacity and will hold info for 30 secs if not rehearsed however working memory stores and processes information making it a mental workspace where u can temporarily store and manipulate information.
Shown through reading as we will often need to hold the meaning of the first part of a sentence in our working memory while reading the second part of the sentence and then put the two parts together to understand the whole sentence.
Components of working memory
Phonological loop: briefly stores auditory info active when you hear unfit and repeat info to yourself (a song stuck in you head on repeat is being processed by your phonological loop)
Visuospatial sketch pad: briefly stores visual and spatial info. When you think of details of someone’s face or try remember directions your using info contained in sketch pad. (This and phonological loop are slave systems)
Episodic buffer: temp storage space where Info from the slave systems and the LTM can be integrated and manipulated.
Central executive: directs all action that happens in working memory. Doesnt story any info but controls the sequence of actions that need to be performed in the subsystems
Long term memory
Thought to have an unlimited capacity and able to hold memories for a life time. Info stored in LTM can later be accessed through memory retrieval where info is moved back to the working memory.
After we can return info back to LTM through reconsolidating. Everytime we retrieve info it’s possible to alter the memory and reconsolidate an updated version of the memory back to LTM.
The serial position effect
How we determine LTM is different from working memory is the serial position effect. (Glazer and Cunitz 1966) asking a group of people to memories a list of words shows a U trend in remembering the list.
The words at the begin of the list are remembered more due to the primacy effect as there is more time to repeat and consolidate the words to LTM and the words at the end of the list are remembered due to recency effect as they are still retained in working memory as they are still with the 30 second working memory store. The recency effect is no longer seen if there is a short pause between the end of the list and when you’re able to recall the words
Implicit memory
When memory influences our behaviour but without conscious awareness. Like learning new skills which we learn automatically without thinking and which we find hard to describe to other people. This type of skill based memory is referred to as a procedural memory
Explicit memory
Involved concious or intentional memory retrieval like remembering your first kiss or remembering content you studied for the test. These types of memories are referred to as declarative memories as they require concious awareness you might declare to other people.
Explicit memory tests
Recall tests were people are given a list of words and asked to recall them
Cued recall test is when give a hint to what needs to be recalled
Recognition test typically a multiple choice to see if you can recognise the familiar/ correct answer
Implicit memory tests
Measuring implicit memories is more difficult as we don’t have concious awareness of them. We can test them through implicit procedural memory tasks where they are asked to perform any well learnt skill.
Not all implicit memories are skill based a way to test these are word stems providing three letters if recall words. Later asked to complete words stems with what first comes to mind and even tho not consciously aware of the memory they are likely to complete the stems with words from the original list.
Neurobiology if memory
Working memory involves a number of different brain regions. Visuospatial sketch pad to form a mental image activated some of the same areas of the visual cortex. Frontal lobes in particular prefrontal cortex also play a key role in working memory as it is believed these are used by the central executive to perform its functions. Evidence for frontal lobe comes from patients who have damage to their frontal lobe and shoe impairment in the central executive functions making them unable to carry out complex, purposeful and goal directed actions
Long term involves multiple brain regions like the hippocampus which is importantly for encoding certain alarms. HM as evidence as his hippocampus was removed. The amygdala is also important in information retrieval as it encoded emotionally arousing aspects of stimuli helping us form long term memories around emotional events. In theory it pairs certain memories with emotions telling your brain which memories should take priority and be remembered. The thalamus is also important for encoding memories as people who have damaged thalamus suffer anterograde amnesia it also plays a role in retrieval as ppl can also experience retrograde amnesia from thalamus injuries.
