Memory

Question 1

what are the key components of memory?

Answer 1

encoding

storage

retrieval

*problem though is that memories can be changed - remaking memory every time it’s thought of

Question 2

what is encoding?

Answer 2

how information gets INTO memory - you cannot remmeber something you don’t encode

*Attention is critical* - focusing awareness on characteristics

ex) if you do not pay attention to a name, you won’t ever recal that name

Question 3

what are the types of encoding?

Answer 3

1. shallow - structural/appearance
2. intermediate= phonemic (sound)
3. deep = semantic (meaning)

the deeper the encoding level, the longer lasting memory it encodes

enhanced encoding = elaboration - use examples or added visual imagery to encode

Question 4

what is ‘storage’

Answer 4

it is the ‘computer’ in our analogy - stores the memory

Question 5

what are the 3 separate stores of memory?

Answer 5

1. sensory memory
2. short term memory
3. long-term memory

these are not anatomical strucutres

Question 6

how long does information last in the sensory memory?

Answer 6

lasts for miliseconds or seconds depending on stimulus type

Question 7

what are the characteristics of sensory memory?

Answer 7

it is auditory tactile or visual information preserved momentarily

likened to an ‘echo’

ex) you’re walking down grafton street, walking past a bunch of people when you think “wait, did I know that person?” because their face seemed familiar to your sensory memory

Question 8

how long does short -term memory last?

Answer 8

it has a limited capacity - information lasts about 20 seconds

Question 9

how long does long-term memory last?

Answer 9

unlimited capacity - information lasts indefinitley

Question 10

describe short term memory characteristics

Answer 10

limited capacity - 5-9 units of information

chunking increases capacity

new information/interference can displace current information in STM

duration of about 20-30 seconds but repetition extends duration

Question 11

which memory is regarded as the ‘working memory ‘?

Answer 11

short term memory -

Question 12

what is the working memory model

Answer 12

execusitve control system - focuses attention on tasks - supported by 3 sub-systems

1) visual spatial sketch pad - monitors visual environment
2) phonological loop - speech preparation
3) episodic buffer- integrates information from WM an LTM

Question 13

what are the characteristics of long term memory?

Answer 13

• unlimited capacity
• indefinite duration - permanent? “flashbulb” memroy
• organized in logical framework
• declarative LTM = facts/explicit knowlege
  
  • semantic declarative = general knowlege like capitals of countries
  • episodic = dated recollections of personal experiences like first boyfriend or girlfriend
• procedural LTM= actions/perectual motor/skills

Question 14

what is the primacy/recency effect?

Answer 14

primacy = better recal for information at the beginning

recency = better recall for things at the end

Question 15

memory is aided by…

Answer 15

use of cues

reinstating context

Question 16

what are some issues with retrieval of memory?

Answer 16

• memories are not an exact replica =
  
  • general story rather than details
  • memory is more like a play than a DVD
• retrieval can be distorted by unrelated events and or manipulated deliberalty
  
  • the misinformation effect
  • implications for eye witness testimony
• frequently forget the sources of memories

Question 17

what is the “source-monitoring error” ?

Answer 17

memory from one source wrongly attributed to another

Question 18

when does most forgetting occur?

Answer 18

immediately after memorisation -

forget meaningless information faster - relating new info to existing info improves memory

Question 19

how do we measure forgetting?

Answer 19

4 levels

1. recall - no cues
2. recognition- select from an array
3. reconstruction - pulled together from context using cues
4. re-learning- effort saved 2nd time around

Question 20

how do we forget at each memory level?

Answer 20

sensory = information lost if not encoded

short term = information lost if not encoded

long term - information lost due to retrieval failure, interference, decay

Question 21

Why do we forget?

Answer 21

1. ineffective encoding - information not encoded properly due to lack of attention
2. decay - memory traces fade with time due to decay -
3. interference - competition from other information - new info impairing retention of old
4. retrieval failure - tip of the tongue phenomenon
5. motivated forgetting - freud - people bury unpleasant, painful, or embarrassing memories deep in unconscious mind

Question 23

where are key neuroanatomical structures of memroy located?

Answer 23

they are located in the sub-cortical limbic system of the temporal lobe

• hippocampus
• parahippocampal region
• amygdala

Question 24

what is amnesia?

Answer 24

partial or total memory loss

Question 25

what is retrograde amnesia?

Answer 25

inability to remember events that happened prior to onset - retrieval failure

Question 26

what is anterograde amnesia?

Answer 26

inability to take in new factual information or remember day to day events

Question 27

what is post traumatic amnesia?

Answer 27

combines both retrograde and anterograde amnesia - period of anterograde determines classification of head injury

Question 28

what memory is lost in alzheimer’s disease?

Answer 28

working memory - progressive decline - infact at first but increased sensitivity to distraction

long-term memory - procedural - diminished but relatively intact

declarative - semantic disrupted ( language and recal of conceptual information)

episodic impaired recal and consolidation -forgetfulness/missed appointments

Question 29

why is it important to study memory?

Answer 29

memory can give us insight into a patients condition / situation

*memory failures not always age-related