MEMORY AND FORGETTING Flashcards
why is memory important?
it allows us to produce captive behaviour
it supports sense of self/culture, it has a practical importance of memory failures
what are the 3 main elements of memory?
sensory stores, short-term stores, long-term stores
what are sensory stores?
Sensory memory holds sensory information less than one second after an item is perceived.
what is short-term memory?
Short-term memory allows recall for a period of several seconds to a minute without rehearsal.
what is long-term memory?
long-term memory can store much larger quantities of information for potentially unlimited duration
why do we forget short-term memories?
they decline very fast in the absence of attention
why do we forget long-term memories?
retrieval failure
how do you form a long-term memory?
through retrieval of short term memories
what affects memory storage?
context i.e. location
mood
sleep
what are the 3 levels of processing? which is best for forming memories?
physical
acoustic
semantic - best as it forms more distinct memories with reduced chance of interference
what is semantic encoding?
thinking about the meaning of a word, thinking about how the word fits in a sentence makes you remember it better than what it looks like (physical) and what it sounds like (acoustic).
describe the multi-store model of memory?
an environmental input forms sensory memories which, when given more attention, form short-term memories. if these are rehearsed and retrieved enough they can form long-term memories
where is the hippocampus located?
medial temporal lobe and is an infolding of the medial temporal cortex
what is the role of the hippocampus in memory?
the transfer of information from short-term memory to long-term memory during encoding and retrieval stages.
what are the 2 steps to encoding memories?
- Acquisition - Stimuli are committed to short term memory.
- Consolidation - The hippocampus, along with other cortical structures stabilise an object within long term memory, a process strengthening over time
how can the hippocampus use cues?
if you go back to the location/wear same clothes etc you form a cue where the hippocampus can bring bak the entire experience through association
where are childhood memories stored? explain this
in the neocortex and hippocampus. Over time, memories may lose their reliance on the hippocampus and instead the associative links can occur in the frontal cortex
what is episodic memory?
A category of long-term memory that involves the recollection of specific events, situations, and experiences
what is cue-dependant forgetting?
the failure to recall a memory due to missing stimuli or cues that were present at the time the memory was encoded. The information still exists, but without these cues retrieval is unlikely.
what is trace decay?
Forgetting occurs as a result of the automatic decay or fading of the memory trace. Trace decay theory focuses on time and the limited duration of short term memory.
what are some organic causes of forgetting?
physiological damage or dilapidation e.g. Alzheimers, amnesia, dementia, gradual slowing of CNS due to ageing
what is interference theory?
The idea that when the learning of something new causes forgetting of older material on the basis of competition between the two. This essentially states that memory’s information may become confused or combined with other information during encoding, resulting in the distortion or disruption of memories
what is decay theory?
when something new is learned, a neurochemical, physical ‘memory trace’ is formed in the brain and over time this trace tends to disintegrate, unless it is occasionally used
what is amnesia?
memory loss
