Memory: Encoding and Storage Flashcards
Memory
the retention of information or experiences over time; Remembering something, even if not in view; Something that can last a lifetime (like a childhood story); Something that you do not realize is even there until something related to it was seen or heard
Three Key Memory Processes
Encoding, Storage and Retrieval
Encoding
“writing it down”; the process of taking information in through your senses and translating it into a form that your brain can “write down” and store for later use; 1st step in memory; (also in learning and plasticity); Sometimes it happens automatically, while sometimes it takes effort
Encoding processes
Selective Attention, Levels of Processing, Elaboration, and mental imagery
Selective Attention
focusing on a specific aspect of experience while ignoring others; constantly working; stimuli compete for our attention
Trying to choose what to focus on in that moment; “paying attention” since brain focused on that stimuli
Characteristics of Selective Attention
We can only FULLY attend to ONE THING AT A TIME; Only little/little habitual things can be multitasked
Items compete for our attention(cocktail party effect); Only most vivid, loud, high intensity, highly meaningful will win; surprising things over dull/mundane things
Inattention leads to encoding failure; Memory more like photographs that are not great at all
Levels of Processing
a continuum of memory processing ranging from shallow processing to deep processing; deep processing leads to better memory
Shallow processing
“physical features are analyzed”
Example: remembering its in your notes, but cannot recall for test
Intermediate Processing
“recognition and labeling”
Deep Processing
“meaningful characteristics”
Elaboration
the “web” of connections, associations and relevant meanings given to a stimulus
Example: word connections like “maison” in French (mason relation to house in English language)
Mental Imagery
creating a mental “story” or scene around stimuli that we would like to remember
Example: List of words made into a fun story to remember them(Rabbit, sky, nut mother, bed, bake, fresh, miracle, dance)
Dual-code Hypothesis
Memory stored in two ways: verbal code and picture code; Mental images are remembered better because it contains both picture and verbal codes; Helps with classes like chemistry and physics
Storage
“filing it away”; how is information retained over time and represented in memory; How can we store it to use again? Many theories; 2nd step in memory
Atkinson-Shiffrin Model of Memory(BOX MODEL)
proposes there are three stages memory has to go through to become long term memory; sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory