Memory (Test October 3rd, 2024)

Question 1

Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM)

Answer 1

Hyperthymesia- People can’t forget anything and can remember every second of their lives. Only 60-80 people in the world have this.

Question 2

Memory process

Answer 2

Has three different parts- Encoding, storage, and retrieval.

Question 3

Where is sight in the brain?

Answer 3

The very back of the head to make sure it is best protected at the thickest part of the skull.

Question 4

Explicit memories vs implicit memories

Answer 4

Explicit- The conscious part of your brain recalls these memories with effortful processing. Problem-solving, recall, etc.
Implicit- They don’t need direct thought to be accessed (subconscious) and have automatic processing. Walking, phobias, etc.

Question 5

Duel track minds

Answer 5

Consciousness is the “high” track and unconsciousness is the “low” track.

Question 6

Procedural memory

Answer 6

The memory of how to do something. When you can show someone how to do something even if you can’t explain it. Riding a bike, playing a song, etc.

Question 7

Episodic memory

Answer 7

The who, what, when, and where of a memory; are almost like episodes in your life where you can remember all of these things. Driving a car for the first time, etc.

Question 8

Encoding

Answer 8

We only encode about 1% of our day. For something to have a chance of entering your memory by being encoded, you have to be paying attention. Some chemicals affect attention (stimulants increase it and can be blocked with artificial sweeteners like in coffee, depressants reduce attention). Emotional involvement, as well as humor, can grab your attention.

Question 9

Mnemonic devices

Answer 9

You’re more likely to pay attention if it means something to you.

Question 10

Semantic encoding

Answer 10

Giving meaning to something that originally has no meaning.

Question 11

Chunking

Answer 11

Mnemonic device and example of semantic encoding. Reduces the number of items you have to remember by grouping things together like with phone numbers.

Question 12

Self-referencing

Answer 12

Mnemonic device and example of semantic encoding. The more something has to do with you, the more likely you are to remember it. Passwords and codes typically have to do with things like birthdays.

Question 13

Anagram

Answer 13

Mnemonic device and example of semantic encoding. A list of words using the first letters of each word.

Question 14

Peg word

Answer 14

Mnemonic device and example of semantic encoding. Associating words and numbers to memorize a list.

Question 15

Spacing effect

Answer 15

Mnemonic device and example of semantic encoding. More, shorter rehearsal sessions to produce better memory rather than less, longer sessions. Avoid cramming before a test.

Question 16

Serial position effect

Answer 16

Mnemonic device and example of semantic encoding. You remember something better when it is at the top or bottom of a list.

Question 17

Primacy vs recency effect

Answer 17

Serial position effect (mnemonic device and example of semantic encoding).
Primacy- The first item in a list.
Recency- Last item in a list.

Question 18

Method of Loci technique

Answer 18

Mnemonic device and example of semantic encoding. To memorize a list and visualize a place you journey through the find the items on the list. If you can find the place you mentally put it in, you can remember the thing. “Mind palace.”

Question 19

Sensory memory

Answer 19

Brief physiological memory of touch, etc. It’s the starting point of all memories because all memories first come through one of the five senses.

Question 20

Flashbulb memory

Answer 20

A clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event. Increases the impact of sensory memories.

Question 21

Echoic memory

Answer 21

Memory of hearing. Lasts four seconds.

Question 22

Phonological loop

Answer 22

Part of echoic memory. You play back what someone just said to “hear it again.”

Question 23

Iconic memory

Answer 23

“Eye”-conic memory. The memory of vision. Lasts one second.

Question 24

Photographic memory

Answer 24

There is no such thing.

Question 25

Eideticism

Answer 25

When someone is eidetic their iconic memory lasts a bit longer than normal.

Question 26

George A. Miller

Answer 26

He said you can only hold 7-9 pieces of information in your short-term memory at a time and that it only lasts for about 30 seconds.

Question 27

Short-term memory

Answer 27

You can hold 7-9 pieces of information for about 30 seconds before you forget. The 7-9 number is attributed to George A. Miller.

Question 28

Working memory

Answer 28

The gray area between long and short-term memory. Ex. Keeping an address in mind (long-term) while receiving directions (short-term).

Question 29

Long-term memory

Answer 29

Our brains are essentially limitless for all of our long-term memory.

Question 30

Brain storing memory

Answer 30

The frontal lobe judges if something is worth saving and the hippocampus (not functional until around age three) pushes the piece of information to the saved.

Question 31

The forgetting curve

Answer 31

Herman Ebbinghauns. You learn something, retention drops, then levels off. After three years a memory becomes relatively permanent.

Question 32

Retrieval

Answer 32

When you remember a memory and “retrieve” it.

Question 33

Testing effect

Answer 33

Long-term memory improves when every now and then you are forced to rehearse/remember something.

Question 34

Two types of retrieval

Answer 34

Recall- Like filling in the blank, only relying on remembering,
Recognition- There are cues like on a multiple choice test that can help you remember. The use of cues as a trigger is called priming.
The difference between the two is that a cue gives you a clue.

Question 35

Thought bouncing

Answer 35

An example of memory being primed. You go from one thought to another as they remind you of different things.

Question 36

Color of memory

Answer 36

Yellow is cognitively the color of memory (the reason highlighters are yellow).

Question 37

State-dependant memory

Answer 37

Mood congruent memory. If you were in the same mood as you were when you encoded something, you are more likely to remember it.

Question 38

Context-dependant memory

Answer 38

The time, place, and sensory information that can help trigger recall. This is why sitting in the same seat for both class when you learned something and the test can be beneficial.

Question 39

Automaticity

Answer 39

Frequent rehearsals lead to overlearning where you can do something without thinking about it much. Driving, playing an instrument, tying your shoes, etc.

Question 40

Forgetting

Answer 40

When any of the memory process steps are broken down (encoding, storage, retrieval).

Question 41

Bad memories

Answer 41

They can be helped with social interactions. Distractions are the gateway to forgetting.
Because our attention is very limited, forming new memories with social interactions as distractions can help take your mind off of the bad memories.

Question 42

The interference theory of forgetting

Answer 42

Proactive interference- Old memories interfere with the creation of new memories.
Retroactive interference- New memories block out the retrieval of old ones.

Question 43

Goldfield’s syndrome

Answer 43

It was made up in 50 1st dates. It’s not real. Hollywood makes up things like this all the time so it’s important to stay wary.

Question 44

Retrograde amnesia

Answer 44

You lose some of your preexisting memory.

Question 45

Anterograde amnesia

Answer 45

You can’t form new memories.

Question 46

Organic amnesia

Answer 46

Caused by physical trauma or viruses that cause you to lose your memory.

Question 47

Dissociative amnesia

Answer 47

Forgetting caused by severe psychological trauma.

Question 48

Source amnesia

Answer 48

You know something but don’t remember the time, person, or place associated with the event.

Question 49

Source misattirbution

Answer 49

You can’t remember or misremember by believing you’re right but are completely wrong.

Question 50

Déjá vu

Answer 50

A sense that one had experienced something before. Not falsifiable.

Question 51

Corpus collosum

Answer 51

The bridge between the right and left brain.

Question 52

Memory manipulation

Answer 52

Memories can be changed and affected by you or others.

Question 53

Elizabeth Loftus

Answer 53

She talks about false memories and how they are suggestive and malleable like a wiki page. She worked with repressed memories. There is no proof of them. Wanted to fight that some therapists would work with them to place answers in people’s minds (using leading questions, etc.), causing them to misremember.

Question 54

Leading cause of wrongful convictions?

Answer 54

Eye-witness misidentification

Question 55

Misinformation effect

Answer 55

Misleading/false information that can be incorporated into real memory over time.

Question 56

What does your brain do when it doesn’t have all of the information?

Answer 56

It tries to fill in the gaps and complete the story which is why misinformation and lack of information can cause false memories.

Question 57

Weapon-focus effect

Answer 57

When your life is threatened, you are more likely to focus on the weapon/life-threatening factor. Stress affects the memory and too much can cause you to shut down. With too little, we don’t pay attention.

Question 58

Cross-race identification bias

Answer 58

We can’t distinguish well between the differences of members of other races.

Question 59

Question-wording and eye-witness testimony

Answer 59

Word usage in questions with framing affects answers/memory. Ex. In an experiment, people were asked how fast they thought a car was going when they crashed/bumped (using those two words interchangeably). Those with the word bumped said the car was going 10-20 mph while those with the word crashed were closer to 40 mph even though they both watched the same video.

Question 60

Children’s eye-witness testimony

Answer 60

Around 10-11, they become as reliable as an adult witness. The younger they are the more easily manipulated so you must be very careful with how the questions are worded. When parents are in the room they are also more likely to lie to appeal to what they think their parents want to hear. In TN you can interview children without parents, but not in some other states.

Question 61

Leading questions

Answer 61

Working to suggest and get someone to answer in a certain way. Used as manipulation.

Question 62

Parts of the brain that access explicit (conscious/effortful) memory formation.

Answer 62

Frontal lobes and the hippocampus

Question 63

Parts of the brain that work with implicit (subconscious) memory formation.

Answer 63

Cerebellum and basal ganglia

Question 64

Part of the brain that is related to emotion-related memory formation.

Answer 64

Amygdala. Provoked by things like stress.

Question 65

Yerkes-Dodson curve

Answer 65

Stress/anxiety correlates with performance. Is a bell curve. With lower arousal there is lower performance that increases with more arousal, causing higher attention and interest. There is a peak in the middle with medium arousal and high performance (the top of the bell curve). When the stress gets too high performance goes back down again and becomes impaired because of the strong anxiety.