Psychology Ch. 9 Flashcards
Encoding
How information enters our memory system from sensory input (the info getting put in the filing cabinet)
Storage
The retention of encoded info (the files getting stored in the filing cabinet for later use)
Retrieval
How we recall or remember stored info when we need it (pulling the info from the filling cabinet when needed.)
The “Spotlight” of Attention
Attention is: Limited Selective - It is also most often the
first step toward remembering something
Sensory Memory
Our 5 senses – shortest memory lasting a few seconds. (echoic [sound- several seconds], iconic [visual- 1/2 a second], Haptic [touch], Olfactory [smell], Gustory [taste].
Short term memory
Held longer than sensory usually 20-30 seconds. - can usually only remember up to 7 things at once.
Chunking
being able to chunk memories together in order to remember more than 7 (eg., ROYGBIV - instead of red orange yellow… )
Working Memory
Updated model of short term memory - used to temporarily store and manipulate info in short term memory.
Central Executive
“control center.” directs attention to relevant info. (CEO of system)
Visuospatial Sketchpad
Our ability to hold visual info (eg., giving someone directions to an office - visualizing how you get there while speaking.)
Phonological Loop
Holds auditory info (having to repeat a phone number to yourself until you can write it down)
Episodic Buffer
A buddy that helps you remember stuff, takes bits of info and connects them to what you already know, and turns it into a story for your brain to remember.
Maintenance rehearsal
Repetition of information - (saying a license plate number silently or out loud until you get to your computer to write it down.)
Long term memory (LTR)
Memory that can last weeks, months, years, or forever. (no known capacity)
Declarative Memory (Explicit)
Memories that we are consciously aware of – we know we have these memories. (recalling info for an upcoming test)
Nondeclarative (Implicit)
unconscious memory – we acquire without awareness of attention (muscle memory - brushing your teeth)
Episodic memory
type of explicit memory (reliving something - the last wedding you went to.)
Autobiographical memory
both semantic and episodic – relates to info about yourself (birthday, cities you’ve lived in.)
Highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM)
people that can remember basically everything (perfect memory for things that have personally experienced.)
Procedural memory
Motor memory eg., tying your shoes, riding a bike (you cannot teach someone to ride a bike by just explaining it.)
Priming
our processing of info is affected by some previous info
Imagine you watch a documentary on sharks before going on a beach vacation. The next day, you might feel more anxious about swimming in the ocean. Your anxiety could be heightened due to the shark-related information priming your perception of the ocean as dangerous, even though the actual risk hasn’t changed.
Retrieval cue
Stimuli that helps people retrieve memories (eg., a smell reminding you of your favorite meal.)
Encoding specificity principle
you’ll remember information better if the conditions when you learn something (like your environment) match the conditions when you need to remember it. (eg., studying and taking an exam in the same room.)
State - dependent memory
the phenomenon where people are more likely to recall information if they are in the same state during recall as they were when they encoded (learned) the information. This “state” can include emotional states, physical conditions, or levels of consciousness. (if people were drunk when they encoded memories they are most likely to recall them while drunk.)
Context - dependent memory
occurs when the recall situation is similar to the encoding situation (similar in terms of physical location.)
A common real-life example is walking into a room and forgetting why you went there in the first place. Often, returning to the original room where the decision to go to another room was made can help you remember your original intention
Spreading activation model
it describes how your thoughts and memories are connected in a network in the brain. when one though or memory is triggered it activates its connected thoughts and memories (seeing a can of coke in a movie and then wanting to drank that can of coke yourself.)
Schemas
Mental frameworks - a set of expectations about objects and situations. (like a coat rack - organize memories in meaningful way.)
Serial position effect
the tendency to remember the first and last items in a list rather than those in the midde.
Primacy effect
remembering the first piece of info when we encounter that info later on.
Recency effect
Remembering the things from the end of a list.
Decay
if a person doesn’t access and use the memory they have formed it will fade or decay over time.
Proactive interference
interferes with the ability to learn new information because of previously learned materials (having difficulty remembering friends new number after knowing their own number.)
Retroactive interference
when learning new info interferes with the recall of old info (eg., once you learned new number you cannot remember your old number. )
Mnemonics
used to help learners recall larger pieces of info (ABC song, or PEMDAS.)
Method of Loci
Mnemonic memory strategy (eg., mentally placing items in a grocery store in their correct department.)
Semantic Memory
Facts you know (capital of France, cats have tails etc..)
Iconic Memory
Quick snapshot that your eyes take after the physcial stimulus is no longer present. (basically a super quci photo that your eyes take when you blink, helping your brain catch up to understand whats around you.)
Echoic memory
Quick snapshot of sounds you hear, similar to iconic memory but can last a bit longer
Elaborative rehearsal
type of rehearsal that is useful in transferring info into long term memory. instead of just repeating info over and over. you are thinking about it and making connection to things you already understand.
George Sperling Grid experiments
Flash of Letters: Sperling showed people a quick flash of letters arranged in a grid for just a moment—like a blink.
Quick Memory Test: After the quick flash, he asked people to recall as many letters as possible.
Results: People could remember some letters, but not all of them. It turned out, they could recall more letters from a specific row if they were asked about that row right after the flash.
Levels of processing theory
When you think more deeply about a word, connecting it to its meaning, you’re more likely to remember it. It’s like studying in a way that makes the information more meaningful to you.
Medial temporal lobe
(includes hippocampus):
Critical for episodic and spatial memory; encoding,
consolidation, retrieval
Removed in Patient H.M.
Patient HM
Henry Molaison, H.M. underwent brain surgery to alleviate severe epilepsy. The surgery involved the removal of portions of his medial temporal lobes, including the hippocampus
experienced severe anterograde amnesia, which means he could no longer form new long-term memories after the surgery. His short-term memory remained intact, allowing him to recall recent events, but he could not convert them into long-term memories.
The hippocamous and spatial memory
forming cognitive maps mental representations of the layout of one’s environment. This function is crucial for navigating through space and locating objects or places.
e.g Rats and the Morris Water Maze
Absentmindedness
Imagine you’re trying to remember where you put your keys, but you can’t recall. Absentmindedness is like when you don’t pay enough attention when storing information, and later, you struggle to retrieve it.
