Q8: Cognition Flashcards
memory
a set of systems involved in the acquisition, storage, and retrieval of information.
Memory Encoding Forms
Visual, Acoustic, Semantic
Visual Encoding
coded by forming mental picture, fades very quickly
Acoustic Encoding
coded by sound, can fade quickly
Semantic Encoding
coded by meaning, allows for longer term storage
memory storage stages
(process of keeping information in memory) Sensory Memory, Working/Short-Term memory, and long term memory.
Sensory memory
stores large amount of sensory info for a few seconds, or less. Iconic (Visual) encoding lasts for 1/2 second, Echoic (auditory) encoding lasts for 5-10 seconds
Short Term Memory
15-20 seconds. stores limited amounts of info for a brief duration. often called working memory. length can improve with maintenance rehearsal. acoustic + visual encoding. keeps spoken info for 5-9 chunks, and visual for 4-6 chunks.
working memory
short term memory is actively worked on
maintenance rehearsal
repeating info over and over
chunk
unit of meaningful information (splitting info into groups of chunks makes it easier to learn)
serial position effect
things at the start and end are easier to remember, middle is lost
functions (STM)
remembering info long enough to use it (phone #), simple math problems, and processing language
Long Term Memory
anything longer than 20 seconds. stores large amounts of info for long periods of time. encoded via acoustic visual and semantic, but semantic is best.
Types of Long Term Memory
Nondeclarative memory, declarative memory
Non-Declarative Memory
(implicit/procedural) “knowing how” habits + motor behaviors, recalled without conscious effort. not associated with hippocampus, associated with cerebellum.
Declarative Memory
(explicit) “knowing that” facts and figures, recalled with conscious effort. includes semantic and episodic memories.
Semantic Memory
facts and figures
Episodic Memory
personal experiences
amnesia
(+other forgetting issues) spared nondeclarative memory, so you don’t know your name but you can still get dressed
Long Term Memory Encoding
information won’t get into the LTM by paying attention to it and maintenance rehearsal. needs to be semantic to get encoded. (elaborative rehearsal).
elaborative rehearsal
making information meaningful to you
ways to encode into LTM
organize the info, relate the info to info already in the LTM, form images of it with mnemonic devices
mnemonic devices
memory aids, things people do to improve memory
Long Term Memory Capacity
seemingly limitless
Long Term Memory Duration
possibly life-long. some things will always be remembered (like your name)
Long Term Memory Accuracy
not exact copies of experience (misinformation effect)
Misinformation Effect
incorporating misleading info into one’s memory of an event (imagining nonexistent actions and events can create false memories)
