retention and forgetting

Question 1

describe levels of processing

Answer 1

the stronger the depth of processing, the stronger the memory trace
- shallow tracing = weak memory trace
- deeper levels = strong memory trace

Question 2

what is consolidation theory?

Answer 2

HEBB (1949)
- memories encoded in the brains as “engrams” - unit of cognitive information inside the brain
- memories are stored as biological changes in the brain in response to external stimuli
- memory is encoded in the connections between neurones

Question 3

what is retrieval theory?

Answer 3

if the memory has been properly encoded and stored, it just cannot be “brought” to mind when its need - there are various factors that influence the ease of memory retrieval

Question 4

what is decay theory?

Answer 4

an interruption of consolidation can cause an increase in forgetting

Question 5

what is inference theory?

Answer 5

• proactive interference = previously learned information interferes with newer information
• retroactive interference = newly learned information interferes with previously learned information