Sleep and Perception: Memory

Question 1

What are the three stages of memory?

Answer 1

1. Encoding - the transportation of information fo the brain
2. Storing - retention
3. Retrieval

Question 2

What is Baddeley’s multi-store memory model?

Answer 2

The theory proposed that memory consisted of three stores: a sensory register, short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM).

The SR is where information from the senses is stored, but only for a duration of approximately half a second before it is forgotten. It is modality-specific.

However, if attended to, sensory information moves into the STM for temporary storage, which will be encoded visually (as an image), acoustically (as a sound) or, less often, semantically (through its meaning). STM is thought to have a capacity of 5-9 items and duration of approximately 30 seconds. This capacity can be increased through ‘chunking’ (converting a string of items into a number of larger ‘chunks’, e.g. number 343565787 to 343 565 787).

Rehearsing information via the rehearsal loop helps to retain information in the STM, and consolidate it to LTM, which is predominantly encoded semantically. Information can be stored and retrieved for up to any duration, and equally has a seemingly unlimited capacity.

Question 3

What is the recency effect (STM)?

Answer 3

Superior memory for words later in the list

Question 4

What is the primary effect (LTM)?

Answer 4

Superior memory of words early on in the list

Question 5

Which store is referred to as working memory and so is ill functioning in dementia?

Answer 5

Short term memory

Question 6

Which effect is lost is words are flashed in form of you?

Answer 6

Recency effect

Question 7

What is iconic memory?

Answer 7

Iconic memory (also known as visual persistence) refers to the short term visual memories people store when seeing something very briefly. They create pictures in the mind. There is no recency effect and the image quickly fades.

Question 8

What is echoic memory?

Answer 8

The sensory memory that register specific to auditory information (sounds). Once an auditory stimuli is heard, it is stored in memory so that it can be processed and understood. There is a recency effect. The sound lingers and chronological information persists and echoes.

Question 9

What is the digit limited capacity in relation to STM?

Answer 9

Digit span 7+/- 2 Short term memory can only cope with this digit number

Question 10

How do you increase digit span?

Answer 10

• Chunking
  Breaking down the number unto chunks of 7
• Link the numbers to pictures, dates, times, or ideas

Question 11

What happens when you count backwards?

Answer 11

There is a loss of recency. There is also displacement - words are replaced by numbers. . Delaying recall leads to loss of recency – superior ability to memorise the last words. This is as the information in the short-term memory is displaced.

Question 12

What is displacement?

Answer 12

Displacement seeks to explain forgetting in short term memory, and suggests it’s due to a lack of availability. Displacement theory provides a very simple explanation of forgetting. Because of its limited capacity, suggested by Miller to be 7+/- 2 items, STM can only hold small amounts of information.

Question 13

How doe you improve primacy?

Answer 13

More rehearsal – maintenance and elaboration i.e. linking with long-term memory store is key.

Question 14

What is episodic memory?

Answer 14

Autobiographical - When something was done

Question 15

What is semantic memory?

Answer 15

General knowledge

Question 16

What is procedural memory?

Answer 16

How to do something

Question 17

How can you improve encoding in long term memory?

Answer 17

By adding meaningful connections through elaboration or mnemonics.

Question 18

Who is Luria S?

Answer 18

Luria’s discovered Shereshevsky. A junior reporter. Did not take notes during meetings. He remembered everything said. He became a 30-year case study, Luria presented him with memory tasks and 25 years later asked him to recall the formula given. He used a story to remember the formula. He was able to do this as he had synaesthesia.

This helps in terms of memory abilities as they have many sources of information s each thing he tried to memory there was lots of information – lots of ways to store the information and retrieve it.

Question 19

What is Synaesthesia?

Answer 19

Crossing sensory modalities; multiple precepts. Floating words of different colours over the page. Neurological condition where you get stimulation in one sense and automatically get a reaction in another sense. E.g. one patient when they heard something, got a taste sensation.

Question 20

What is an eidetic image?

Answer 20

An eidetic image is a type of vivid mental image, not necessarily derived from an actual external event or memory. As a result, memory is stored as visual percepts.

Question 21

What is the method of loci?

Answer 21

A journey method. This way you can retrieve the information by walking through the journey. It takes practice.

Question 22

What is hyperthymesia?

Answer 22

Highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM). However the irrepressible stream of memories can impair cognitive performance.

Question 23

What is ‘tip-of-the-tongue’?

Answer 23

Things locked away that you do not have immediate access to. You only have immediate access to 20% of the information in your brain. You can devise strategies to access them.

Question 24

What is the difference between explicit and implicit memory?

Answer 24

Explicit memory is a memory that can be intentionally and consciously recalled. This is your memory of riding a bike, of falling over the handlebars and skinning your knee. The other is implicit memory, which is an experiential (involving or based on experience and observation) or functional form of memory that cannot be consciously recalled. This is your memory of how to ride a bike or how to balance. These are often not tied to a visual memory but are more like muscle memory.