What is memory?
It’s our capacity to remember
What is memory structure comprised of?
- Working memory (short-term memory)
- Long-term memory
What’re the functions of memory?
- Storage of info.
- Retrieval of info.
- System specific functions
What is the Two-Component Memory Model comprised of?
1) WORKING MEMORY Subsystems: - Phonological loop - Visuospatial sketchpad - Central executive
2) LONG-TERM MEMORY Subsystems: - Procedural memory - Semantic memory - Episodic memory
What is Working Memory (WM)?
- Memory system associated w/ sensory, perceptual, attentional & short-term memory processes
- Involved in all situations requiring temp use & storage of info
Function of Working Memory?
- Enables ppl to respond to demands of a “right now” situation
- Critical role in decision making, prob solving, mov’t planning & execution
- Interacts w/ long-term memory
- Serves as interactive workplace
Adams & Dijkstra (1966) Capacity- WM
- Maintains info for 20-30 msec before losing parts of info
- Can store about 7 items (+/-)
- Person can increase capacity (chunking)
What is Long-Term Memory (LTM)?
Serves as more permanent storage repository of info
What is the function of LTM?
Allows ppl to have info about specific past events as well as general knowledge
What is the duration of LTM?
Unknown since we cannot satisfactorily measure duration of info in LTM
What is the capacity of LTM?
Relatively unlimited
What are the 3 different types of memory systems in LTM + explain each?
1) Procedural
- Stores info about “how to do” specific activities
E.g., Motor skills
2) Semantic
- General knowledge about world based on experiences
- Meaningfulness
- E.g., Concepts
3) Episodic
- Knowledge about personally experienced events
- Allows us to “travel back in time”
How do you distinguish between knowing what to do & how to do?
Declarative Knowledge
- Knowledge that can be verbalized
- I.e., “What to do” to perform a skill
Procedural Knowledge
- Knowledge that enables one to actually perform a skill
I.e., Know “how to do” a skill
- Typically not verbalizable or difficult to verbalize
Consider distinction btwn verbally describing how to tie your shoe & actually tying them
What is encoding?
Process of transforming to-be-remembered info into a form that can be stored in memory
What is storage?
Process of placing info in long-term memory
What is rehearsal?
Process that enables a person to transfer info from working to long-term memory
What is retrieval?
Process of searching through LTM for info needed for present use
How do you assess remembering and forgetting?
Explicit & Implicit memory tests
What are examples of explicit memory tests?
- Recall test
- Recognition test
Each provides diff info about what has been remembered or forgotten
What is an example of an implicit memory test?
- Asses info in memory that’s difficult or impossible to verbalize
- I.e., Info that would not be accessed on an explicit memory test
What are the causes of forgetting + explain?
1) Trace Decay
- After certain amount of time, how much loss occurs (from passing of time in working & LTM)
- Working memory
- LTM
2) Proactive Interference
- Occurs prior to presentation of info that’s to be remembered
- Ex. Just told about previous test scores before thought new lecture = so focused on bad news that memory capacity decreases before stuff you are to learn
- Working memory
- LTM
3) Retroactive Interference
- Give phone # to remember, before allowed to repeat, can say a bunch of other #’s, then asked to repeat original # = Screws up what you were to remember
- Working memory
- LTM
What are some mov’t characteristics related to memory performance?
1) Location & Distance
- Mov’t end-point better remembered than mov’t distance
- Mov’t within own body space remembered better than outside body space
2) Meaningfulness of mov’t
- If can be related to something person knows = more meaning to it
What are some strategies that can enhance memory performance?
1) Increasing mov’t meaningfulness
2) Intention to remember
- Intentional & incidental memory
3) Subjective organization
- Organizing sequence of mov’t
4) Practice test context effects
- Encoding specificity principle (Tulving & Thomson, 1973) = Relationship btwn memory encoding & retrieval process
= More test context resembles practice context, better retention performance
Laugier & Cadopi (1996)
- In any sort of mov’t, if given more concrete info, easier to remember
- If no meaningfulness = more abstract = less things remembered
