Memory
the means by which we draw on our past experiences to use that information in the present
2 types of explicit memory tasks and which one is easier
recognition - identifying an item as one you have been exposed to previously. usually easier
recall - producing an item from memory
3 types of recall
serial - recalling items in the exact order in which they were presented
free - recalling items in any order
cued - be calling the other item when given the first item of a pair
Implicit memory
we use information from memory but are not consciously aware of doing so
Three Store model of memory (Atkinson)
- Sensory store - limited amount of information for a very brief time, 9 items
- Short-term - relatively limited capacity (7 items) for somewhat longer time
- Long-term - large-capacity very long time
Permastore
Very long-term storage of information such as knowledge of a language
Levels of Processing framework
Memory is a continuous dimension in terms of depth; infinite levels with no distinct boundaries.
Items can be encoded through elaboration
Self-reference effect
People relate to presented words they remember them much better
Working memory
Brief, temporary memory storage that holds the most recently activated portion of long term memory; critical component of intelligence
Working memory model (+brain areas)
Integration of working memory and levels of processing framework
- the visuospatial sketchpad - briefly holds visual images (occipital lobe)
- the phonological loop - briefly holds inner speech for verbal comprehension: phonological storage - holds information in memory & subvocal rehearsal - repeatong a word to store it ; articulatory suppression (Brocas, Wernickes)
- central executive - coordinate attentional activities (prefrontal cortex)
- subsidiary slave systems - other cognitive or perceptual tasks
- episodic buffer - integration of the sketchpad, the loop & the long-term memory into a unitary episodic representation (frontal lobes)
two kinds of explicit memory
semantic memory - stores general world knowledge, facts not unique to us
episodic memory - stores personally experienced episodes
people with exceptional memory and their tricks (3)
mnemonists - they rely on one type of stimuli and transfer other stimuli to that type
- converting a lot of material into visual stimuli
- numbers into dates
- numbers into groups
Synesthesia
experience of sensations in a sensory modality different from the stimulated sense
Hypermnesia
the process of producing retrieval of memories that seem to be forgotten (hypnosis)
amnesia and 3 types
severe loss of explicit memory
retrograde, anterograde, infantile
Alzheimers disease and what does this brain contain
causes dementia and progressive and irreversible memory loss
starts with impairment of episodic memory
brain decreases in size
plaques - protein deposits
tangles - harm neural communication
3 stages of memory storage
- encoding - transforming sensory information into a mental representation
- storage - keeping those representations in memory
- retrieval - gaining access to information stored in memory
what type of information is most important in long-term and short-term memory
short-term : acoustic information is more important - we transform visual into acoustic
long-term : semantic meaning is most important, people remember words by putting them in categories (except autistic people)
visual information is also important
interference
mixing up 2 or more different information in memory
decay
forgetting information over time
retrospective vs prospective memory
memories for the past / memories for things we need to remember for the future
ways to move from short-term to long-term memory (3)
consolidation - integrating new information into stored information by making associations
rehearsal - repeated recitation of an item
spacing effect - distribution of study sessions over time: distributed (over months) vs massed (less effective)
Metamemory
our ability to think about & control our own thought processes and ways to enhance them
sleep and memory
disruptions during REM stage decrease memory performance
