What is memory?
Retention of information over time
What is a paradox of memory?
A seeming contradiction between memory and true events
When recalling events do we actively construct or passively reproduce our memories?
Actively construct
Why should we be skeptical of “photocopy” memories or dreams?
We rarely reproduce exact replicas of memories
HINT: What are the 3 Systems of Memory?
- Sensory Memory
- Short-Term Memory
- Long-Term Memory
What is sensory memory?
Tied closely to raw materials of our experiences and perceptions, lasts for a few seconds
What is short-term memory?
Actively works with information and transforms it into something meaningful
What is long-term memory?
Retains important information for long periods of time
Why are the systems of memory often referred to as a “memory assembly line”?
Each type of memory is a “factory worker” that passes along information to each other
What is iconic memory?
A visual sensory memory that lasts only about 1 second
By which 2 ways can we lose information in our short-term memory?
- Decay - information fades over time
- Interference - loss of information due to competition of new incoming information
What is chunking?
A method used to expand our short-term memory span, “chunks” information into meaningful groups
What is rehearsal?
The repetition of information in the short-term memory to extend the duration
What are the 2 main types of rehearsal?
- Maintenance rehearsal - repetition of stimuli without changing it
- Elaborative rehearsal - linking stimuli to each other in a meaningful way
What are the 2 subtypes of long-term memory?
- Explicit Memory - process of recalling information intentionally
- Implicit Memory - process of recalling information unintentionally
What is the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon?
The experience of knowing that we know something but being unable to come up with it
What are the 2 most common types of amnesia?
- Retrograde - loss of past memories
- Anterograde - loss of ability to make new memories
Overused and spreaded by misinformation from Hollywood, what is generalized amnesia?
A very rare type of amnesia that describes the loss of memory encompassing the individual’s entire life
What 2 parts of the brain are central to giving us emotional memories and what are their functions?
- Amygdala - help us recall emotions associated with fearful events
- Hippocampus - helps us recall the events themselves
Memory usually begins to show decline after about what age?
65
What is an engram?
The physical trace of each memory in the brain
What is long-term potentiation?
Gradual strengthening of the connections among neurons by repetitive stimulation over time
What is senility?
The degradation of the brain due to old age
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
The most frequent cause of dementia (severe memory loss), makes up of 50-60% of cases
