memory - processing and types

Question 1

how do we get information

Answer 1

information is inputted to be processed by the brain

Question 2

processing

Answer 2

the operations we perform on sensory information in the brain

Question 3

input

Answer 3

this refers to the sensory information we receive from our environment

Question 4

how do we input information

Answer 4

via our 5 senses
>touch
>taste
>sight
>smell
>hearing

Question 5

what does our brain do with the info it receives

Answer 5

it processes it from our senses and makes decisions based on it
we also consciously/deliberately store some of the information
- this process requires encoding

Question 6

encoding

Answer 6

turning sensory information into a form that can be used and stored by the brain
>we have an electrochemical memory trace that can be stored in the brain

Question 7

how long can encoded memory be stored

Answer 7

anywhere between a few seconds or an entire lifetime
>we don’t really have control on how long memory is stored but some get stored longer than others or need more effort to be stored

Question 8

encoding types

Answer 8

> acoustic
visual
semantic

Question 9

visual encoding

Answer 9

the process of storing something that is seen in our memory system

Question 10

semantic encoding

Answer 10

the process of storing the meaning of information in our memory system, rather
than the sound of a word, we store the definition/meaning of that word

Question 11

acoustic encoding

Answer 11

the process of storing sound in our memory system

Question 12

output in memory

Answer 12

refers to the information we recall; in a broader sense, output can refer to behavioural response
>specifically for memory, output is the information we retrieve (retrieval)

Question 13

retrieval

Answer 13

the recall of stored memories

Question 14

the two main memory stores in humans

Answer 14

short-term
long-term

Question 15

what are the memory stores characterised by

Answer 15

characterised by duration and capacity

Question 16

short-term memory

Answer 16

our initial memory store that is temporary and limited

Question 17

long-term memory

Answer 17

a memory store that holds potentially limitless amounts of information for up to a lifetime

Question 18

duration

Answer 18

the length of time information can be stored in short-term and long-term memory

Question 19

capacity

Answer 19

the amount of information that can be stored in short-term and long-term memory

Question 20

short-term memory store explanation

Answer 20

> sensory information goes in
lasts around 18 seconds
can hold 7 pieces of information
encoded acoustically through rehearsal
if it is rehearsed, it can then be transferred to long-term memory

Question 21

long-term memory store explanation

Answer 21

> can last for minutes uptil a lifetime
holds potentially unlimited information
encoding is largely semantic, but can be acoustic/visual

Question 22

why do we forget things

Answer 22

short-term:
>displacement
>decay

long-term:
>decay
>interference
>retrieval failure

Question 23

displacement

Answer 23

when the short-term memory becomes ‘full’ and new information pushes out older information

Question 24

interference

Answer 24

when new information overwrites older information, for example when a new phone number takes the place of an old number in your memory

Question 25

decay

Answer 25

memory trace is not used so it fades

Question 26

retrieval failure

Answer 26

we have lost the link to retrieving that piece of information