Memory
the retention of information over time
- our memories are surprisingly good in some situations, and surprisingly bad in others (paradox of
... [Show More] memory)
Paradox of memory
the same mechanisms that serve us well most of the time can sometimes cause us problems
AMazing feats of memory
- Kim Peek, aka the real "Rain Man"
-Rajan and pi
But memory is also surprisingly malleable
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memory illusion
our brains will often go beyond the available information ot make sense of the world
- generally adaptive, but makes us prone to errors
reconstructive memory
When remembering, we actively reconstruct memories, not passively reproduce them
When you remember yourself taking a walk, you see yourself as an observer would
How can we explain this?
Three systems of memory
1.Sensory
2.Short-term
3.Long-term
These systems differ in terms of span and duration
Information moves from sensory to STM to LTM, and then back to STM when it is retrieved
Sensory memory
Brief storage of perceptual information before it is passed to short-term memory
Each sense has its own form of sensory memory
1. Iconic
2. Echcoic
Iconic
this is visual sense memory
usually lasts only 1 second
- unless you have Eidetic Imagery
Echoic
This is auditory sense memory
can last 5-10 seconds
Short-term memory
memory system that retains information for limited durations
- closely related to working memory
-brief in duration, 5-20 seconds
How can we lose information in our STM?
Due to two processes:
1. Decay
2. Interference
Decay
information fades over time
Interference
loss of information due to competition with new, incoming information
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Types of interference
1. Retroactive interference
2. Proactive interference
Both are more likely to occur when old and new stimuli are similar
Retroactive interference
happens when learning new information hampers memory for earlier learning
Proactive interference
happens when earlier learning gets in the way of new learning
Magic number 7
The span of STM in adults is 7 + 2 pieces of information
- called the magic number 7
How can you extend your STM
chunking
- organizing information into meaningful groups
ex. 9895550617 vs. 989-555-0617
Rehearsal
repeating information in STM, extends duration
Maintenance rehearsal
simply repeating STM information in its original form
Elaborative rhearsal
forming meaningful links amount STM material
- Elaborative rehearsal is usually more effective, consistent with levels-of-processing model
levels-of-processing model
Three levels: visual, phonological (sound-related), and semantic (meaning-related)
Visual is the most shallow, phonological is somewhat less shallow, and semantic is the deepest
Long-term memory
relatively enduring store of information
includes facts, experiences and skills we've developed over a lifetime
differs from STM in several ways
Function, span, and duration of the three memory systems
Short term memory:
- capacity is 7-9 stimuli
- duration is 20 seconds at most
- mistakes are acoustic
Longterm memory:
- virtually unlimited
- decades to permastore
- semantic
Primacy effect
tendency to remember stimuli presented earliest (now in LTM)
Recency effect
tendency to remember stimuli that presented most recently (still in STM)
Also more likely to remember stimuli that are odd or distinctive
Types of Long Term Memory
1. Explicit memory
2. Implicit memory
Explicit memory
the process of recalling information intentionally
Divided into
1. semantic memory (knowledge of facts)
2. Episodic memory (events in our lives)
Implicit memory
recalling information that we don't remember deliberately
- unlocking out front door
- tying our showlaces
Includes habituation, classical conditioning, and other forms of learning
Types:
1. Procedural memory
2. Priming
3. Conditioning
4. Habituation
Procedural memory
refers to motor skills and habits
- riding a bike, touch typing
Priming
our ability to identify a stimulus more easily or quickly after we've encountered similar stimuli
Three processes of memory
1. Encoding
2. Storage
3. Retrieval
Encoding
Getting information into memory
- To encode material, we must first attend to it
- -- Selective attention
- most events we experience are never encoded in the first place
- the next-in-line effect and memory for common objects [Show Less]