Memory

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Chapter 6

• Memory
• Introductory Psychology
• Dr. Greg Cook

2
Memory ModelAtkinson Shiffrin (1968)
Computer as a metaphor for memory and
information processing.

• See Textbook, p. 199.

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Sensory Memory What a Flash!

• An echo of the input reverberates in our
  sensory systems for a very brief time.
• Vision Iconic Memory fraction of a second.
• Hearing Echoic Memory up to 2 seconds.
• Capacity is LARGE Duration is VERY BRIEF
• We sense much more than we can possibly process
  (funnel effect)
• Examples candle tail, film images, feel your
  feet
• Most of our sensory information is LOST from SM
  not encoded to STM

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Short-Term Memory Paying Attention!

• Current Processing STM holds the information you
  are consciously processing (paying attention to)
  right now.
• Also called Working Memory.
• Capacity Digit Span Test
• Magic number 7 2 pieces of information
  (chunks).
• Duration 0 18 secs, maybe 30 secs.
• Rehearsal refreshes information, increases
  likelihood of transfer to LTM
• Maintenance rehearsal (rote)
• Elaborative rehearsal (personalize, connect to
  LTM)

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Long-Term Memory Memory for life!

• Storehouse of facts, events, emotions, images . .
  .
• Fast Easy vs. Effortful
• Example What is your middle name?
• Duration For life, theoretically. Decay?
• Capacity Unlimited, theoretically.

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Forgetting Memory failures

• Decay do our memories fade with time?
• Encoding failures (didnt tag it into memory)
• Retrieval failures (cant find it or dig it out)
• Also interference, distortions, consolidation
  problems, other phenomenon

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Recognition versus Recall

• Recognition I know that face!
• Recall What is this persons name?

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Serial Position Effect Losing the Middle

• If you study a list of words/concepts, then
  immediately try to recall them, you get Primacy
  and Recency effects.
• With delayed recall, you get only the Primacy
  effect.

Primacy Effect early items are transferred to
LTM (fresh task) Recency Effect items studied
w/in last seconds are still in STM, if immed
test Intermediate items were not encoded strongly
into LTM, also not now in STM
Image copied from http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ima
geSerial_position.png
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Context Effects in Memory

• Godden Baddeley (1975) studied people in a
  diving club. Textbook, p. 205.
• Learned list of words 10 ft underwater vs. on
  land
• Tested 10 ft underwater vs. on land
• Memory scores were 47 higher when testing
  context matched learning context. Place cues.
• Where do you study? Where do you take tests?

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Other Memory Phenomena

• Infantile amnesia
• Flashbulb memories dramatic events
• Repressed memories traumatic events
• Motivated forgetting protecting yourself
• suppression vs. repression

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Ebbinghaus Famous Forgetting Curve
Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850-1909) conducted the
first systematic studies of human memory. Using
himself as a subject, he learned nonsense
syllables, then tested his memory after delays up
to 31 days. Most forgetting occurs rapidly,
then what sticks tends to stick long term.
LEJ, XIZ, LUK, ZOH, . . .

• Images from http//encarta.msn.com/media_461547609
  _761578303_-1_1/Forgetting_Curve.html

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• How much do you remember from your high school
  courses? College?
• Try this link
• http//lazowska.cs.washington.edu/scienceforum/tsl
  d085.htm

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Improving Your Memory

• Organization create meaningful clusters
• Overlearning take it over the top
• Spaced practice better than massed practice
• Recitation practice retrieving information
• (use recall go beyond recognition)

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• I hope you remember all of this!!