Memory

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Memory Information Processing

• In order to remember something, we must
• Encode (get info into our brain)
• Store (keep the info somewhere safe)
• Retrieve (get the info back out later)

How Do We Encode Info? Selective Attention
Where Do We Store Info? Long Term Memory Short
Term Memory Sensory Memory
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External Events
Sensory Memory
Sensory Input
Attention Encoding
Short-Term Memory
Encoding
Retrieval
Long-Term Memory
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How Do Encode Information?
Automatic Processing
Encoding
Effortful Processing
Automatic Processing DOG
Effortful Processing 949-7626
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Automatic Processing
Requires Little Or No Effort and Very Difficult
To Shut Off
Not Learned Space Time Frequency
Learned Reading Driving Studying
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Effortful Processing
Ebbinghaus and Nonsense Syllables (JIH, BAZ, FUB)
Phonebook Phenomenon and Rehearsal
Serial Position Curve
100 80 60 40 20 0
J
J
Immediate

J
J
Percent Recalled

J
J
J


Delayed



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Position of Word
in List
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What Is It That We Encode?
We Process Information in 3 Key
Ways Meaning Visualization Organization
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Encoding Meaning
For Verbal Information Semantic
Encoding? Acoustic Encoding? Visual
Encoding? Which Is Best?
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Encoding Verbal Information
Semantic Acoustic Visual
Levels of Processing Verbal Info
What Type Of Processing Is Best?
Acoustic
Semantic
Visual
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What Is It That We Encode?
War of the Ghosts
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(No Transcript)
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Encoding Imagery
Earliest memories involve mental imagery
Easier to recall concrete words than abstract
words Balloon vs Process
Flashbulb Memories Where were you when?
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Mnemonics
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Organizing Info Encoding
Meaningful Info is Easier to Encode
Chunking Magical Number 72 ciacnnabccbsnbc ROYG
BIV
Hierarchies Broad Concepts First Details
Next Class Notes
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Forgetting - Encoding Failure?
Sensory Memory
External Events
Attention Encoding
Short-Term Memory
Encoding
Retrieval
Long-Term Memory
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Storage Sensory Memory
How do we know it exists? Sperling (1960)
Immediate Recall of All 9 Letters Only about 50
recall Cued Recall of Specific Row (tone) Almost
100 recall
Iconic Memory 250 msecs
Echoic Memory 3-4 seconds
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Storage Short Term Memory
Task Remember CHJ (no rehearsal)
Limited Time (rehearsal) Limited Capacity (7 2)
STM
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Storage Long Term Memory
Ave adult brain has 1 billion bits of info
stored Capacity may be 1000 - 100,000,000 times
greater
How precise and durable are our memories?
Forgetting Curve (Ebbinghaus) Much of what we
learn we quickly forget
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Where/How are Memories Stored?
Lashleys Rats - Train rats remove specific
portions of their brains
Gerards Hamsters - train hamsters temporarily
turn off brains electrical activity
Q Do they still remember? A Yes
Conclusion Memories do not reside in a single,
specific location.
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So...How are Memories Stored?
Aplysia - during conditioning 1. More serotonin
released at certain synapses 2. These synapses
became more efficient
Long Term Potentiation - prolonged strengthening
of potential neural firing Looks Like Learning!
Serotonin Blockers Alcohol Boxing Shock Therapy
Serotonin Stimulators Stress Emotions
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Implicit Explicit MemoriesThe Case of the Lost
Mariner
Amnesiacs, incapable of learning new facts, can
be conditioned to do new tasks They know things
but dont remember learning!
Implicit Memory Knowing how to do
something Cerebellum
Explicit Memory Knowing that you know
something Hippocampus
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Separate Processing Storage
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Remembering Retrieval Cues
Recall Retrieval of information previously learned
Recognition Identification of items previously
learned
Retrieval Cues - help us to remember
hare
Web of Associations
Priming Activation of a connected node (Implicit)
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Remembering Context Mood
Context Effect Memory increases if recall occurs
in the same context as encoding.
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Remembering Context Mood
Context Effect Memory increases if recall occurs
in the same context as encoding.
State-Dependent Memory increases if mood at
recall is the same as retrieval
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Forgetting As Retrieval Failure
Some info may never make it to LTM Encoding
Failure
Some info may not make it out of LTM Interference
Interference - learning some items may
interfere with learning other items
Proactive vs Retroactive Interference
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Interference
Proactive Interference Something learned earlier
disrupts something learned later.
Past
Present
Retroactive Interference Something learned later
disrupts something learned earlier.
Past
Present