Cognition and Memory

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Cognition and Memory

• Models of Memory
• Serial Position Effect
• Amnesia
• Levels of Processing

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Characteristics of Memory

• General Processes
• 1. Acquisition
• 2. Storage
• 3. Retrieval

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I. Modal Model of Memory

• In late 1950s and early 1960s cognitive
  psychology was primarily interested in
  information processing
• Described processing of material from an
  informational point of view

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Modal Model of Memory
Retrieval
Short-Term Memory
Long Term Memory
Sensory Analysis
Stimuli
Rehearsal
Loss?
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Memory

• Sensory memory
• Brief stimulus traces
• May be literal or near literal representations
• Types of sensory memory
• 1. Iconic - visual
• 2. Echoic - auditory

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Memory

• Short term memory (STM)
• More flexible , useful, active process
• Sometimes as referred to as active memory or
  working memory
• Requires some effort at maintenance

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Memory

• Long term memory (LTM)
• Relatively permanent
• Storage component

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Memory

• Free recall procedures
• List learning task
• Demonstrates U-shaped serial position curve

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II. Serial Position Curve
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Your Serial Position Results
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Serial Position Curve

• Primacy effect - recall of early items is
  enhanced by rehearsal
• Recency effect - Recall of later items is
  enhanced by sensory store

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Serial Position Curve

• Recency effect can be eliminated by having the
  person engage in some other mental activity for a
  short period of time to prevent rehearsal
• For example, count backwards, count backwards by
  seven and so on
• This will disrupt recency effect

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Influence of Activity on Recency Effect
Recall
Delay
Filled Delay
Serial Position
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Rehearsal and Recall

• Additional rehearsal does allow for additional
  recall
• There also can be a long term analog to serial
  position effects
• e.g. names of presidents

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III. Amnesia

• Refers to not memory literally
• More formally, a disorder or loss of memory
• Types
• 1. Retrograde - disrupt things learned prior to
  the event which initiates amnesia
• 2. Anterograde - disrupts information acquired
  after the event

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III. Amnesia

• Case of H.M.
• Treated with surgery for intractible epilepsy
• removed hippocampus
• resulted in near total inability to demonstrate
  memory and learning

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III. Amnesia

• Alcoholism
• Poor diet associated with heavy alcohol use
• Thiamine (B1) deficiency
• Also electrolyte imbalances
• Can lead to Korsakoffs syndrome
• Inability to acquire new information

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Levels of Processing Approaches to Memory

• Craik and Watkins (1973) challenged the claim
  that the number of repetitions is crucial to
  later recall
• Suggested that the modal model paid inadequate
  attention to the strategies and activities of the
  subject

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Levels of Processing Approaches to Memory

• Described rehearsal types
• Maintenance rehearsal - repeating
• Elaboration rehearsal - thinking about
  relationship in material
• Actual maintenance rehearsal is not that effect
• Subjects tend to shift to elaboration when
  qualities about material are known

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Levels of Processing Approaches to Memory

• Levels of processing described as deep and
  shallow
• It was predicted deep processing will lead to
  greater recall
• Not an easy idea to test

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Levels of Processing Approaches to Memory

• Divided subjects into three groups
• 1. Judge words on the basis of
  similar/dissimilar case
• 2. Judge words on the basis of
  similar/dissimilar rhyme
• 3. Judge words on the basis of meaning
• 4. Asked to memorize
• 5. Memorize by meaningfulness

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Levels of Processing
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Levels of Processing

• Group 5 (Intent to memorize and deep processing)
  did as well as Group 3
• Group 4 (Intent to memorize) had highly variable
  results
• Incidental versus Intentional learning

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Levels of Processing

• There continues to be parallels with the modal
  model
• Primary memory (STM)
• Secondary memory (LTM)

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Levels of Processing

• There are problems with level of processing
• There could be elaboration processing
• What is depth of processing?
• Are processes parallel or sequential?