Memory

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Memory

• Memory is the ability to code, store and retrieve
  information
• Memory involves coding the input of the senses
  (visual, auditory)
• Memory is rarely perfect
• Forgetting refers to memory failure

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Three Stages of Memory

• Sensory Memory is a brief representation of a
  stimulus while being processed in the sensory
  system
• Short-Term Memory (STM) is working memory
• Limited capacity (7 items)
• Duration is about 30 seconds
• Long-Term Memory (LTM) has a large capacity and
  long duration

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Memory
The Nature of Memory

• Encoding Gets information into memory.
• Storage Retains information over time.
• Retrieval Take information out of storage.

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Memory
Encoding
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Memory
Encoding The way in which information gets into
memory storage.

• Attention
• Levels of Processing
• Elaboration

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Memory
Divided Attention Focusing on specific aspects
of experience while ignoring others.
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Memory
Encoding Levels of Processing

• Levels of Processing Theory States that memory
  is a continuum from shallow to deep.
• Shallow Level Physical and perceptual features
  analyzed.
• Intermediate Level Stimulus is recognized and
  labeled.
• Deepest Level Semantic, meaningful, symbolic
  characters used.

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Memory
Encoding
Elaboration The extensiveness of processing at
any given level of memory.
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Memory
Memory Storage
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Memory
Memory Storage

• Sensory Memory Holds information from the world
  in its original form only for an instant.
• Echoic Memory Auditory memory that lasts up to
  several seconds.
• Iconic Memory Visual memory that lasts about 1/4
  of a second.

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Memory Measures

• Recognition is when a specific cue is matched
  against LTM
• Recall is when a general cue is used to search
  memory
• E.g. define the term statistical significance
• Relearning refers to a situation in which a
  person learns material a second time.

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Memory
Sensory Memory
1. Letters are displayed on a screen for
1/20 of a second
Q C F T S K G O W R J B
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Memory
Sensory Memory
2. Screen is blank
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Memory
Sensory Memory
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Memory
Sensory Memory
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Memory
Working Memory 3 part system that temporarily
holds information. Mental workbench where
information is manipulated and assembled
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Memory
Working Memory

• Visuospatial sketch pad - holds visual and
  spatial info
• Phonological loop - holds verbal information
• Central executive - coordinates all activities of
  working memory brings new information into
  working memory from sensory and long-term memory

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Memory
Span of Short Term/Working Memory
9 7 5 4 6 8 2 5 9 9 1 3 8 2 5 5 9 6 3 8 2 7 8 6 9
5 1 3 7 2 7 1 9 3 8 4 2 7 3 9 1 5 2 4 3 8 1 6 2
7?2
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Memory

• Ways to Improve Working Memory
• Chunking
• Rehearsal

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Memory
Long-Term Memory
Long-Term Memory A relatively permanent type of
memory that holds huge amounts of information for
a long period of time.
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Memory
Long-Term Memory
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Memory

• Explicit Memory The conscious recollection of
  information, such as specific facts or events.
• Semantic Memory A persons knowledge of the
  world.
• Episodic Memory The retention of information
  about the where and when of lifes happenings.
• Prospective Memory Remembering information about
  something in the future. Either time-based or
  event-based.

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Memory

• Implicit Memory Memory in which behavior is
  affected by prior experience without that
  experience being consciously recollected.
• Classical Conditioning
• Procedural Memory Memory for skills.
• Priming Information that people already have in
  storage is activated to help them remember new
  information better and faster.

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Memory
Priming
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Memory
Serial Position Effect The tendency for items at
the beginning and the end of a list to be
recalled more readily.
1.00 .50 .00
Primacy Effect
Probability of Recall
Recency Effect
1 5 10
15
Serial Position of Item
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False Recall and Recognition (Roediger
McDermott, 1995)
web insect bug fright arachnid crawl tarantula po
ison bite creepy animal
1. Stronger for recognition 2. Stronger with
longer list 3. Persistent over time
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Amnesia

• Amnesia is forgetting produced by brain injury or
  trauma
• Retrograde amnesia refers to problems with recall
  of information prior to a trauma
• Anterograde amnesia refers to problems with
  recall of information after a trauma

Anterograde amnesia
Retrograde amnesia
Point of Trauma
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Theories of Forgetting

• Decay theory memory trace fades with time
• Interference theory argues that information
  competes for retrieval
• Proactive interference old information
  interferes with recall of new information
• Retroactive interference new information
  interferes with recall of old information
• Motivated forgetting involves the loss of
  painful memories
• Encoding failure may contribute to information
  never being encoded from STM to LTM and thus
  forgotten.
• Retrieval failure the information is still
  within LTM, but cannot be recalled because the
  retrieval cue is absent

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Eyewitness Testimony

• Primarily because of the constructive nature of
  memory, the reliability of eyewitness testimony
  is questioned.

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Repressed Memories

• The area of repressed memories is a hotly
  contested debate
• The reliability of repressed memories is called
  into question due to
• the constructive element of memory
• source amnesia
• the sleeper effect

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Recovered Memory