memory and cognition unit 3 for final and ap testing

Flashbulb Memories-

remember a scene exactly as it was-

like a picture

Episodic Memories-

remember a specific episode-

autobiographical

Semantic Memory-

information we just know. General

knowledge

Procedural Memory-

for step-by-step procedures

Explicit-

Easily Described: Flashbulb, episodic, semantic,

hippocampus

Implicit-

Not easily described: skills, conditioning,

procedural. In cerebellum.

Prospective-

what you intend to do in the future

Sensory Memory ( has echoic,eidetic and ionic)-

the imprint of information coming

in through our senses- this is held in our sensory

register very briefly

Iconic memory-

a very short snapshot- what

happens when we have visual coding

Echoic memory-

the brief imprint of sounds

Eidetic Imagery-

photographic memory

Long-Term Memory-

unlimited capacity,

reconstructive

Schemas

- a mold of past experience that helps

us interpret and organize information- can

contribute to false memories, though

Short-Term Memory has been replaced with

Working Memory

Pulls from both sensory and long-term

Phonologial Loop

(Verbal/auditory info)

-Why do you turn down the music when looking for an

address?

Visuospatial Sketchpad-

Visual info

Long-term potentiation:

probably how memory happens

• Rapid stimulation strengthens synaptic connections- less stimulation needed to release neurotransmitter, more efficient

• When drugs block LTP, we learn less

• When drugs increase LTP, rats learn maze faster

Structural:

How does it look? Bold words? Capitals?

Phonemic:

How does it sound?

Semantic:

What does it mean?

serial position effect Primacy Effect-

We remember the first things we hear

serieal position effect Recency Effect-

We remember the most recent things we hear

Encoding- Translating information so it can be stored

which codes

Visual Code

Acoustic Code

Semantic Code

Better if we have two or more codes

Encoding:

Category Hierarchies: How your brain organizes

information. These work like files.

Mnemonic Devices-

Creating additional

associations/codes (acoustic, visual, semantic)

Method of Loci

Spacing effect:

spacing info out works better than all at once

Massed Practice:

All at once

Distributed Practice:\

Spaced out

Maintenance Rehearsal-

repeating it over and over again

until it can be stored

Elaborative Rehearsal-

relate info to something you know

autobigroaphical memory is…

easier to store

Context-Dependent Memories-

Depend on a

specific place to be accessed

State-Dependent Memories-

rely on emotional or

mental state (Mood Congruent)

Recognition-

Identifying information that has been

encountered before

Recall-

Bringing something back to mind

Relearning-

learning again what has been forgotten

Retrieval Practice

- Practice getting info out

Testing Effect:

testing yourself is helpful to learning

Decay-

fading away of memories- we think we are just

losing the connections to get there

Forgetting Curve:

Inadequate Retrieval:

Tip of the Tongue Phen.

Proactive-

Old info disrupts new

Source Amnesia-

remembering the correct event, but the

wrong context.(believing a dream or story is true)

Retroactive-

New info disrupts old

Infantile Amnesia-

no episodic memories before age of three

Probably because the hippocampus is not mature until two or so

Maybe due to encoding failure

Dementia-

Brain deterioration, Typically age-related but

not inevitable

“Where are my keys?”- normal

“What are keys used for?”- abnormal

Alzheimer’s Disease:

Most feared of all brain ailments.

Strikes 3% of the world’s population by age 75

Causes– deterioration of neurons that produce Ach.

Hereditary links– gene defect on the 19th and 21st

chromosome.

amnesia Organic

accident, disease- damage to hippocampus or

area of brain where the memory is stored

amnesia Inorganic

- traumatic experience, accident

Repression-

the mind pushes info away as a defense

mechanism (Motivated Forgetting, inorganic amnesia)

Retrograde Amnesia-

Forgetting the past- can be

localized or more general

Anterograde Amnesia-

Inability to make new

memories (hippocampus)

Dissociative Amnesia-

Psychological trauma results in

a specific, localized amnesia- repressed memories

Korsakoff’s Syndrome-

Amnesia related to long term

alcohol abuse. Thought to be caused by vitamin

deficiency. Can be R or A.

HM- Seizure surgery

caused severe anterograde

amnesia- could still learn new skills, not episodic

memories

Constructive Memory-Retrieval-

Pulling from files

Memory Consolidation-

storage-moving info into an organized long-term database

• RE-consolidation- every time we review, we may smooth out old details (leveling) or incorporate new ones

Misinformation effect-

incorporating misleading information into recall of an event. (car crash)

Imagination Inflation-

we remember what we only imagined

(related to availability heuristic?)

Symbol-

an object or act that stands for something else

• Examples of symbols- words, math signs, mental images

Concept-

a mental group. Animals, fruits, values,

• Some are based on rules, while others are based on prototypes

Prototype-

The most basic example within a concept

Think of a shoe. What does it look like? Is it more like…

Whatever you pictured is YOUR prototype of the concept

‘shoe’

Category Hierarchies

We organize concepts into category hierarchies.

While categories are ways to organize

what we know,

…schemas are ways to

organize and interpret our experiences

Assimilating:

Fit the new experience into the old schema

Accommodate:

Change the old schema to fit the new

experience

Convergent Thinking-

one best solution, limited to the

available facts and established norms

Divergent Thinking-

Using new and different leads to

solve a problem

Metacognition:

Thinking about your thinking

Executive Function:

allow individuals to manage and control their thoughts, actions, and emotions effectively, essentially acting as the "brain's manager" to achieve goals

Algorithm-

a procedure that, when correctly used, all0ws you to solve a problem

Heuristic-

general rule that usually will help you find the

answer- a shortcut

Availability Heuristic-

Choosing based on how easily you

can think of examples(how many teenagers play sports?)

Ask yourself- How easily can I think of this?

Representativeness Heuristic-

Use a rule from what you

expect(coin flips, gender of babies) Does this match my

prototype of what seems normal?

Fixation:

Inability to see a fresh perspective:

Functional fixedness-

objects are seen only in terms

of their primary use

Mental Set:

Solving problems the same way again

and again.

Gambler’s Fallacy-

thinking past events influence random

future ones

Sunk-Cost Fallacy-

sticking with a bad plan because you

already lost too much on the bad plan

Overconfidence-

we believe our choices are right,

even if they aren’t

Belief Perseverance-

We cling to beliefs even after

they are discredited

Confirmation Bias-

we look for or overvalue evidence

that proves our beliefs

Framing Effect-

The wording affects our decision

making

Priming-

Activating certain connections to

increase likelihood of an answer

People are more likely to think of salt when they see the word pepper if they were previously exposed to the phrase salt and pepper.