Intro to Memory

Cognition

Cognition

mental activity involving thinking, knowing, forming and recalling memories, and communicating

Memory

learning that has endured a long period of time, through storing and recalling info

Information-Processing Model

3 processes involved in forming memories

• Encoding

• Storage/Rehearsal

• Retrieval

Encoding

getting the actual info in our brain bruh

Storage/Rehearsal

holding onto info

Retrieval

being able to recall info when it’s needed

Connectionism Model

memories are seen as products of interconnected neural pathways and networks

• specific memories come for specific neural activiation

Atkinson-Shiffrin (AS) Model of Memory

Human memories have 3 separate parts

• sensory memory

• short-term(active/working) memory

• Long-term memory

Sensory Memory

a very short recording of sensory info, which is almost forgotten immediately you’re not paying attention

Short-term (active/working) memory

memory function that can hold onto a few items pretty shortly

• can be turned into long-term memory through rehearsal

• no rehearsal usually = forgotten

hippocampus

Short-term memory is associated with the ?

Long-term memory

a permanent and unlimited storage for your memories

• includes knowledge, skills, and experiences

• typically outside of immediate thinking, but can be recalled (preconsciousness)

cerebral cortex

long-term memory is associated with the ?

Explicit (declarative) memories

The Atkinson-Shiffrin model puts an emphasize on the processing of ?

intentionally

Explicit memories are memories where you are ? recollecting

• such as facts, events, and experiences

effortful processing

Explicit memories are created through ?

hippocampus, frontal lobes

Explicit memories are associated with the ? and ?

working memory (explicit)

short-term memory that allows us to hold onto limited amounts of info

• actively processes

• a type of explicit memory

episodic memory

long-term memory system that holds onto info about specific events (episodes) related to someone’s own life

• a type of explicit memory

semantic memory

long-term memory system that holds onto general knowledge

• facts

• a type of explicit memories

Baddeley Model of Working Memory

An updated version of the Atkinson-Shiffrin model

• adds two components

Working memory (Baddeley)

stresses the active processing in short-term memory

• short-term memories are like desktops

  • brain processes info and links it to long-term memories

• part of Baddeley Model

Automatic Processing

processing of info outside of our conscious awareness

• skips the conscious encoding part of memories

• part of Baddeley Model

Implicit (nondeclarative) memories

skills we acquired and classically conditioned associations

• outside our awareness

• difficult to explain to others

  • walking, balancing, riding a bike

• type of automatic processing

cortical areas, cerebellum, basal ganglia

implicit memories are associated with ?, ?, and ?

Priming

automatic/unconscious processing that can speed up responses

• a cue used to trigger associated concepts/memories, makes retrieval easier

• type of implicit memory

Procedural memory

memory for the process of completing a task

• hitting a baseball, typing, making cereal, riding a bike

• after you learn it, it’s kinda hard to forget…

• type of implicit memory

Classical Conditioning

memory of associations between stimuli

• type of implicit memory

Selective Attention

consciously process a very limited part of incoming sensory info

• everything else gets blocked out

• we need to focus in on a task to complete it

• not automatic

Divided Attention

involves completing tasks via auotmatic processing while completing another task at the same time

• relies on automatic processing

space, time, frequency

We automatically process info such as

1. ? (we can mentally note where we left off while reading a book)

2. ? (we can replay events and retrace steps pretty easily)

3. ? (keeping track of how many times something happens)

attention

We have to pay ? for our sensory memory to begin encoding

Sensory Register

holds onto a record of info received by sensory receptor cells until it’s processed, used, or discarded

• there’s practically no limit, but info here is pretty useless unless it’s used in one of the 3 things named

Iconic Memory

a very short (few tenths of a second) sensory memory of visual stimuli

Echoic Memory

3 or 4 second sensory memory of auditory stimuli

7 items (plus or minus 2)

our short-term memory capacity is about ? but it disappears from our memory pretty quickly

age, intelligence

Working memory capacity varies on ?, ?, and other factors

Levels of Processing

the depth of processing affects long term-retention

Shallow Processing (maintenance rehearsal)

encoding words based on just their structure but not the actual meaning

• actual appearance

  • color, length, font, etc

Deep Processing (elaborative rehearsal)

encoding words based on their meaning and associations between old/new knowledge

• application, relationships, real-life examples, definitions

• best way to hold onto long term info

Metacognition

The act of thinking about thinking

• how we manage and understand our own thinking processes

Examples of Metacognition

Cognitive processes (I’m not that good at psychology)

Monitoring of cognitive processes (I’m not paying attention, so I need to pay attention)

Control of cognitive processes (I’ll use flash cards to study since they work best for me)