Psych, week 8

synaptic change

Memory forms through changes in synapses. Repeated activity strengthens neural connections

long-term potentiation

The long-lasting strengthening of neural connections through repeated stimulation. Increases efficiency of neural transmission, mainly in the hippocampus, and is essential for learning and memory formation.

donald hebb

hebbs law: neurons that fire together, wire together

cells in brain change over course of learning

memory hippocampus

helps recall the events 

involved in consolidation 

info in working memory gets changed to long term memory gradually

memory in amygdala

recall emotions associated w events

strenghtens memories that have strong emotional connections

memory hormones

emotional arousal: releases epinephrine and norepinephrine

Cortisol = in excess interferes with memory

Estrogen = improves working memory

memory deterioation

alzheimers is most common cause of dementia

consistent w cortical loss

sensory memory

shortest memory

iconic memory (visual): lasts 1 sec

echoic memory (auditory): lasts 5-10 secs

attention determines what moves to short term memory

short term memory

5-20 secs

7 items of info

rehersal extends duration of it

chunking puts infor into smaller more important groups

interference with STM

Decay – fades over time

Interference – loss of information due to competition with other information

retroactive interference: new info learned hampers w smtg prievously learned

proactive interference: info occupies memory space so u cant learn smtg new

long term memory

lasts decades

LTM errors are semantic (meaning related)

LTM subsystems

• Declarative (explicit): Conscious memories

  • Episodic: Personal experiences

  • Semantic: Facts and information

• Nondeclarative (implicit): Unconscious memories

  • Procedural: Skills and habits

  • Priming: Prior exposure influences responses unconsciously

working memory

A temporary mental workspace for storing and manipulating information, making decisions, and carrying out cognitive tasks. Limited in capacity and duration, likely located in the frontal cortex

event memory

long term memory for events

children from individualistic cultures recall personal perspectives,

collectivist cultures focus on social aspects.

autobiographical memory

ability to recall early expereinces

encoding-rehearsal

1. maintenance rehearsal: repeating info to keep it in short term memory (phone number)

2. elaborative rehearsal: linking info to meaning to transfer it to long term memory

3 types of encoding

1. semantic: encoding the meaning of info or words

2. acoustic: encoding the sound of information

3. visual: encoding images or visual details

storage- levels of processing

1. shallow processing: focus on surface features

2. deep processing: focus on meaning and function

3. self reference effect: remembering info better when it relates to you

Retrieval

• Recall: Reproducing info (e.g., essay test).

• Recognition: Identifying info (e.g., multiple choice).

• Encoding specificity: Retrieval improves when conditions match those at learning.

• State-dependent memory: Recall is better when in the same physical or mental state.

• Mood-dependent memory: We remember information that matches our current mood.

Ebbinghaus forgetting curve

Ebbinghaus memorized nonsense syllables and found that forgetting happens rapidly at first, then slows over time. Most info is lost soon after learning, but what remains tends to stay stable

forgetting

• Encoding failure: Info never stored in long-term memory.

• Decay: Memories fade over time if not used.

• Consolidation failure: Memory formation is disrupted.

• Interference: Old or new information blocks recall.

phonological loop

A part of working memory that stores information as sounds (auditory code) and relies on rehearsal to keep it active

visuospatial sketchpad

it’s the part of your working memory that helps you see things in your mind and keep track of where they are

episodic buffer

part of working memory that combines the visual and auditory aspect, creating like a story/episode

central executive

control center of working memory

• it coordinates attention and the exchange of information among the 3 storage components (visuospatial, phonological, episodic)

Flashbulb memory

vivid memory about an event and how u learned about the event