metamemory and aging

Metamemory

The awareness of our own memories, including both their content and how to use them. Involves judgments about memory traces (targets) based on cues.

Cue Utilization Hypothesis

Metamemory judgments are based on the familiarity of the information in a cue, particularly relevant for judgments of learning (JOLs).

Accessibility Hypothesis

Metamemory judgments are inferential, based on the information that is currently accessible in memory. No time pressure needed as retrieval attempts are made.

Competition Hypothesis (Metamemory)

Metamemory judgments are influenced by the level of competition from other memories during retrieval; greater competition leads to lower confidence.

Judgments of Learning (JOLs)

Estimates of how well we have learned something. Often inaccurate, especially immediately after learning.

Inability Hypothesis (JOLs)

Poor JOLs are due to our limited conscious awareness of our own mental processes.

Monitoring-Retrieval Hypothesis (JOLs)

Poor JOLs occur because we assess our ability to retrieve information in the immediate moment, which doesn't always reflect long-term learning.

Extrinsic Cues (JOLs)

Aspects of the learning situation that generally do not affect JOLs.

Intrinsic Cues (JOLs)

Aspects of the material being learned that JOLs are sensitive to.

Mnemonic Cues (JOLs)

Memory-based sources of information; reliance on these increases as we continue to make JOLs over time.

Allocation of Study Time (Metamemory)

We regulate study time based on our perceived ease of learning, often massing for hard and distributing for easy items.

Labour-in-Vain Effect

Spending excessive effort on information that is far from being learned, resulting in little knowledge gain.

Region of Proximal Learning

As experience with new material increases, study time allocation becomes more effective, focusing on material just beyond current understanding.

Feeling of Knowing (FOK)

Judgments about whether we can retrieve information that is currently inaccessible. Reasonably good predictors of later recognition.

Tip-of-the-Tongue (TOT) State

The feeling of being about to retrieve information that is currently unavailable.

Remember vs. Know Judgments

"Remember" responses involve conscious recollection of learning context, while "know" responses involve a feeling of familiarity without recollection.

Massed vs. Distributed Study (Remember/Know)

Massed study reduces "remember" judgments and increases "know," with the opposite pattern for distributed study.

Recognition Without Awareness

Recognizing something previously seen without conscious awareness of having seen it before.

Hindsight Bias (Metamemory)

The tendency to think events were more predictable after they occurred than we did beforehand.

"Knew-it-all-along" Effect

A variant of hindsight bias.

Metamemory Bias

The tendency to think we have better memories than we actually do.

Mnemonics

Mental or physical devices used to aid memory, such as imagery, peg-words, and the method of loci. Often show underadditive effects when combined.

Method of Loci

A mnemonic technique involving imagining items placed in specific locations within an imagined environment.

Peg Method

A mnemonic technique using numbered pegs to associate with to-be-remembered items.

Synesthesia (Memory)

A condition where sensory qualities from different modalities blend, potentially making memory traces richer and more detailed in some memorists.

Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM)

Remarkable memory for life events and public events, with high accuracy.

Severely Deficient Autobiographical Memory (SDAM)

Difficulty forming and storing autobiographical memories and often associated with deficient visual imagery processing (aphantasia).

Infantile Amnesia

The absence of early memories and the inability to form long-lasting conscious, personal memories from early childhood (typically before age 2-4).

Multicomponent Development Theory (IA)

Infantile amnesia may be due to the lack of development of various components necessary for autobiographical memory (e.g., language, self-awareness).

Neurological Accounts (IA)

Underdevelopment of brain structures like the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex hinders the formation of effective episodic and autobiographical memories.

Schema Organization View (IA)

Infants may form episodic memories, but they are forgotten faster due to underdeveloped schemas.

Language Development View (IA)

Infantile amnesia lifts around the time language develops, as it allows memories to be structured into coherent narratives.

Emergent Self View (IA)

Developing a sense of self ("me") around 18-24 months is crucial for the foundation of autobiographical memory.

Childhood Amnesia

Spotty episodic memories from approximately age 3 to 7 or 8, potentially due to more rapid forgetting and the later development of a life narrative.

Memory and Aging (General)

General performance declines with age due to factors like slower neural firing and changes in brain structures (frontal and temporal lobes, hippocampus).

HAROLD (Aging)

Hypothesis of hemispheric asymmetry reduction in older adults, suggesting more whole-brain processing.

CRUNCH (Aging)

Compensation-related utilisation of neural circuits hypothesis, suggesting older adults use different sets of brain regions to compensate.

Short-Term/Working Memory (Aging)

Reduced capacity, especially under high demand.

Episodic Memory (Aging)

Harder to form new episodic memories, with greater deficits in recall than recognition.

Prospective Memory (Aging)

Generally poorer, especially for time-based tasks, but effects may be smaller in real-world settings.

Autobiographical Memory (Aging)

Fewer details, more focus on positive events and familiar information.

False Memories (Aging)

Older adults are more prone to false memories and may have higher confidence in them.

Semantic Memory (Aging)

Word knowledge often increases or remains stable. Semantic networks remain largely intact (priming).

Nondeclarative Memory (Aging)

Shows some stability with age, especially if skills are practiced.

Source Memory (Aging)

Generally poorer, leading to more destination errors and cryptomnesia.

Reality Monitoring (Aging)

More prone to errors in distinguishing between imagined and real events.

Judgments of Learning (Aging)

Can be inaccurate in older adults.

Feeling-of-Knowing (Aging)

Accuracy may be reduced.

Stereotype Threat (Aging)

Negative stereotypes about aging can impair memory performance in older adults.

Compensation (Aging)

Older adults may employ different strategies and brain regions to compensate for age-related declines.

Alzheimer's Disease (Memory)

Characterized by severe degradation in brain structure and function, leading to significant working memory problems, loss of episodic memories (newer first), and eventual loss of semantic memory. Encoding is more affected than retrieval initially.

Parkinson's Disease (Memory)

Affects basal ganglia and dopamine processing, leading to difficulties with temporal order and spatial memory. Retrieval deficits without a strong temporal gradient.

Huntington's Disease (Memory)

Attacks basal ganglia, causing issues with the central executive and dual-task performance. Impaired recall without a temporal gradient, suggesting a retrieval problem.

Multiple Sclerosis (Memory)

Demyelination of neurons, affecting primarily short-term memory, with problems in both encoding and retrieval, particularly for explicit and autobiographical memory