Chapter 6 - Memory

What are the processes of memory?

Encoding, Storage, Retrieval

What is the three-component model?

Sensory Registers, Short-term/Working Memory, Long-term Memory

How does memory flow?

Sensory input goes to sensory registers, that info is then encoded to and stored STM/WM and then possibly encoded to and stored in LTM, where it can also be retrieved.

What does short-term memory do?

Temporarily stores and processes a limited amount of information in consciousness

What is the difference between short-term and working memory?

They both store memory temporarily, one is made-up of a single component and is concerned with storing info, the other is made-up of multiple components and is concerned with manipulating info.

What are the different kinds of long-term memory?

Declarative (Episodic, Semantic), Procedural

What does the HM case study teach?

Working memory does not need a medial temporal structure, declarative and procedural memory are diff. systems, medial temporal structures are important for episodic and semantic memory.

What does the KF case study teach?

LTM does not require a functioning short-term memory to encode new info.

What does the CW case study teach?

Using implicit/procedural memory (unconscious) and repeated exposure allows performance of tasks without need of conscious control or attention.

What is the difference between the primacy effect and the recency effect?

They’re both part of the Serial Position Effect, one says that it’s easy to remember things at the beginning of the list, the other says it’s easy to remember things at the end of the list.

What is the difference between Anterograde and Retrograde Amnesia?

One is the loss of ability to retain new info, the other is the loss of ability to recall past events

Explain the methods for increasing capacity of memory (Chunking and Control Processes)

One increases amount and groups units into larger “bits”, the other increases duration through maintenance rehearsal (simple repetition) and elaborative rehearsal (meaning).

What is the difference between effortful processing and automatic processing?

One is effortful and intentional includes repetition and adding to the info. to ensure that encoding works well, the other ins unintentional and requires minimal attention

What are the different kinds of mnemonic devices?

Simple, Semantic, Visual-based, and Complex

What are the levels of processing from shallow to deepest?

Structural, Phonetic, Semantic

What is the difference between associative networks and neural networks?

They’re both storage theories, both say include that concepts are represented by nodes, except neural networks includes that there are linked nodes, nodes are physical, and don’t contain only one unit of information.

Why don’t flashbulb memories remain consistently accurate?

Because enhanced emotional reaction to some event does not guarantee better retrieval of that information and it grows less accurate over time

Describe Matching conditions (Encoding Specificity, State-Dependent Learning, Transfer-Appropriate Processing)

Information is learnt together with its context, learning is associated with a particular internal state, and memory performance is better if the type of task at encoding matches the type of task at retrieval.

What are 4 possible reasons why we forget memories?

Encoding failure, Decays of Memory Trace, Interference Theory, and Motivated Forgetting

What is the difference between Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease?

Dementia is failure of retrieval, Alzheimer’s Disease is severe retrograde and anterograde amnesia

How does distortion affect memory?

Memory is a constructive process and we piece together bits of information in ways that intuitively “make sense”, which means we can distort memories without even knowing it.