3A - cognitive processing

stages of memory

1. sensory memory

2. short term memory

3. long term memory

memory processes

1. encoding

2. storage

3. retrieval

what is encoding?

the conversion of incoming information into a mental construct that can be stored in the brain

types of encoding

• acoustic encoding (incoming auditory input)

• visual encoding (visual inputs like words images or faces)

• elaborative encoding (connects or relates new inputs to existing memories)

• semantic encoding (by meaning)

where does encoding happen?

in STM, where the main process is rehearsal of information

types of long term memories

explicit / declarative memories (requires some level of concious thought

> semantic (facts - WHAT)

> episodic (events - WHEN)

implicit / procedural memory (not in conscious behaviour)

> procedural (how to do)

types of amnesia

retrograde amnesia - loss of memories from BEFORE a time/event

anterograde amnesia - loss of memories from AFTER a time/event

the multistore model (diagram) and who it was made by

Atkinson and Shiffrin, 1968

capacity and duration of sensory memory

• unknown capacity

• duration of ~500 milliseconds

*attention is a key factor

capacity and duration of short term memory

• capacity of 7 ± 2 itens , or more recently suggested 4 chunks

• duration of ~ 30 secs

*rehearsal is key for transferral to LTM. info not rehearsed is lost to either displacement or decay

capacity of long term memory

• unknown capacity (thought to be unlimited)

• information is though to be stored semantically

types of LTM memory loss

• interference - different memories integrate and become indistinguishable

• decay - memories fade over time

• retrieval failure (aka cue dependent or context dependent forgetting) - memory cannot be retrieved due to missing stimulus / cue / context which likely was relevant to the initial encoding of it

types of rehearsal

• elaborative rehearsal - thinking about the MEANING of a stimulus item

• maintainance rehearsal - just repetition