Memory issues

Anterograde amnesia

someone who can remember the past but cannot form new memories

Retrograde amnesia

someone who cannot remember the past

Three types of memory loss

encoding failure, storage decay, retrieval failure

Encoding failure

occurs between the working and long term memory steps

Storage decay

info that is encoded is lost at a later date, memories may be either inaccessible or discarded altogether

Retrieval failure

despite long term storage some memories are not retrieved when needed, more common in older adults

3 causes of retrieval failure

proactive interference, retroactive interference, motivated forgetting

Proactive interference

prior learning makes recalling new info more difficult

Retroactive interference

learning new info makes recalling prior learning more difficult

Motivated forgetting

because the memory is unreliable and self serving, some memories are not retrieved

Reconsolidation

when we replay a memory, we may replace original facts with modified info

Misinformation effect

after subtle exposure to misleading info, we are more confident to misremember

Imagination inflation

people fed false information may report false memories with details that get more vivid over time

Source amnesia

fault memory of how, when, or where, something was learned/imagined

Cause of deja vu

familiar stimulus combined with source amnesia

7 suggestions of improving memory

SQ3R method, repeated rehearsal, make the material meaningful, activate retrieval cues, mnemonics, minimize interference, sleep more, self test