ch 6 attention and memory

What is the information processing approach?

A way to study the mind created from insights associated with the digital computer

What are the steps of information processing?

1. Encoding: getting info; typically sensory input

2. Storage: info is represented and kept in memory

3. Retrieval: info can be pulled/used again later

What are some age-related decrements with encoding?

May be due to decrements in rehearsal within working memory and being slower at making connections with incoming information

What are some age-related decrements with retrieval?

• Related to both poorer encoding to some degree as well as failure to use retrieval strategies

• Old people also have more tip-of-the-tongue experiences than younger adults

What is sensory memory?

• The immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system

• First level of processing

Why are there declines for old people when learning info?

• Old people use fewer spontaneous strategies when learning info and when trying to remember

• Most age-related memory declines are due to retrieval

What are the basic components of attention?

From a functional perspective, attention consists of processing different aspects of stimuli

What are 3 long-held assumptions about information processing?

1. People are active participants in processing info

2. There is a quantity and quality aspects to processing

3. Info is processed through many levels of processing

What is the speed of processing? What are age-related implications?

• How quick/efficient the early steps in information processing are completed

• Increase of age = decrease of speed depending on what the topic is

What are processing resources?

• The amount of attention one has to apply to a particular situation

• Age = decline in processing resources

What is the speed of processing based on?

Beta amyloids

What are the 2 types of processing?

• Automatic

• Effortful

What is automatic processing?

• Unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings

• No significant age difference

What is effortful processing?

• Encoding that requires attention and conscious effort

• Pronounced age differences

What is inhibitory loss?

Old people may have difficulty inhibiting the processing of irrelevant information

Can inhibitory loss for old people be beneficial?

When info that was initially distracting became relevant, old people outperformed young people

What is divided attention?

Occurs when an individual must perform two tasks which require attention simultaneously

What are some age differences in divided attention?

• The differences depend on the degree of task complexity and practice

• Old people are just as able to perform but at slower rates

What is short term memory?

• A memory storage system that briefly holds a limited amount of information in awareness

• 30 seconds or so

What are mechanisms for enhancing short term memory?

• Chunking

• Maintenance rehearsal

• Elaboration

What is working memory?

• Short term memory

• Consists of what you are thinking of in the exact moment

• 7 units of information (+- 2) available

What are some examples of working memory being used?

• Solving problems

• Making decisions

• Learning new information

Working memory capacity and rehearsal decline with age, although the extent of the decline is still in doubt. There is some evidence age differences in working memory are not universal

True

What is implicit memory?

• Procedural

• Unconscious, effortless retention of information

What is explicit memory?

• Declarative

• Intentional/conscious collection

Old people are generally better at implicit memory tasks than explicit memory tasks

True

What is long term memory?

• Refers to the ability to remember extensive amounts of information from a few seconds to a few hours to decades

• Easier to recall frequently

Sleep plays an important role in long term memory

True

What type of coding is best used for long term memory?

• Semantic coding

• Elaborative (connections) rehearsal is better than maintenance (memorization) rehearsal

What is semantic memory?

• Knowledge about words, concepts, and language-based knowledge and facts

• Few age-related changes until 65+ (only slight decline)

What is episodic memory?

• General class of memory having to do with the conscious recollection of info from a specific event or point of time

• Stable until 55-65

What tests are best used to notice age-related decrements in episodic memory?

• Recall tests

• Old people tend not to use memory strategies spontaneously as often or as well as young people

What are 2 reasons semantic memory is different from episodic memory with aging?

1. Harder to access with time

2. Momentary retrieval failure = “tip of tongue”

What is prospective memory?

• The ability to remember to perform actions in the future, based on events and time cues

• More age differences

How accurately prospective memory tasks are performed depends on the time of day. Processing speed may help explain these age differences

True

What are the 2 main types of prospective memory based on?

1. Time - more age differences

2. Event

What is autobiographical memory?

• Memory for events and topics related to oneself - includes combination of episodic and semantic memory

• Episodic = past events

• Semantic = facts of past

When does autobiographical memory begin to decline?

Rather than decline, it grows between ages 35-55 and remains relatively stable after

Old people have fewer flashbulb memories and their impact is restricted to particular points in the life span

True

How does source memory and processing misinformation change across adulthood?

• Source memory is the abilitiy to remember the source to a familiar event and determine is it actually happened or not

• Old people may be less accurate except when source memory info is emotional

What are false memories? How are old people affected?

Old people remember items or events that did not occur under specific conditions of plausibility and are more likely to believe false information as true

What time period do old people tend to remember the most?

Teens-20

What are some factors that help preserve memory as we grow older?

• Exercise

• Multilingualism

• Use of semantic memory

• Avoiding the application of memory stereotypes

How is memory affected by nutrition?

Flavonoids, iron, and B vitamins have all been shown to be related to memory functioning

What are the major ways memory skills are trained? How effective are these methods?

• The E-I-E-I-O framework, based on explicit-implicit aspects of memory and external-internal types of strategies

• External-explicit strategies are common

Use of memory enhancing drugs improves memory in the long run

False

What are the 2 major types of memory self-evaluations?

• Metamemory

• Memory monitoring

What is metamemory

Knowledge about how memory works and the ability to control and reflect on one’s own memory function

What are some age-related changes with metamemory?

• Old people seem to know less than young people about the workings of memory and its capacity

• Old people view memory as less stable

• Old people believe their memory will decline with age

• Old people feel they have little control over these changes

What is memory monitoring?

Awareness of what we are doing with our memory right now

What are some age-related changes with memory monitoring?

• Does not usually decline with age

• Memory monitoring may provide a basis for compensating for actual performance declines

What is the difference between normal and abnormal memory aging?

Whether memory changes affect daily functioning is one way to separate normal from abnormal aging

What is a difficulty when trying to figure out if there are normal or abnormal memory aging?

• In many cases, telling the difference between normal changes and those associated with disease or other abnormal events is difficult

• Different areas of the brain control

What are the main 3 serious memory problems due to diseases?

• Depression

• Dementia

• COPD

What is temporary global amnesia?

• Sudden episode of severe anterograde amnesia (inability to form new memories) and confusion

• More common in middle age than in younger or older adulthood, may be related to blood flow in the brain

What is traumatic brain injury?

Neurological damage to the brain resulting from the impact of external forces

According to Stanford Center on Longevity, does brain training help the brain?

No, but others says certain cognitive trailing regimens can significantly improve cognitive function