psychology ch 8

What order does information travel through the memory system? 

(ex: sensory memory to short term_ to long term_)

information that is recorded as a fleeting sensory model; the info is processed into a short-term memory where we encode it through rehearsal, then finally the information is moved into a long term memory for later retrieval

What is working memory?

a newer understanding of short-term memory; conscious, active processing of both 1) incoming sensory information and 2) information retrieved from long-term memory

Explicit vs implicit memories

Explicit: retention of facts and experiences that we consciously know and ‘declare’

Implicit: retention of learned skills or classically conditioned associations independent of conscious recollection

Iconic vs echoic memories

Iconic: a momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; a photographic or picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second

Echoic: a momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds and words can be still be recalled within 3 0r 4 seconds

chunking

organizing items into a familiar manageable units; often occurs automatically

mnemonics

memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices

hierarchies

when people develop expertise in an area, often processing info in hierarchies composed of a few broad concepts divided and subdivided into narrower concepts and facts

When is recognition used as a measure of memory?

recognition: a measure of memory in which the person identifies items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test

• Our response speed when recalling or recognizing info indicates memory strength

• Tests of recognition and of time spent relearning demonstrate that we remember more then we can recall

Immaturity of what part of the brain is connected to infantile amnesia?

hippocampus

In which region of the brain are explicit memories for facts and episodes processed and then fed to other brain regions for storage?

hippocampus

anterograde amnesia vs. retrograde amnesia

Anterograde amnesia: an inability to form new memories

Retrograde amnesia: an inability to remember info from one’s past

primacy effect (aka serial position effect)

our tendency to recall best the last (recency effect) and first (primary effect) items in a list

mood-congruent memory

the tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one’s current good or bad mood

retrieval failure

a type of forgetting that occurs when information that has been previously encoded and stored in long-term memory cannot be accessed or retrieved when needed.

proactive interference vs retroactive interference

Proactive interference: the forward-acting disruptive effect of older learning on recall of new information

Retroactive interference: the backward-acting disruptive effect of newer learning on the recall of old information

repression

in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories

misinformation effect

occurs when a memory has been corrupted by misleading information

SQ3R study technique

a study method incorporating five steps: Survey, Question, Read, Retrieve, Review

independent vs dependent variables

Indep var: in an experiment, the factor that is manipulated

Dep var: in an experiment, the outcome that is measured; the variable that may change when the independent var is manipulated

According to one study, 81% of university students and 60-90% of therapists believe that “traumatic memories are often repressed.” But mounting evidence suggests that repression rarely, if ever, occurs. What do you think are some potential consequences of therapists’ and clients’ continuing belief in this popular idea?

Therapists could become too focused on healing the past events rather than encouraging patients and teaching them to manage their emotions and challenges in the present. 

Patients can become overly reliant on therapeutic interventions rather than building strategies for handling future events. 

Ultimately, the belief in repressed memories can limit the flexibility and effectiveness of therapy, possibly altering the treatment process and future outcomes.

In one study, when shown a film clip of a traffic accident and asked about what they had seen, those asked “About how fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?” estimated higher speeds than those asked, “About how fast were the cars going when they hit each other. A week later, although there was no broken glass in the film, those who heard smashed were also more likely to report having seen glass fragments. What are the implications of this study’s findings for eyewitness recall?

The study mentions the fragility of human memory and how external factors (ex: question wording) can distort what you think you can remember (recall). 

There needs to be more intense and scientifically informed methods (ex: collecting DNA samples)  for collecting eyewitness testimony and recall to minimize the risk of error or bias.