Chapter 6: Long Term Memory Structure Part I

Long Term Memory

archive of information about past events and knowledge

- works closely with working memory

Serial Position Curve

curve that plots the percentage of recall for words in a list

- primacy effect and recency effect

Primacy Effect

more likely to remember words at the beginning of a list

- more time to rehearse and enter LTM; retrieval from LTM

- beginning of a serial position curve

Fischler, Rundus, Atkinson (1970)

early list items are remembered better bc they receive more rehearsal and enter LTM

- subjects rehearsed only the word currently on the screen

- primacy effect

Recency Effect

better memory for stimuli presented at end of a list

- stimuli still in STM; retrieval from STM

- serial position curve

Glanzer and Cunitz (1966)

recency effect is due to storage of recently presented items in STM

- subjects recalled words afte they had counted backwards for 30 seconds

Coding

the form in which stimuli are represented in the mind

- the way in which it is coded can be LTM or STM

- visualm auditory, semantic,

Physiological Approach to Coding

determing how stimulus is represented by firing of neurons

Mental/Cognitive Approach to Coding

how stimulus or an experience is represented in the mind

- visual, auditory, semantic

STM Visual Coding

mental rotation tasks

LTM Visual Coding

visualize a person or place from the past

STM Auditory Coding

misidentifying letters or words that sound similar

- phonological similarity effect

- ex confusing letters like F and S

LTM Auditory Coding

when you “play” a song in your head

STM Semantic Coding

temporarily holds information based on meaning

- Wickens exerpiment; earlier fruit words interfered with memory for later fruits

- shows proactive interference

Proactive Interference

decrease in memory that occurs when previously learned information interferes with learning new information

- ex. list of fruits change; previosuly learned fruits affected recall

Release From Proactive Interference

memory performance improves because new information is distinct from previously learned material

- reduces proactive interference

LTM Semantic Coding

recognition memory

- performed by Sachs (1967)

Recognition Memory

identification of a previosuly encounted stimulus

Hippocampus

forms long term memories

Patient HM

hippocampus was removed

- intact STM but was not able to form new LTM

Patient KF

damage to parital lobe

- intact LTM but deficient STM

Patient KF and HM Are an Example Of…

double dissociation