Psych 101- 14 Remembering and Forgetting

Learning

a relatively enduring change in the potential to perform a behavior resulting from experience

Information Processing Model

Sensory Memory

preserves memory in original sensory form, very brief duration, biologically adaptive

Attention

Process of selectively forgetting on certain stimuli in the environment, functions as a filter to permit only biologically relevant information into short-term memory

Short-Term Memory/ Working Memory

Invokes what you’re thinking about right now

Relatively short duration (20-30 seconds) with limited capacity that can be expanded by chunking

Rehersal

Repeatedly verbalizing, visualizing, attending to information to keep it active in short term memory

Encoding

Transformation of information so that it can be remembered later

Three types: visual, auditory, semantic

Long Term memory

Retains important information to be used again, long duration with unlimited capacity, durable but imperfect

Retrieval

Accessing information from long-term memory

Brings information to short term memory

• Recall: accessing info without cues

• Retrieval: accessing info with aid of cues

Retrieval cues

stimuli and pieces of information that aid in accessing information from long-term memory

Semantic networks

conceptual representations in which items are organized via interconnected nodes based on their meaning and relationships

Forgetting

inability to retrieve information, occurs at all stages of information processing

Herman Ebbinghaus

European psychologist who studied himself and forgetting

Nonsense syllables

Decay Theory

forgetting occurs because info degrades over time if not accessed

Limitation: time alone does not explain forgetting

Interference Theory

forgetting occurs because interference disrupts retrieval of target information

proactive interference

old information interferes with remembering new info

• calling your new significant other by your ex’s name

retroactive information

new info interferes with remembering old info

• forgetting your old password after creating a new one

Confabulating

unintentional fabrication or distortion of memories without the intent to deceive

Key feature: person believes the false memory to be true

Relevance

demonstrates reconstructive nature of remembering and imperfection of memories

Mneumonics

strategies used to improve encoding, storage, and retrieval of information

Acronyms

using first letter of words

Acrostics

Creating a sentence where first letter of words are recall

Ex: Never Eat Soggy Waffles

Method of Loci

Associating info with specific locations in a mental “map”

Elaborative Rehersal

link new info to existing knowledge

Interleaving

mixing topics/problems types with study

Dual coding

combine verbal info with visuals

Self-explanation

teach material to others

minimize interference

schedule study to avoid learning similar info back to back

Generate examples

create your own examples of abstract concepts

Elaborative interrogation

Ask “why” questions to deepen understanding

Concrete imagery

form vivid visual images to represent material

Explicit Memories

episodic and semantic memories

Implicit Memories

procedural and emotional coding memories

Amygdala

emotional conditioning

Cerebellum

procedural memories (sensory motor skills)

Frontal cortex

episodic memories

Hippocampus

consolidation of declarative memories (episodic)

Amnesia

Retrograde: NO recall of past

Anterrograde: Awareness of only 20-30 seconds (short term memory)