cog psych exam 2

Memory

Mental storage (past experiences) that influence current thought + behaviors

Modal model

Explaining: how sensory stimuli makes it to permanent memory

Atkins + schifrin

3 storage bins

Sensory, short term, long term (goal)

Sensory function

Temporary recording, no attention needed, automatic + involuntary

Short term function

Temporary holding zone, passive storage

Long term function

Permanent + unlimited

Our attention matters because…

It forms new memories

How to get information from sensory to short term

Pay attention, no attention = gone in 1-2 seconds

How to get short term memory to long term memory

Rehearsing and chunking

How long is sensory information stored?

1-2 seconds

How long does short term memory stored?

15-30 seconds

How long is long term memory stored?

Unlimited, not always efficient

How much information is stored in sensory memory?

Everything, unlimited

How much is stored in short term memory?

5-9 items (average 7 + or - 2)

How much is stored in long term?

Unlimited (ex: phone numbers, SS#, credit card, area code)

Chunking works only if you know what?

The words or meaning

Ex: PHDRSVPCEOIHOPFBI

Critique of short term memory

Putting meaning behind memory

Limitation of short term memory concept

Too simplistic, you have to do something more than just store it - Only rehearsing and chunking applied

Short term memory is also called

Working memory

Working memory

Active processing, store + do something with it

Example of working memory

Reading in context, you think about the meaning of words and what words sound like

Baddeleys model of working memory

Spacial information does not equal verbal information

Visiospatial sketchpad

Stores and manipulates visual and spacial information

phonological loop

Stores and manipulates words, #s, and verbal information (speech based)

how does phonological loop work

Subvocalization= voice in head when you read or have thoughts

What’s a part of the phonological loop?

Word length effect, supra-marginal gyrus, transcrimal magnet

Word length effect

The longer the word the less memory, the shorter the word the more memory

Supramarginal gyrus

Connects sound, meaning, and social understanding

Transcrimal magnet

Stop process of rehearsing and oral decision making by shocking neuron w magnet

Visuospatial sketchpad supporting evidence

Abstract objects + BA→ B follows A

Episodic buffer

Theoretical process of using both the visuospatial + phonological to send info from 2 processes into episodic buffer (ex: map and gaming)

What is the central executive?

ability to maintain task/goal while blocking out distractions

How do we measure the central executive?

Span measure- measuring the max out/capacity (short term #+words)

Why do we care about working memory

The higher the working memory score = higher the reading comp, spelling, note taking, essay, grades, and more strategic the individual

what are effective methods of encoding into LTM?

Depth of processing approach, self relevant effect, and self generate

Memory is a what?

Byproduct model= memories aren’t forced

Depth of processing approach (Craike Lockhart)

2 assumptions:

1. Memory is a biproduct

2. Deeper processing result in more memory

Deeper processing is?

Understanding or focusing on the memory

Craike + Tulving

Phase 1: semantic or phonetic sentences

Phase 2: recall test or recognition test (purpose= surprise test to not practice rehearsing)

Finding In Craike + Tulving

Semantic was better remembered than phonetic, meaning equals deep processing

Self relevant effect

Better memory for information that connects to an individual

Self relevant example in class

Group 1- what u own

Group 2- bigger/smaller than suitcase

Group 3- how many Os were in the word

Self generate effect

More effort, your brain works = the more you’ll remember and longer

Why are retrieval cues important?

Dependence on how good the cue is = more memory retrieval

What’s a retrieval cue?

Information provided to help you get to the memory, more information = the better

How is context important?

You want the context to match the memory→ more similar the encoding conditions and retrieval conditions = the better

the what in context

Context of what your encoding is used in retrieval cues

Depth of processing vs levels of processing

Smell: cross talking to memory + emotions (olfactory bulb = smell memories)

the where in context

Encoding on land vs in the ocean, LL + WW= the best test results

The environment you study in help you perform better

Good study mean you are trying to…

Prove yourself wrong

The how in context

How you think about materials @ encoding should match how you think about retrieval

Ex: drunk vs sober test taking (ss= the best group)

Morris, bransford, franks

phase 1: deep vs shallow (rhyming vs meaning) → answer questions

Phase 2: 2 different tests= standard recognition test (meaning scored higher)

Rhyming test= did a word rhyme with X?

New: meaning + rhyming and rhyming and rhyming

Conclusion: same test as encoding = best results

Metacognition

your ability to assess or modify your learning/cognition (can be built over time)

How does metacognition relate to effective encoding and retrieval?

Monitoring and control

Monitoring is…

Assessing your understanding memory and learning

Control is…

Changes you make to adjust your learning

How do you monitor your learning?

Flash cards, test yourself, teach someone, recall, and delay= harder assessment + more accurate

How do we control our learning?

Change how long, what to, and when to study

Testing effect

Better for long term memory for exams and tests

Effective encoding

Depth of processing, association, practice retrieval, active studying, and real world examples

Most effective strategies for how we study?

Retrieval practice = testing yourself

Monitoring= slow down + delay context matching

Control = studying

Taking a practice testing =?

More successful in results

Distributive practice

Interleaving= create difficulty to grow

Desirable difficulty effect

Making studying harder so the test is easier, stress system = slow down learning = results in long term memory

Types of long term memory

Explicit (declarative) and implicit (non-declarative)

Parts of explicit memory

Episodic (specific event and time) and semantic (general knowledge)

Parts of Implicit memory

Procedural (muscle memory/just ur brain) and priming (stimulus shapes response)

Memory consolidation

Hippocampus - cortex

Hippocampus

Encoding takes place, the start of forming new memories

Amygdala

Emotion (fear, fight, flight) - right by your smelling part of brain which is why smells can bring back memories

Cerebellum

Movement

Basal ganglia

Implicit memory- connected structures that help with movement

Naber + Macleod

Your memories are changed each time you think of them

Ex: PTSD -Blood pressure meds - journals + repeated frequently = emotion degrades over time

What is the biology of memory

Group of neurons communicating more efficiently (less energy)

Biology of short term memory

Temporary increase in neurotransmitters

(More transmitters =more connections = easier process to communicate)

biology of long term memory

Protein receptors signals for neuron transmitters

Glutamate, dopamine, GABA

Water maze example

Play on rats memory, platform to stand on in water

Finding= meds make rats take longer to find platform. Less meds= no platform, more= find platform easier and with less trials

What is forgetting

Failing to retrieve information you encoded

Decay theory

Memories you don’t use fade over time, bad sleep = no consolidation = decay

Dopamine

Fruit flies - implicit classical conditioning, breed non producing dopamine fruit flies = never forget zap with the sent (never fly away), w/ dopamine = learn to forget

Dopamine is a huge part of what?

active process of forgetting

Interference theory

Memories are there, there is just other memories in the way (blocking similar memories)

Interference retroactive

Produced by similar material encoded AFTER the target memory

Interference proactive

Produced by similar material encoded BEFORE the target memory

Intentional forgetting theory

Forgetting group vs instruction group (list of words)

Finding= worse memory for list 1, better memory for list 2 in forgetting group

Forgetting = better memory later

Interference theory

Memories are still there, there are just similar memories in the way

Retroactive interference

Produced by similar material encoded AFTER target memory

Proactive interference

Produced by similar material encoded BEFORE target memory

Two types of amnesia

1. Retrograde

2. Anterograde

Retrograde

Failing to retrieve previously encoded LT memory’s (forgetting your past)

Anterograde

Failure to encode new memories from short term memory to long term memory (physical structure in the brain)

Memory distortion

Take LTM and change/tweak or get completely wrong memories form

How does our mind organize information?

Based on relation and meaning

How does organization in our brain influence memory distortion?

Similar things can distort your memory bc we constantly relate things to other things

Source memory

Origin: what, who, where, context

Fades first over time

Reality monitoring

Did I imagine this or did it really happen

Imagination is really bad for accurate memory

Example of source memory distorting memory

DRM paradigm: long list of words related to 3 words, none of the 3 words were said but I said them all!

Music artists making songs and stealing them from other ppl