Memory and Attention Notes

Attention

• Attention is the ability to focus on and process a limited amount of information.
• It is essential in modern society due to information overload.
• Attention is the first step in forming a memory: if you don't pay attention, you can't remember.
• Limits to attention:
  • Inattentional blindness: failing to notice something because your attention didn't cover it.
  • Change blindness: not recognizing when something changes if you're not paying attention. Example: Darren Brown video.
• Visual search tasks: measure how people sift through visual information.
  • Example: finding a friend in a crowd.
  • Demonstration: finding the odd stimulus in a grid.
• Principle of attention: it operates like a spotlight.
  • Attention scans around, and only what the spotlight shines on is processed.
• Attention acts as a bottleneck.
  • It's difficult for the brain to process multiple things at once.
  • Example: hearing your name in a conversation.
• Attended channel vs. unattended channel.
  • Only what we attend to will form into a memory.
• Dividing attention:
  • It's a myth; you rapidly shift attention between things.
  • It's resource-dependent and depletes cognitive resources.
  • If tasks are similar, it's harder to split attention.

Why We Have Memories

• Memories allow us to recall past events.
• They provide a historical record of experiences.
• What occurs is not always the same as what we remember.
• Memory is good at providing the gist, but specific details are unreliable.
• Imperfect memory may have advantages.
• Advantages of memory:
  • Survival advantage: remembering events to react in the future.
  • Generalizable memories: applying memories to similar situations.
• Flexible memories are essential, and we don't want them to be too specific. Generalizable memories and flexible memories are really important.

Memory Systems

• Short term memories:
  • Temporarily process information.
• Long term memories:
  • Unlimited, permanent storage.
• Short term/working memory:
  • Temporary processing of information for about 30 seconds.
  • Information is only retained if rehearsed.
• Digit span test: measures the limits and duration of working memory.
  • Example of series of numbers: 63175, 3028517, 276159483
  • Capacity: average is seven items, with a standard deviation of two. 7 \pm 2
• Chunking: combining pieces of information to increase short-term memory capacity.

Working Memory Update

• Working memory is a space where we do mental work.
• Components of working memory:
  • Phonological loop: stores the sound of something.
    • Example: remembering a phone number.
  • Visuospatial sketchpad: stores visual and spatial information.
    • Example: imagining your friend's face.
  • Episodic buffer: location where the brain does mental work.
    • Example: remembering numbers in the digit span test.
  • Central executive: controls attention and solves working memory problems.
• The central executive controls attention between the phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and episodic buffer.
• If the memory is rehearsed and consolidated, information will be transferred from our working memory system to long term memory for storage.

Memory Systems and Disorders

• Long term memory:
  • Stable, long term, and unlimited capacity.
  • Different types exist.
• Explicit memories:
  • Consciously aware memories.
    • Example: names of friends.
• Implicit memories:
  • Not consciously aware.
• Declarative memories:
  • Factual knowledge or events from the past.
    • Example: memory of first kiss.
• Procedural memories:
  • Skills and actions.
    • Example: driving a manual car.
• Explicit knowledge similar to declarative knowledge.
• Implicit and procedural knowledge are similar.
• Amnesias:
  • Memory loss resulting from brain injury, illness, or trauma.
  • Affect implicit and explicit memories differently.
• Retrograde amnesia:
  • Inability to recall events from the past.
    • Jason Bourne is an example of character with retrograde amnesia.
• Anterograde amnesia:
  • Inability to form new memories.
    • Dory from Finding Nemo is an example of character with anterograde amnesia.
    • Henry Meliesen, had illness that destroyed his hippocampi and was not able to form any new memories

Techniques to Improve Memory

• Attention is essential; full focus is needed.
• Memories give you a gist; don't expect perfect detail.
• Rehearse information in working memory to transfer it to long term memory.
• Reasons for forgetting information:
  • Failure to encode it.
  • Inability to retrieve it.
  • Decay over time.
  • Interference.
• Proactive interference: past memories interfere with learning new things.
  • Example: remembering a new phone number.
• Retroactive interference: new memories interfere with older memories.
  • Example: old phone number is forgotten after learning a new one.
• It is very difficult to reverse forgetting, so use it or lose it.
• Ways to proactively and intentionally improve our memory:
  • Deep Encoding: Coming up with examples, which is a deeper way of actually forming a memory.
  • Maintenance rehearsal:
    • Repeating information over and over.
  • Elaborative rehearsal:
    • Thinking about what information means and connecting it to other memories.
  • Context reinstatement:
    • Study in a similar environment and time of day to the assessment.
  • Retrieval practice:
    • Use cue cards to practice retrieving information.
  • Mnemonics:
    • Use jingles or rhymes to recall information.
    • BODMAS/ (brackets of division, multiple multiplication, addition, subtraction) for order of operations.
  • Method of loci:
    • Match memories with a location you know well.
    • Example: mind palace, match location we remember brilliantly with what we’re trying to learn to create strange narrative.
  • Sleeping: healthy sleep critically tied to memory.