Study Notes on Long Term Memory

Definition: A psychological principle indicating that information positioned differently in a list is remembered with varying effectiveness.
Key Components: Primacy and Recency.
- Primacy Effect: Better memory for items presented at the beginning of a list.
- Recency Effect: Better memory for items presented at the end of a list.
Visual representation: U-shaped curve of recall showing higher memory for first and last items in a list.

Test with a list of words shown one at a time.
Expected pattern: Better recall of the first and last items, with middle items often forgotten.
- Example words recalled: Fish, Cat, Cow, Dog, Forklift, etc.
- Notably, a unique item (Forklift) in the middle is remembered due to its distinctiveness.

Recency Effect Explanation:
- Items at the end of the list are likely still in short term memory.
- Short term memory lasts about 15 to 30 seconds.
- Delay reduces recency effect as that information is no longer available in short term memory.
Primacy Effect Explanation:
- Earlier items allow more opportunity for rehearsal, facilitating encoding into long term memory.
- Short term memory capacity typically around 5 to 9 items (Miller's Law).

Repetition: Not the most effective, but can help embed information into long term memory for short periods.
Longer Lists: Allows for more rehearsal and encoding of early items into long term memory.

Definition: Emphasizes the depth of processing applied to information determines retention.
Findings from Craik and Tulving (1972):
- Deeper processing results in better memory retention.
Types of Processing Tasks:
- Shallowest: Is this word in uppercase/lowercase letters? (Requires minimal processing.)
- Intermediate: Does this word rhyme with another word? (Requires phonetic processing.)
- Deepest: Does this word fit in a specific sentence? (Requires semantic processing.)
- Example: "The boy closed the ___" (e.g., Door).

Participants asked to recall words based on different levels of processing.
- Free recall task showed that deeper processing leads to better memory retention.
Effect of Answering Yes: People tend to remember better when their answers to questions are affirmative.

Encoding Specificity Principle: Learning conditions act as cues during memory retrieval.
- Context Dependent Memory: Best recall when tested in the same environment where learning took place.
- State Dependent Memory: Best recall when emotional or physical state during recall matches state during learning.

Gonan and Baddeley's (1975) Experiment:
- Participants learning words underwater versus on land, then tested in matching or differing environments.
- Same environment during recall provided better performance.

Two main categories: Explicit (declarative) and Implicit (non-declarative).
Explicit (Declarative) Memory:
- Memories that can be consciously recalled.
- Subcategories:
- Episodic Memory: Personal experiences, often with sensory details. (e.g., family vacations)
- Semantic Memory: Factual information without context (e.g., capital cities, historical facts).
Implicit Memory:
- More resistant to forgetting than explicit memories.
- Operates without conscious recall, includes procedural memory (e.g., how to ride a bike).

Example: Skills like tying shoes or riding bikes that become automatic with practice.
Difficult to verbalize the procedures involved, but actions are performed unconsciously.

Familiarity Effect: Preference for familiar stimuli without conscious reasoning.
Propaganda Effect: Increased acceptance of statements simply due to prior exposure, regardless of their correctness.

Integration of serial position effects, levels of processing, and encoding specificity is vital for understanding long term memory retention and retrieval strategies.