short-term memory- (psy 301- memory lecture)

Understanding Short-Term Memory

• Short-term memory serves as a temporary holding space for information.

• There are filters that determine what information stays in short-term memory.

• Demonstration activity: Participants were asked to remember a list of words.

  • Words included: function, long, neck, cooking, abuse, stimulus, root, experience, divorce, identical, events, nervous, illness, leaf, carpet, rationalizing, learning, zoo, draft, random.

• After presenting the words, participants wrote down as many as they could remember.

• Participants completed a survey noting which words they recognized.

Memory Capacity and Recall Patterns

• Research indicates that most people remember 5-9 items (the magic number seven).

• Two primary patterns in recall:

  • Primacy Effect: Ability to remember items presented first in a list due to lack of interference.

  • Recency Effect: Ability to remember items presented last in a list because they are still fresh in the short-term memory.

• Combined, these effects are known as serial order effects.

Analysis of Word Recall

• Words such as "function," "long," and "neck" were remembered better due to their position.

• Words remembered poorly included "events," "identical," "nervous," and "experience" indicating that longer or less emotionally charged words were harder to recall.

• Exception: The word "divorce" was recalled frequently, highlighting its emotional significance.

  • Emotionally salient words tend to stick in memory better.

  • Personal relevance can enhance memory retention (e.g., connections to one’s life).

Applying Memory Principles in Learning

• Emotional significance and personal relevance increase likelihood of recall.

• Example of personal connection: Identical could be memorable for those related to twins.

• Strategies for studying:

  • Make information personally relevant to improve memory retention.

  • Shuffle flashcards regularly to avoid serial order effects.

  • In high-stakes situations (e.g., interviews), position yourself strategically (first or last) to avoid being forgotten.

Moving From Short-Term to Long-Term Memory

• Rehearsal: A technique to transfer information from short-term to long-term memory.

• The process of retaining complex information requires attention and rehearsal to prevent loss.

• A demonstration showed children trying to memorize messages, illustrating how rehearsal works.

  • Ineffective rehearsal (focusing only on known parts) leads to poor memory retention.

  • Memory retrieval is reconstructive, so each recall session can slightly alter the memory.

Points to Note About Memory Processing

• Immediate attention to information is crucial for its retention.

• Forgetting someone's name right after they introduce themselves is a common experience due to lack of attention.

• Rehearsal must be comprehensive, covering all aspects and not just easy parts to ensure complete encoding into memory.

• There’s a risk of changing memories through reconstruction during retrieval, signifying the importance of rehearsing carefully.