Cognitive 325 Week 7a - Remembering

Cognitive Psychology Overview

• Course Title: Cognitive Psychology 325

• Instructor: Dr. Jonas Vibell

Key Topics in Cognitive Psychology

• Cognitive Psychology

  • Focus on understanding mental processes such as perception, attention, and memory.

• Cognitive Neuroscience

  • Study of how cognitive processes are linked to brain activity.

• Memory Systems

  • Different types of memory including sensory, short-term, and long-term memory.

• Memory Errors

  • Investigate the common errors in memory retrieval and recall.

• Concepts and Imagery

  • Explore how concepts are formed and the role of imagery in cognitive processes.

• Language

  • Study of language acquisition, processing, and its cognitive implications.

• Problem Solving/Experimentation

  • Analysis of problem-solving strategies and experimental methodologies in cognitive research.

• Judgments, Decisions, and Reasoning

  • Understanding the cognitive basis of how decisions are made.

• Intelligence & Creativity

  • Investigating the cognitive aspects of intelligence and creativity.

Memory

Class Focus: Understanding Memory

• Goal: Examine why memorization is vital and review memory tests.

• Topics:

  • Long-term Memory

  • Different forms of memory (Explicit vs. Implicit)

  • Memory forgetting and interference processes

  • Amnesia and its cognitive implications

Human Memory Structure

• Short-term Memory (STM)

  • Receives input from sensory memory and long-term memory.

  • Limited capacity; normally lasts <20 seconds without rehearsal.

• Types of Memory:

  • Sensory Memory: Lasts less than a second.

  • Short-term Memory: Acts as working memory; retains information <1 minute.

  • Long-term Memory: Lasts a lifetime; can store declarative (facts, events) and non-declarative (skills, tasks) memory.

    • Declarative Memory: Includes episodic (events, experiences) and semantic memory (facts, concepts).

    • Non-declarative Memory: Includes procedural memory, priming, and conditioning.

Short-term Memory

Characteristics of STM

• Information in conscious awareness; very short retention without rehearsal.

• Rehearsal: Vital for maintaining information in STM and transferring it to long-term memory.

  • Without rehearsal, information is lost; STM has limited capacity.

Memory Tasks

Sperling’s Memory Task

• Utilized to demonstrate memory capacity and recall precision.

  • Whole Report: Report all letters seen.

  • Partial Report: Report a specific row identified by a tone.

  • Delayed Partial Report: Report one row after a delay; results tend to decline significantly when the delay is introduced.

Miller’s Magical Number 7

• General rule: humans can remember approximately 7 items.

• Chunking: Technique to group items into larger, familiar units to enhance memory.

Serial Position Effects

• Primacy Effect: Superior recall for beginning information (long-term retention).

• Recency Effect: Superior recall for ending information (short-term retention).

• Asymptote: Average recall for middle sequence items.

Reasons for Forgetting in STM

• Decay: Memory traces fade over time without rehearsal.

• Interference:

  • Proactive Interference: Older information obstructs retrieval of newer information.

  • Retroactive Interference: Newer information obstructs retrieval of older information.

Amnesia

Types of Amnesia

• Anterograde Amnesia: Difficulty forming new memories; usually preserves older memories and skills.

• Retrograde Amnesia: Loss of memories prior to an injury or specific event.

Research Questions in Memory

• How does information enter memory?

• How is information maintained?

• How is information retrieved?

Methods of Studying Memory

• Encoding: Attention is crucial for forming memories.

• Retention Interval: The time frame for how long the information is retained. Methods include:

  • Intentional learning; incidental learning; mood induction; rehearsal strategies.

• Retrieval Methods:

  • Direct: free recall, serial recall, recognition.

  • Indirect: implicit memory tests, word stem completion, speeded reading tests.

Forgetting Mechanisms

• Decay Theory: Memory traces fade when not accessed.

• Interference Theory: Older/newer information interferes with retrieval.

• Encoding Failure: Information not attended to fails to be encoded.