Psych 202 Lecture February 19,2015Introduction to Memory Processes- Four Models of Memoryo 1. Information processing approach- memory is a process; similar to a computer;three basic processes: encoding, storage, retrievalo 2. Parallel Distributed Processing Model- memory is distributed across a wide network of interconnected neurons location in various location in the brain; when activated, the network works simultaneously (parallel manner) to process informationo 3. Levels of Processing Approach- memory depends on the degree or depth of processing occurring; shallow processing leads to little memory; deeper processing leads to greater memory; processing is how much you think about something (recall versus recognition)o 4. Stage Model- the flow of information through the memory system (figure 6.8 from textbook) Sensory inputSensory memory (unattended information is lostafter about 3 seconds)Short-term memory (unrehearsed information is lost)Long-term memory (some information may be lost over time; capable of encoding and retrieving); short term memory=30 seconds or less (unless renewed); information goes from LTM to STM to be retrieved- We only remember stimulation that enters our sensory memory processes if it: receives attention in conscious experiencing of one or more sensory modalities; is held and maintained in STM (working memory)- Iconic vs. echoic memory- Short term memory (STM) aka working memory- three part working memory; visuospatial sketchpad- where things are; phonological rehearsal loop- language based rehearsal of info; central executive- managing working memory as a whole; requires attention and has limited capacity; stores 7( +/-2) noticed items for up to 30 seconds (longer with “rote” or “maintenance” rehearsal); chunking increases STM capacity- facilitates encoding and transfer to LTM (facilitates “consolidation” of information in STMand LTM)- Primacy effect and recency effect- you remember best what happens first or last- Long Term Memory (LTM): Our enduring recollection of recent and remote past; explicit (without conscious recall)= Procedural memory- motor and cognitive skills; Priming- enhanced identification of objects or words and implicit memory (with conscious recall)=semantic- facts and general knowledge; episodic- personally experienced events- Examples of measuring explicit memory: recollection of facts/ events consciously retrieved in response to direct questions- Recall vs. recognition tests, like “Name the 7 dwarves from snow white (recall: 67% accuracy) vs. selection of names from a list (86% accuracy)”- Elaborative rehearsal needed to create meaningful “chunks” and “hierarchies”; must go beyond rote rehearsal to “deeper” processing (meaning and self-relevance); in elaborative rehearsal, you create a rich “semantic network”- Organization of explicit LTM: semantic networks of related concepts; in semantic networks, the activation of one concept (mental grouping of items) helps you remember other items (ex: redfire engine truckvehiclebustransportation)- What does this mean for memory demands of testing/studying?- don’t focus on rote/maintenance rehearsal. Instead: consolidate knowledge by organizing it into semantic networks (encoded meaning); utilize chunking and hierarchies or concept mapsto assist the elaborative process of memory- Sleep plays an active role in memory consolidation; sleep= increased hippocampal activity, interaction between hippocampus and frontal lobe; facilitates interaction between interaction of hippocampus with frontal lobe - Hippocampus is critical as an “index” for LTM storage; without hippocampus, you can retrieve old LTMs but can’t create new LTMs; only STM- Memory Loss: A Case Study; virus infection destroyed part of his brain; EP video; this would be in a 6 foot rat (he repeated the story several times unknowingly); temporal lobes affected by the virus- Anterograde amnesia: inability to transfer from STM to LTM- Retrograde amnesia: inability to retrieve information from before a particular date- Consolidation: memories becoming more stable in the brain over time- Biological bases of memory- neuronal and Synaptic Changes: repeated stimulation of a synapse can strengthen the synapse by causing the dendrites to grow more spines; ability of a neuron to release its neurotransmitters can be increased or decreased- Greenough (rats who exercised vs. learned) found…neural connections increased; blood supply increased; glial cells increased; actual brain changes with learning, while controlling for motor activity- Long term potentiation (LTP): a process whereby communication across the synapse between neurons strengthens connection, making further communication easier- NMDA receptor: a receptor site on the hippocampus that influences the flow of information between neurons by controlling the initiation of LTP; NMDA receptors have glutamates bind to them and excitation occurs- Information is sometimes available in memory, even if we can’t access it; existence of forgetting has never been proved- Encoding specificity principle: the idea that a retrieval cue can serve as an effective reminder when it helps recreate the specific way in which information was initially encodedo (1) State dependent retrieval: information to be better recalled when the personis in the same stated during encoding and retrieval; if learned in a certain context, state then easier to retrieve; true with substances but also emotiono (2) Transfer-appropriate processing: memory is likely to transfer from one situation to another when the encoding context of the situations match - Alcohol, myopia, and memory: cognitive nearsightedness (relatively low BAC=.06); alcohol decreases reasoning and concentration; failure to process all cues; (severe alcohol abuse: Korsakov’s or memory/cognitive impairment)- Reconstructive nature of LTM: the past is malleable and flexible, constantly changing as our recollection reinterprets and re-explains what has