persistence of learning over time through storage and retrieval of tChapter 8 Memory Phenomenon of Memory Memory information Some questions about memory How do we get that stuff into our heads o Encoding How do we hold that stuff in our heads o Storage retention How do we get that stuff out of our heads o Retrieval Why do we sometimes forget things o Forgetting Studying Memory Information Processing Models Encoding Storage Retrieval if you want to access info that s in your long term memory you have to first pass it back to the short term memory so that you re able to use it Sensory Memory capacity is limitless unlimited all encompassing duration is a fraction of a second Short term Memory duration is approximately 30 seconds capacity 7 2 we should be able to hold that much info at one time Long term Memory unlimited capacity unlimited in duration should be in our memory forever Sensory Memory All incoming info held for only a fraction of a second Iconic memory Echoic memory sensory memory for visual information persistence of acoustics Encoding Getting Information In How We Encode o Effortful Processing Hermann Ebbinghaus Primacy effects good memory that we have at the beginning of the list Recency effects good memory that we have at the end of the list Short Term Memory Capacity Digit Span trying to figure out how much info you can hold in your short term memory you start out by giving your participant a series of 3 digits then you take them away and ask them to recall those digits you keep doing this again and again but add a digit each time When they get it wrong you assume that they ve reached their capacity they can t hold any more in their short term memory Studying Memory Information Processing Models Working Memory conscious active processing of incoming information newer way of understanding STM that focuses on o Central Executive responsible for finding cognitive resources Encoding Getting Information In o Automatic processing How We Encode information e g space time frequency effort o Effortful processing unconscious encoding of incidental encoding that required attention and conscious Rehearsal conscious repetition of information What We Encode o Levels of Processing We encode what we expect Visual encoding Acoustic encoding Semantic encoding encoding of picture images encoding of sounds especially of words encoding of meaning Deep processing Self reference effect better retention for information that we can relate to ourselves than info that can t be related to the self you re more likely to remember things that relate to yourself What We Encode o Organizing Information for Encoding Chunking units organizing information into familiar manageable Units should be meaningful Storage Retaining Information Storing Implicit Explicit Memories o Implicit memory o Explicit memory consciously know and declare retention independent of conscious recollection memory of facts experiences that one can Storing Memory in the Brain o Storing Implicit Explicit Memories The Hippocampus located in limbic system helps process explicit memories for storage consolidation Left hippocampus controls linguistic info right hippocampus controls verbal info Storing Memory in the Brain o Storing Implicit Explicit Memories The Cerebellum implicit memories created by classical conditioning o Memories are distributed not localized Because we have an infinite number of firing patterns we can learn an infinite amount of information It s the pattern of information that matters not the individual neurons o Stress Hormones Memory Activated stress hormones increase glucose availability to brain Arousal increases amygdala activity being in a flight or fight o Flashbulb Memories state plays an important role in negative emotions photographic memory How did you hear about a particular event not that you witnessed the event yourself but how did you hear about that event Memory of the circumstances surrounding hearing about shocking highly charged important events Highly emotional Longer duration Highly vivid measure of memory in which person must retrieve information measure of memory in which person must identify items g measure of memory that assesses amount of time saved when Retrieval Getting Information Out Recognition Recall learned earlier previously learned learning material a second time Relearnin Retrieval Cues o Priming memory o Context Effects activation often unconscious of particular associations in When you study and test under the same conditions your performance is good but if it s mismatched your performance will be bad external environment can act as a retrieval cue o Moods Memories State dependent learning states of the participant ex if you study when your hungry test when your hungry Mood congruent memory are consistent with one s current good or bad mood learning is associated with internal tendency to recall experiences that Forgetting Encoding Failure failing to put info into long term storage in the first place Storage Decay o Gradual fading of physical memory trace o New learning disrupts retrieval Retrieval Failure o Interference Proactive old information makes it difficult to learn new information ex in January of a new year you re still writing the old year when you write the date down Retroactive information Positive transfer information new information makes it difficult to recall old old information facilitates learning new o Motivated Forgetting Repression basic defense mechanism that banishes anxiety arousing thoughts feelings and memories from consciousness Can later be recovered with help from a qualified psychoanalyst Memory Construction Misinformation Imagination Effects o Misinformation effect one s memory of an event incorporating misleading information into