Memory Constructing and Reconstructing our Pasts 03 04 2013 Definition the retention of information over time Our memories are surprisingly good in some situations and surprisingly bad in others The paradox of memory Word Activity Did you include the word sweet If so this is a memory illusion Our brains will often go beyond the available information to make sense of the world Generally adaptive but makes us prone to errors Reconstructive Memory When remembering we actively reconstruct memories not passively reproduce them Observer memory vs field memory Observer anytime we remember things from another point of view Field when you see things from your own perspective Sensory Memory brief storage of perceptual information before it is passed to short Three Systems of Memory term memory Iconic memories Visual Last for about a second Echoic memories Auditory Last as long as 5 10 seconds Short Term Memory memory system that retains information for limited durations Closely related to working memory Duration probably no longer than about 20 seconds Long Term Memory relatively enduring retention of information stored regarding our facts experiences and skills Capacity huge Duration from minutes to years Short Term Memory Decay fades over time makes you lose old information learn new information We can lose information in our STM due to two different processes Interference loss of information due to competition of new incoming information Retroactive interference learn new information and that new information you gain Proactive interference remember info from long term memory but have no space to The span of STM in adults is 7 plus or minus 2 pieces of information We can extend our STM span by using chunking Rehearsal repeating information in STM extends the duration of it Maintenance rehearsal is simply repeating the stimuli in the same form Elaborative rehearsal links stimuli to each other in a meaningful way The more deeply we process information the better we tend to remember it Levels of Processing Shallow Visual processing Phonological processing The way words sound Semantic processing Deep Short Term Memory Capacity is 7 9 stimuli Duration is 20 seconds at most Mistakes are acoustic Long Term Memory Capacity is virtually unlimited Duration is decades to permastore Permastore anything that is permanent that we will never forget Mistakes are semantic Predicting what we remember Primacy effect shows up in remembering stimuli that were presented first Long Term Memory Recency effect shows up in remembering stimuli that were presented most recently Short Term Memory Also more likely to remember stimuli that are odd or distinctive Types of Long Term Memory Explicit declarative memory Semantic Memories for facts Episodic Life memories Memory for how to do things Procedural Priming Conditioning Habituation NEED INFOOOO Implicit memories we can act on that aren t in our conscious memory ex Riding a bike Remembering something because it has been activated in our memory before False Memories When Good Memory Goes Bad Flashbulb Memory emotional memory that is extraordinarily vivid and detailed Source Monitoring lack of clarity about the origin of a memory Cryptoamnesia Vanilla Ice example he convinced himself that he never copied other artists Implanting False Memories Elizabeth Loftus work on suggestive memory techniques Smashed vs hit crashed cars misleading questions and the misinformation effect Lost in the mall study and recalling events that never happened Event plausibility and Recency can both impact strength of false memories Existence proofs show that it is possible to create memories that are impossible Hot air balloon ride Bugs Bunny at Disney World From the Lab to the Real World Weak correlation between eyewitness confidence in their testimony and accuracy To be a good eye witness it helps to have More time Good lighting Not under a lot of distress Less accurate when Observing others of different race Witness has talked to other witnesses The observed situation is stressful ex Threatening weapon involved Suggestibility Child Testimony Children are highly vulnerable to suggestions to recall events that did not happen Repeated questions about a topic make it more likely that they will say it happened Sam Stone and the soiled teddy bear False Memory Controversy Repressing and then later recovering memories of abuse with memory recovery Researchers find no evidence to support these claims and say it is due to suggestive The Seven Sins of Memory therapists techniques Suggestibility Misattribution Bias Transience Persistence Blocking Absentmindedness Emotion Motivation What Moves Us 03 04 2013 Emotions Emotion Motivation What Moves Us 03 04 2013 Mental states or feelings associated with our evaluation of our experiences Several theories on what causes our emotions but lots of support for which ones we have Discrete Emotions Theory complex ways Humans experience a small number of distinct emotions even if they combine in Proponents assert emotions have biological roots and serve evolutionary functions Also state that emotions limbic system precede our thoughts about them cortex Good support for seven primary emotions Happiness disgust fear sadness surprise anger and contempt Pride may also be a primary emotion These combine to form secondary emotions Smiles Duchenne Smile Real Smile Eyes smiling with the mouth Pan Am Smile Fake Smile Criticisms Context is really important The surrounding context is important and the theory doesn t take that into account Emotion Motivation What Moves Us 03 04 2013 Physiology Fear Skin Conductance Response Nervousness hand sweating Startle Reflex Humans blink Armadillos jump up when startled Emotions ad Physiology Able to differentiate some primary emotions physiologically Heart rate increases more with negative emotions Digestive systems slows down with fear Not all are different though Happy and sad look the same in brain scans Multiple brain regions active in all emotions Cognitive Theories of Emotion Think First Feel Later An undifferentiated state of arousal the same across all emotions Two factor theory Two psychological events are required to produce an emotion An attribution explanation of that arousal Unconscious Influences on Emotion Many emotional reactions may be generated automatically Subliminal exposure to positive or negative cues influences moods Mere exposure effect and liking more familiar stimuli Making changes in your face like your
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