PSY 101 Memory

Hippocampus

explicit memory formation

Amygdala

implicit and emotional memory information

What is retrograde amnesia?

loss of previously stored memories

What is semantic memory (under declarative memory)?

memory for facts and basic meanings of words and concepts (encyclopedia)

What is episodic memory (under declarative memory)?

memory for personal events (biographical)

What is long-term memory?

nearly unlimited capacity

What is retroactive interference?

new information interferes with information learned in past ex. spanish at 9am, italian at 11am, receives F on spanish test at 3pm

What is shallow processing?

notice some physical features

What is proactive interference?

old information interferes with newly learned information ex. spanish at 9am, italian at 11am, receives F on italian test at 3pm

What does the cerebellum play a role in?

procedural memory and classically conditioned responses

Your recollection of how to use your clicker is an example of _ memory, whereas your recollection of the events from your first day of class this semester is an example of _ memory.

procedural; episodic

How do we reduce recency effect?

recency effect is not evident if there's a delay and/or interference

What does the cerebral cortex play a role in?

sensory memories

What does declarative and procedural memory describe?

the content

What does explicit and implicit memory describe?

the process

What is deep processing?

think about meaning

What is consolidation?

turning short-term memory into long-term memory

What is storage?

- retention of encoded material over time - "save"

Cerebellum

implicit memory formation

What is anterograde amnesia?

inability to form new memories

What is intermediate processing?

notice patterns and a little more detail

What is H.M.'s case study?

- Henry Molaison - 27 year old man with epilepsy - brain surgery removed part of brain, including his hippocampus - could not form new memories (anterograde amnesia) - also lost some old memories (retrograde amnesia) - normal intelligence and working memory

What does the amygdala and hippocampus play a role in?

- declarative memory (facts, dates, names) - memories of emotional significance (amygdala)

What is chunking?

- helps hold more pieces of information - reconfiguring items by grouping them on the basis of similarity or some other organizing principle - combining items into larger patterns

Compare immediate recall vs. later recall.

- immediate recall: last items best (primacy effect) - later recall: only first items recalled well (recency effect)

What is short-term memory?

- includes working memory - refers to what is going on in short-term memory - involves active processing of information in short-term memory - limited capacity - lasts only briefly without rehearsal

What is encoding?

- initial processing of information that leads to a representation in memory - "data entry"

What is Ebbinghaus's forgetting curve?

- nonsense syllables: BAF, XOF, MEQ - forgot more than half by an hour

What are methods to improve memory?

- recall details - organize information - make connections - give yourself time - get some rest

What is retrieval?

- recovery of stored information at a later time - recall - recognition (is easier) - "open"

What is sensory memory?

- represents physical features of sensory stimuli for a few seconds or less - iconic memory = visual - echoic memory = sounds

What is the levels-of-processing theory?

- shallow processing (visual encoding) results in poor recall - deep processing (semantic/meaning encoding) results in better recall

What are techniques for better memory recall?

- survey - question - read - recall - review - individualize process - space study - minimize distractions - test frequently - sleep

What are 2 types of memory content?

1. declarative memory: memory for facts and events 2. procedural memory: memory for how to do things (skills and behaviors)

What are 2 types of memory use?

1. explicit memory: involves conscious effort 2. implicit effort: does not involve effort

What is the serial position effect?

1. primacy effect - enhanced recall of information at beginning of list - rehearsal 2. recency effect - enhanced recall of information at end of list - in short-term memory

How many pieces of information can we hold in short-term memory?

7+/-2, so 5-9 pieces of information

Jerry suffered a brain injury when a steel beam fell on his head. He can't remember anything that has happened since the accident. Jerry is experiencing _ amnesia.

anterograde