Memory Unit

What is Implicit Memory? What are some examples? Where is it located in the brain? What happens if those parts of the brain are damaged? What type of processing do we use for implicit memories?

Implicit memories are skills and associations (non-declarative memories) Example: Reading and driving. They are located in the Cerebellum and the basal ganglia. If the cerebellum is damaged you will have a hard time creating new memories or skills. The processing used for is deep processing because these skills and memories made are long lasting and encoded unconsciously.

What is retroactive interference?

new learning disrupts the recall of old information Example:If someone sings a lyric to a song wrong you can't remember the original version and just hear the wrong lyrics

What is source amnesia? How is it linked to Deja Vu?

attributing the wrong source with a memory. Example: Thinking something you saw on buzzfeed was real news information It explains deja vu because you feel like you are reliving that memory when you hear about it because you did not encode enough information

What is the capacity for short term memory?

7 items (+/- 2)

What is another term for implicit memory? What is another term for explicit memory?

Another term for implicit memory is nondeclarative and another word for explicit memory is declarative.

What is the difference between anterograde and retrograde amnesia? What is an example of each?

Anterograde amnesia is when you can recall your past but cannot form any new memories, while Retrograde amnesia is when you can recall new but cannot bring up any old memories. Can still learn implicit non declarative memories but do not know they have them. Anterograde example: A typical example is an older person who keeps asking repeatedly the same question - they are unable to remember what the answer was the first time. Retrograde example: Retrograde amnesia is the loss of memories, such as what happens when someone is in a car crash but they can't remember how the crash happened. Or Alzheimer's and Demensa. More severe cases can cause someone to not remember much more, even to the extent of now knowing their own name.

What is chunking? How is it useful? What are some examples?

Chuncking is organizing material into familiar, manageable units. Many times it happens automatically. More meaningful it is for us the more we remember. Helps break down large information into smaller, more easy to remember pieces. Example: taking a long spelling word and breaking it down into three letter segments (FBI TWA CIA IBM to make full word)

What do contemporary researchers believe about repressed or recovered memories? What memories are we more likely to remember?

Contemporary Researchers believed that we forget unwanted neutral information that have been repressed because they were painful and not revisited very often. They say we cannot forget the strong emotional events or the memories linked to a strong emotion we will be more likely to remember. Example: abuse, love, vacations

What are flashbulb memories? Where are they stored?

Flashbulb memories are long lasting emotional memory with little effort to encode. Example: car crash, tragic event (9/11 day) They are stored in amygdala or limbic system

What is the encoding specificity principle? How does it relate to context-dependent memories?

Encoding specificity principle-predicts that retrieval is most effective when it occurs in the same context as encoding. context dependent- the physical environment where learning took place-consistency (classroom learning & classroom test) state dependent-internal (phobias) mood dependent- happy when learning material and happy when taking the test context forgetting-physical location if you change environment can cause you to forget context reinstatement-go back to that environment and those cues will remind you.

What is explicit memory? What are some examples? Where is it located in the brain? What happens if those parts of the brain are damaged? What type of processing do we use for explicit memories?

Explicit memories are facts and experiences (declarative memories) Examples: test informations, math formulas, vocabulary, personal experiences. It is located in the hippocampus. If this part of the brain is damaged you will have trouble recalling facts and experiences or remembering new ones. Declarative memory ("knowing what") is memory of facts and events, and refers to those memories that can be consciously recalled (or "declared"). This processing can be shallow if encoding is done on a basic level or deep memories are practiced or encoded.

Why is forgetting an important element in memory?

It's important that the brain forgets irrelevant details and instead focuses on the stuff that's going to help make decisions in the real world. It helps keep the brain less cluttered and helps retrieving important information much faster.

Memory

Learning that persists over time through encoding, storage, and retrieval of information

What is the difference between distributed practice and mass practice? Which is more effective? Why?

Mass practice is encoding all at once and cramming information while distributive practice is spacing out the encoding. In massed practice you are fast to forget, while distributive practice has a longer recall time and makes it to long term memory. Distributive practice is more effective because you will retain the information and be able to apply it later on

What are false memories? Why is it so difficult to tell the difference between a false memory and a real memory?

Memories that did not actually occur. If you repeatedly imagine non-existent events and actions which will create a memory. It is hard to tell the difference between a false memory and real memory because the same areas of the brain are used to create memories and imagine a memory.

What is memory construction?

Memory construction is taking a past memory and reweaving and reworking the fine details of the memory. Replace memory with slightly modified version everytime we think of a memory. The fewer times you visit a memory the more precise it will be.

What are the different Mnemonic devices a person could use to help encode memories? What are some examples?

Mnemonic devices people could use to help encode memories are songs, phrases, or pictures that make it easier to encode complicated material. Examples: PEMDAS (math) ROYGBIV (order of rainbow) Y=MX+B song (math)

What is motivated forgetting and when does it happen?

Motivated forgetting is when we process information and filter, alter, or lose a lot of it. It happens when we know we do not need to know certain details for a test or need to retain the information for a test or for long term

What is the difference between recognition and recall? What are some examples? Which is more challenging and why?

Recognition is seeing something, object, or event that is correct and being able to recognize it, whereas recall is being able to retrieve the information without seeing it. Recognition example: multiple choice test Recall example: short answer test. The one that is more challenging is recall because it takes more cues or clues to retrieve that information than if you could see it.

What are different tips to improve memory?

Rehearse repeatedly, put your notes into your own words, recreate the situation or mood of the original learning setting, use mnemonic devices (songs, phrases, stories), minimize interfererence (study before bed), and test yourself and only study the material you do not know.

What is sensory memory? How does it work in the model of memory?

Sensory memory consists of sensory information retained in an unprocessed form in the sensory system through which it entered. This form of memory is short lived (0.5-3 seconds) but has a large capacity. In the model of memory sensory memory happens right after the external events and before the encoding of the memory.

What is state-dependent memory and mood congruent memory? What are some examples?

State-dependent memory is when emotional mood is linked to memory. When in the same mood it is easier to recovery. Mood congruent memory (example: when happy we remember happy events and see the world as a happy place, which will increase your happy mood)

How are stress hormones and the amygdala linked to memory formation?

Stress hormones (epinephrine and non-epinephrine) make memories stronger and they signal the amygdala to make a strong connection between an emotion and a memory. This is the way for us to be alerted of potential dangers and predict the future.

What is the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve? What does it indicate about forgetting?

The Ebbinghaus forgetting curve states that we forget a lot at first but then the forgetting levels off. It indicates that memories decay and are lost over time. This curve shows how information is lost over time when there is no attempt to retain it. It shows that when a memory is not used or revisited it can be forgotten and the brain forgets a lot of information at first when it has not had time to be encoded or made it past the working short term memory.

What is the misinformation effect? Explain experiment on car crashes?

The misinformation effect is when misleading information has corrupted a person's memory of an event. In an experiment on car crashes students watched a crash then answered questions. The group that the crash was described as smashed elaborated the event then the group that the crash was described as hit. The more embellished description caused stronger stories of the event.

What are the serial position effect? How does the recency and primacy effect relate to it?

The serial position effect is the tendency to be able to more easily recall last and first items in a list. Forget the middle. It relates to primacy effect because the first words learned are more likely to have transferred to long term memory. It relates to the recency effect because the last words were more recently previewed and are still in the short term (working) memory that are easier to get to.

What techniques used by therapists can produce false memories?

The techniques of hypnosis used by therapists can produce false memories because when people are under hypnosis they are more open to suggestion and therapists can say things to make a certain memory come out but it is wrong (girl thinking dad raped her). Also therapists can take pictures from a person's childhood and photoshop them into a memory that never happened and a person may believe the memory occured when they see it. (Hot Air Balloon experiment).

What is the capacity for long term memory?

Theoretically, the capacity of long-term memory could be unlimited, the main constraint on recall being accessibility rather than availability. Duration might be a few minutes or a lifetime.

What is proactive interference?

when prior learning disrupts recall of new information Example:remember old password, but can't remember new one b/c the old one is so engraved in the brain