Chapter 7: Memory

What is the testing effect?

- being tested on info is better than restudying - more apparent over time

how can you practice?

- make your own test questions - have friends quiz you - make flashcards

how does the storage process work

- storage happens via consolidation - neural connections that support the memory become stronger

What gets stored in long term memory?

-Exposure is not enough -Better memory for... Things you attend Things you process deeply Things that are personally important Things that are interesting

how does the encoding process work

1. Information comes from surroundings 2. The brain transforms information into a neural code

what areas of the brain are involved with memory

1. Prefrontal cortex 2. Temporal lobe 3. Amygdala 4. Cerebellum 5. Hippocampus

What is the three-part model of memory

1. Sensory memory 2. Short term memory 3. Long term memory

how can you distribute your learning

1. no cramming 2. read ahead 3. review notes between classes 4. study a little each day

differences between short term memory and working memory

Short term: - storage only - tested with simple tasks Working: - storage and manipulation - tested with complex tasks

what is encoding

The processing of information so that it can be stored

What is sensory memory?

VERY briefly (less than 1 sec) stores sensory info close to its original sensory form - not everything reaches conscious awareness (requires attention)

what is amnesia

a partial or total memory loss

example of context dependent memory

a scuba diver who was taught words underwater recalled them better underwater than he did on land

what is working memory

active memory system that holds info and manipulates it for current use - part of the short term memory system (also short) - can involve info from STM or reactivated long term memory

what are retrieval cues

anything that helps a person recall info stored in LTM

What is episodic memory?

autobiographical memory - knowledge about the self - EX: remembering your 21st bday

What is chunking in memory?

breaking info up into meaningful units

what is elaborative rehearsal?

encoding info in more meaningful ways

what is state dependent memory

enhanced memory dependent on emotion - remembering sad things more easily when you are already sad

Subdivisions of explicit memory

episodic and semantic memory

what is encoding specificity

experiences during learning can affect what cues are helpful - Ex: piano - something that weighs a lot --> cue = heavy - something with a nice sound --> cue = music

what are the subdivisions of long term memory

explicit and implicit

What is the amygdala responsible for?

fear learning

what is interference

forgetting due to learning new info - either forgetting the new info or forgetting the old info

What is retrograde amnesia?

inability to access old memories

what is absentmindedness?

inattentive or shallow encoding of events - Ex: not paying attention to where you set your phone

What is the serial position effect?

items at the beginning and end of the list are more memorable

What is associative memory

knowing one stimulus predicts another - alters behavior and/or elicits a response - Ex: a dog hearing the treat bag

what is semantic memory

knowledge about facts: - independent from personal experience - EX: jeopardy questions, exams

what is explicit memory

knowledge we are aware of - involves conscious effort

What is deep processing?

level of processing that builds more meaning and leads to better memory - does it fit in this sentence? - is it useful on a deserted island?

What is retrieval?

recalling or remembering stored information when needed

what helps maintain items in the short term memory

rehersal

what is prospective memory

remembering to do something at some future time - Ex: remembering you have a meeting - often use tools like planners, phones, calendars

what is source monitoring?

remembering where you encountered something - Ex: recalling you learned Milgram's experiment in psych class

what is bias

memories change to become consistent with current beliefs or attitudes - Ex: how much you did for a group project

what is the physical location of memory

memory involves multiple regions of the brain (not all regions are equally involved)

what is maintenance rehearsal?

repeating an item over and over

What is procedural memory?

memory of skills and habits - muscle memory - Ex: riding a bike

What is short term memory?

memory storage that briefly holds small amounts of info - info lasts here for 20-30 seconds - holds 7 ± 2 "items" - requires work to maintain

what is implicit memory

memory without awareness - might not know you know - occurs without deliberate effort

what is misattribution

misremember when you encountered the info - thinking you remember info from someone other than the person who gave it to you

What is the cerebellum responsible for?

motor action learning and memory

What is anterograde amnesia?

no formation of new memories

Subdivisions of implicit memory

procedural, associative, and prospective memory

what is blocking

retrieval is blocked by a different memory - "tip of the tongue phenomenon" - Ex: forgetting someone's name **self cueing can help**

similarities between short-term memory and working memory

short and limited in size

What is shallow processing?

simple method of encoding - all uppercase? - does it rhyme?

What is the hippocampus responsible for?

spatial memory

what is memory

the nervous system's capacity to retain and retrieve skills and knowledge

What is consolidation?

the neural process by which encoded information becomes stored in the memory

What is long term memory?

the relatively permanent storage of info - relatively stable - nearly limitless - autobiographical, semantic info, etc

What is storage?

the retention of encoded information over time

what is a concept map

visual wat to organize info - starts with a central topic - create web of connected idea

what is context-dependent memory

where you are during encoding impacts retrieval

What is the prefrontal cortex responsible for?

working memory

What are the best ways to ace your tests?

1. distrbute your learning 2. practice 3. use concept maps 4. use verbal mnemonics 5. use visual imagery

what are the three stages of memory

1. encoding 2. storage 3. retrieval

what are the seven sins of memory

1. interference 2. blocking 3. absentmindedness 4. persistence 5. misattribution 6. bias 7. suggestibility

what is persistence

continual recurrence of unwanted memories - Ex: PTSD

What is the temporal lobe responsible for?

declarative memory

what is suggestibility

development of biased memories due to misleading information - Ex: what happened in the car accident + smashed vs hit + estimate speed + was there broken glass - "remembering" events that did not happen