Psy 101 - Memory
According to the Atkinson-Shiffrin model, name and describe the three stages of memory.
According to the Atkinson-Shiffrin model, memory is processed in three stages. The first is sensory memory; this is very brief: 1-2 seconds. Anything not attended to is ignored. The stimuli we pay attention to then move into our short-term memory. Short-term memory can hold approximately 7 bits of information for around 20 seconds. Information here is either forgotten, or it is encoded into long-term memory through the process of rehearsal. Long-term memory is the permanent storage of information—its capacity is basically unlimited.
The ________ says that memories are processed the same way that a computer processes information.
Atkinson-Shiffrin model
What might happen to your memory system if you sustained damage to your hippocampus?
Because your hippocampus seems to be more of a processing area for your explicit memories, injury to this area could leave you unable to process new declarative (explicit) memories; however, even with this loss, you would be able to create implicit memories (procedural memory, motor learning and classical conditioning).
Compare and contrast implicit and explicit memory.
Both are types of long-term memory. Explicit memories are memories we consciously try to remember and recall. Explicit memory is also called declarative memory and is subdivided into episodic memory (life events) and semantic memory (words, ideas, and concepts). Implicit memories are memories that are not part of our consciousness; they are memories formed from behaviors. Implicit memory is also called non-declarative memory and includes procedural memory as well as things learned through classical conditioning.
Remembering the time you fell out of a tree when you were five: Responses
Explicit More specifically, this is an example of episodic memory - an event that happened to you that you can express to another person.
Remembering what present you bought for your aunt:
Explicit This is an example of episodic memory - an event that happened to you that you can express to another person.
Which of the following statements about eyewitness testimony is correct?
Eyewitness misidentification is the leading cause of wrongful convictions.
Which of the following statements about eyewitness testimony is correct?
Eyewitness testimony is vulnerable to the power of suggestion.
If co-witnesses of a crime are permitted to talk to each other, they are prone to contaminate each other's memories. This is an example of
If co-witnesses of a crime are permitted to talk to each other, they are prone to contaminate each other's memories. This is an example of Co-witnesses can have differing memories, and sharing of that information can contaminate their memories.
Climbing a tree:
Implicit
Hearing a French speaker and later noticing French food more often wherever you go:
Implicit
Mekayla loved her second grade teacher and remembers it being her favorite year of elementary school. When her niece asks her about her favorite part of second grade, Mekayla has a hard time remembering anything that actually happened during that year. This is an example of Responses
Mekayla loved her second grade teacher and remembers it being her favorite year of elementary school. When her niece asks her about her favorite part of second grade, Mekayla has a hard time remembering anything that actually happened during that year. This is an example of Responses Our ability to remember details often decreases over time - Mekayla not being able to recall specific examples from something that happened a long time ago is an example of transience.
Compare and contrast the two types of amnesia.
There are two types of amnesia: retrograde and anterograde. Both involve the loss of long-term memory that occurs as the result of disease, physical trauma, or psychological trauma. With anterograde amnesia, you cannot remember new information; however, you can remember information and events that happened prior to your injury. Retrograde amnesia is the exact opposite: you experience loss of memory for events that occurred before the trauma.
Compare and contrast the two types of interference.
There are two types of interference: retroactive and proactive. Both are types of forgetting caused by a failure to retrieve information. With retroactive interference, new information hinders the ability to recall older information. With proactive interference, it's the opposite: old information hinders the recall of newly learned information.
Ebbinghous memory curve states that the result of memory can be measured on acurve adn due to storage decay, an average person will lose 50% of the memorized information after 20 minutes and 70% of the information after 24 hours. Your memory for new information decays quickly and then eventually levels out.
True
True or False: Ebbinghaus found that memory for information drops off rapidly and eventually levels off after 30 days. He called this the forgetting curve and his research demonstrated that 80% of what you learn is lost in the first 30 days after learning.
True
When questioning a victim about the perpetrator of a crime, the police should
When questioning a victim about the perpetrator of a crime, the police should
memory consolidation
active rehersal to move information from short-term memory into long-term memory
The ___________ seems to facilitate encoding memories at a deeper level when the event is emotionally arousing.
amygdala
The main job of the _________ is to regulate emotions, such as fear and aggression.
amygdala
When rats had their ________ removed, they no longer experienced their fear memory.
amygdala The amygdala helps to regulate emotions.
Quincy is struck on the back of the head and finds, while she can remember her life up to the time she was struck on the head, she can no longer make new memories. Quincy has ________ amnesia.
anterograde
In the movie "50 First Dates," the main character wakes up each day not remembering the day before or having met her new boyfriend. She suffers from ________ amnesia.
anterograde Drew Barrymore's character is unable to form new memories due to trauma in the structures of her brain that are responsible for creating new memories.
With __________, you cannot remember new information, although you can remember information and events that happened prior to your injury.
anterograde amnesia
Explicit memories
are those we consciously try to remember, recall, and report
It is believed tat strong emotions trigger the formation of strong memories, and weaker emotional experiences form weaker memories; this is called ______________.
arousal theory
Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon is also known as ________.
blocking
What should be changed to make the following sentence true? There are three types of encoding: semantic, visual, and sensory.
change the word "sensory" to the word "acoustic"
suggestibility
effects of misinformation from external sources that leads to the creation of false memories
________ is when our recollections of the past are done in a self-enhancing manner.
egocentric bias Egocentric bias occurs when our memories are distorted in such a way that it is self-enhancing, meaning that we remember ourselves/actions in a better light.
Although, the hippocampus seems to be more of a processing area for _________ memories, you could still lose it and be able to create implicit memories (procedural memory, motor learning, and classical conditioning), thanks to your cerebellum.
explicit
An exceptionally clear recollection of an important event is a (an) ________.
flashbulb memory
For many in the baby-boom generation, the Kennedy assassination represents a ________, an exceptionally clear recollection of an important event.
flashbulb memory
recognition
identifying previously learned information after encountering it again, usually in response to a cue
Episodic memory
is information about events we have personally experienced (i.e., an episode).
Semantic memory
is knowledge about words, concepts, and language-based knowledge and facts
Long-term memory (LTM)
is the continuous storage of information
Storage
is the creation of a permanent record of information
amnesia
is the loss of long-term memory that occurs as the result of disease, physical trauma, or psychological trauma
absentmindedness
lapses in memory that are caused by breaks in attention or our focus being somewhere else
relearning
learning information that was previously learned
In order for a memory to go into storage (i.e., long-term memory), it has to pass through three distinct stages: sensory memory, short-term memory, and ________ memory.
long-term
forgetting
loss of informaiton from long-term memory
amnesia
loss of long-term memory that occurs as the result of disease, physical trauma or psychological trauma
What is the set of processes used to encode, store, and retrieve information over different periods of time?
memory
transience
memory error in which unused memories fade with the passage of time
misattribution
memory error in which you confuse the source of your information
atkinson-shiffrin model (A-S)
memory model that states we process information through three systems: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory
London remembers a time when she was young when she got lost in a department store and couldn't find her mom. When talking to her family about it, they corrected her memory and said that it was actually her sister who was lost, and that she had just been present. Over time, the source of her original memory became confused. This is an example of Responses
misattribution.
Jazmin tells her best friend, Ella, about a time in middle school when she went to the mall and spilled an entire bottle of ketchup onto her lap. Ella is surprised at the story and says, "No, that didn't happen to you---that happened to me! We were there together, remember?" This is an example of when the source of the memory is confused. This is known as
misattribution. Because Jazmin has falsely identified the source of information - who this happened to - misattribution has occurred.
Arianna was an accomplished gymnast in her youth but hasn't been to the gym for nearly 10 years. Despite this, with some prompting from her old coach, she's able to do almost her entire uneven bar routine. This is an example of Responses
procedural memory. With prompting, Arianna was able to remember "how-to" do her routine.
false memory syndrom
recall of false autobiographical memories
When you take a multiple-choice test, you are relying on ________, a means of retrieving information out of your long-term memory storage system that helps you choose the correct answer. Responses
recognition
Which type of memory is tested on a multiple choice test?
recognition
A multiple choice quiz question will test ________ while an open-ended question will test ________.
recognition; recall
Gabe was essentially fluent in French in elementary school when he lived in Canada, but then moved away until he got a job offer to work in Paris during his 20s. He picks it up again surprisingly fast. This is an example of ________, a means of retrieving information out of your long-term memory storage system. Responses
relearning Gabe is learning to speak French again, after a number of years of not using it.
Demarcus suffered a concussion in his first lacrosse match, causing him to forget everything that happened prior to the match. He has ________ amnesia.
retrograde
Elaine wakes up in the hospital with a head injury. She gets to know her doctors and nurses over time, but it soon becomes clear that she has no memories from before she woke up in the hospital. Elaine has ________ amnesia. Responses
retrograde
Thinking about the meaning of a word and categorizing it into the context of other words you already know is an example of ________ encoding. Responses
semantic
Before a memory makes it to long-term memory, it must first pass through ________ and short-term memory.
sensory The input of sensory events occurs initially.
equipotentiality hypothesis
some part of the brain can take over for damaged parts in forming and storing memories
sensory memory
storage of brief sensory events, such as sights sounds, and tastes
Implicit procedural memory
stores information about the way to do something, and it is the memory for skilled actions, such as brushing your teeth, riding a bicycle, or driving a car.
arousal theory
strong emotion trigger the formation of strong memories and weaker emotional experiences form weaker memories
Which of the seven sins of memory occurs if an investigator asks a child leading questions, causing them to make up a memory?
suggestibility Asking leading questions can cause individuals to make up memories that never happened. This is particularly important to note when considering eyewitness testimony.
self-reference effect
tendency for an individual to have better memory for information that relates to oneself in comparison to material that has less personal relevance
engram
the group of neurons that serve as the "physical representation of memory"
encoding specificity principle
the hypothesis that a retrieval cue will be effective to the extent that information encoded from the cue overlaps or matches information in the engram or memory trace
If co-witnesses of a crime are permitted to talk to each other, they are prone to contaminate each other's memories. This is an example of
the misinformation effect.
When H.M. had his hippocampus removed, he was
unable to form new semantic memories. With the removal of his hippocampus, he could remember things that had happened prior to his surgery, but he was not able to form new semantic memories.
Which of the following is an example of a mnemonic device?
using the acronym "HOMES" to remember the names of the five Great Lakes
Raul can remember exactly where on the page in his textbook he saw a picture of a pie chart about the percentages of the U.S. population that say their favorite colors are either red, yellow, green, blue, or purple. This is an example of ________ encoding.
visual Raul is using images in a text book to be able to aid in memorizing.
The three short-term systems
visuospatial sketchpad, episodic buffer, and phonological loop
Proactive interference
when old information hinders the recall of newly learned information
________ is another name for short-term memory
working memory Working memory is a temporary storage system that processes incoming sensory memory.
Knowing the capital of Texas:
Explicit
Knowing the word for "flower" in Japanese:
Explicit
Solving a geometry problem: Responses
Explicit
Writing using pen and paper:
Implicit You are so well-trained in writing that you don't need to think about it.
For each of the following cases, determine if you would need implicit or explicit memory.Speaking your native language:
Implicit You are so well-trained in your native language that you do not need to consciously think about it.
misinformation effect paradigm
after exposure to incorrect information, a person may misremember the original event
Implicit memories
are long-term memories that are not part of our consciousness
The type of memory processing that is done without conscious awareness is known as
automatic.
When questioning a victim about the perpetrator of a crime, the police should
be intentionally vague and provide opportunities for the victim to offer information.
The formation of new memories is sometimes called ________, and the proces of bringing up old memories is called __________.
construction; reconstruction
The formulation of new memories is sometimes called ________, and the process of bringing up old memories is called ________.
construction; reconstruction
long-term memeroy (LTM)
continuous storage of information
storage
creation of a permanent record of information
What type of memories do we consciously try to remember and recall?
explicit memories
Long-term memories you have to consciously think about are
explicit memories When we have to actively work to remember, we call these explicit memories.
persistence
failure of the memory system that involves the involuntary recall of unwanted memories, particularly unpleasant ones
The recall of false autobiographical memories is known as
false memory syndrome. When people create false autobiographical memories, this is known as false memory syndrome.
A __________ is an exceptionally clear recollection of an important event.
flashbulb memory
memory construction
formulation of new memories
equipotentiality hypothesis
if part of one area of the brain involved in memory is damaged, another part of the same area can take over that memory function
semantic encoding
imput of words and their meaning
retroactive interference
information learned more recently hinders the recall of older information
visual encoding
input of images
encoding
input of information into the memory system
acoustic encoding
input of sounds, words, and music
semantic encoding
input of words and their meaning
Memory
is a set of processes used to encode, store, and retrieve information over different periods of time
anterograde amnesia
loss of memory for events that occur after the brain trauma
retrograde amnesia
loss of memory for events that occured prior to brain trauma
implicit memory
memories that are not part of our consciousness
explicit memory
memories we consciously try to remember and recall
The processes used to encode, store, and retrieve information over time is known as
memory. Memory allows us to store and use information over time.
________ is confusing the source of information.
misattribution.
Remembering ________ is a good example of episodic memory.
your 16th birthday party
short-term memory (STM)
(also, working memory) holds about seven bits of information before it is forgotten or stored, as well as information that has been retrieved and is being used
Short-term memory storage lasts ___________ seconds.
15-30
Because of its role in processing emotional information, the ________ is also involved in memory consolidation: the process of transferring new learning into long-term memory
Amygdala
The ________ says that memories are processed the same way that a computer processes information.
Atkinson-Shiffrin model According to the A-S model, memories are processed through sensory, short-term, and long-term memory.
Compare and contrast the two processes we use to encode information.
Information is encoded through automatic or effortful processing. Automatic processing refers to all information that enters long-term memory without conscious effort. This includes things such as time, space, and frequency—for example, your ability to remember what you ate for breakfast today or the fact that you remember that you ran into your best friend in the supermarket twice this week. Effortful processing refers to encoding information through conscious attention and effort. Material that you study for a test requires effortful processing.
Opening a present:
Opening a present: You can open a present without thinking about it.
Amy studied German in high school but began studying French once in college. When she meets another German student, she can't seem to find any German words to stay. Instead she only remembers French. This is an example of ________ interference.
Retroactive
____________ is loss of memory for events that occured prior to the trauma.
Retrograde amnesia
______________ describes the effects of misinformation from external sources that leads to the creation of false memories.
Suggestibility
"Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally" (PEMDAS) is a popular way for math teachers to help their students remember the order of operations (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction). This is an example of Responses
a mnemonic device.
Doug cannot find his keys, but cannot remember where. This is an example of Responses
absentmindedness
recall
accessing information without cues
retrieval
act of getting information out of long-term memory storage and back into conscious awareness
effortful processing
encoding of information that takes effort and attention
automatic processing
encoding of informational details like time, space, frequency, and the meaning of words
automatic processing
encoding of informational details like time, space, frequency, and the meaning of words.
Holly was sitting on her bed when she remembered she needed to call her mom about what to do for her grandma's birthday. She got up and did a few dishes before calling her mom, but then she forgot why she had needed to call. She retraced her steps back to her bed, then suddenly remembered the purpose of the call. This can be explained by the
encoding specificity principle.
The three functions of memory
encoding, storage, and retrieval
This physical trace of memory is known as the ________.
engram The engram is the group of neurons that serve as the "physical representation of memory."
Explicit memory is divided into
episodic memory and semantic memory
The storage capacity of long-term memory is ________.
essentially limitless Often compared to what you would save on your computer hard drive, the capacity of long-term memory is thought to be limitless.
flashbulb memory
exceptionally clear recollection of an important event
Episodic memories and semantic memories are both examples of ________ memory.
explicit
Retroactive interference
happens when information learned more recently hinders the recall of older information
The "I knew it all along" phenomenon is known as Responses
hindsight bias. hindsight bias. Hindsight bias occurs when people falsely believe that they "knew something was going to happen."
Another job of the ___________ is to project information to cortical regions that give memories meaning and connect them with other memories. it also plays a part in memory consolidation: the process of transferring new learning into long-term memory.
hippocampus
H.M. was unable to form any new semantic memories because of the removal of his ________.
hippocampus
The ___________ is involved in memory, specifically normal recognition memory as well as spatial memory (when memory tasks are like recall tests).
hippocampus
Injury to the _________ area leaves us unable to process new declarative memories.
hippocampus.
bias
how feelings and view of the world distort memory of past events
Memory aids that help us organize information for encoding are called
mnemonic devices.
proactive intererence
old information hinders the recall of newly learned information
serial position effect
our tendency to recall best the last and first items on a list
Which of the seven sins of memory occurs when you simply cannot forget a traumatic event?
persistence persistence Sometimes a person is not able to forget a traumatic event, even when they wish to.
engram
physical trace of memory
There are two types of interference
proactive interference and retroactive interference
reconstruction
process of bringing up old memories that might be distorted by new information
Students were asked about the speed of cars involved in an accident. When the verb was changed from "contacted" to "smashed", ________. Responses
students were more likely to report that there was broken glass involved in the accident
memory
system or process that stores what we learn for future use
The amygdala is involved in fear and fear memories
true
The cerebellum plays a role in processing procedural memories, such as how to play the piano.
true
The hippocampus is associated with declarative and episodic memory as well as recognition memory.
true
The prefrontal cortex appears to be involved in remembering semantic tasks.
true
Short-term memory is more accurately described as a component of working memory.
ture
semantic memory
type of declarative memory about words, concepts, and language-based knowledge and facts
episodic memory
type of declarative memory that contains information about events we have personally experienced, also known as autobiographical memory
procecdural memory
type of long-term memory for making skilled actions, such as how to brush your teeth, how to drive a car, and how to swim
declarative memory
type of long-term memory of facts and events we personally experience
