Transcript Memory
Memory If technological advances would allow it, would you ever want to intentionally get rid of memories of some specific events? Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Information Processing Sensory Register Temporary storage Unlimited capacity Iconic memory Echoic memory Iconic memory Information Processing Information Processing Short Term Memory (STM) Holds information that we are thinking about or are aware of (consciously) Has two primary tasks Storing new information briefly Working on that information Also known as working memory Serial Position Effect Short Term Memory Storage Verbal information is stored phonologically By its sound Some information is stored visually Images are often stored visually and verbally Short Term Memory Capacity Limited capacity 7 ± 2 units Short Term Memory Chunking Information lasts longer in STM than in the sensory registers because we can rehearse it. Rote rehearsal Retaining information in STM simply by repeating it over and over Information Processing Long Term Memory (LTM) Capacity Long-term memory can store a vast amount of information that can last for many years. Encoding Most of the information in LTM seems to be encoded according to its meaning. Semantic Network Organization of LTM Schemas Organized, repeatedly exercised patterns of thought or behavior Which color is on top on a stoplight? How many rows of stars are on the U.S. flag? Whose image is on a dime? Is he wearing a tie? What five words besides In God We Trust appear on most U.S. coins? When water goes down the drain, does it swirl clockwise or counterclockwise? Automatic Processing Space Time Frequency Encoding Rote rehearsal Elaborative rehearsal Visual imagery Mnemonics Acronyms and acrostics Method of loci Pegword method Retrieval Organization encoding Retrieval Cues Encoding Specificity Principle Environmental context State dependent learning Flashbulb Memories memories centered on a specific, important, or surprising event that are so vivid it is as if they represented a snapshot of the event Vividness comes from importance of the event as well as emotional content Déjà vu Decreases with age and increases with education and income Is more common in persons who travel, remember their dreams, and have liberal political and religious beliefs Is most likely triggered by a general physical context, although spoken words alone sometimes produce the illusion Is experienced mainly when people are indoors, engaged in leisure activities or relaxing, and in the company of friends Is relatively brief – 10 to 30 seconds – and is more frequent in the evening than in the morning, and on the weekend than on weekdays Is responded to more positively than negatively, with people typically indicating they are surprised, curious, or confused Forgetting Decay theory Interference theory Retroactive Proactive Forgetting Motivated Forgetting Suppression Repression Encoding failure Retrieval failure Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon Reconstruction of Memories As memories fade, fill in details May use schemas Hindsight bias Children’s Eyewitness Memory Children’s eyewitness recall can be unreliable if leading questions are posed. However, if cognitive interviews are neutrally worded, the accuracy of their recall increases. In cases of sexual abuse, this usually suggests a lower percentage of abuse. The Biology of Memory Amnesia Retrograde Anterograde Childhood The Biology of Memory Hippocampus explicit memory The Biology of Memory Cerebral cortex, striatum, amygdala implicit memory Hormones and Memory Adrenaline Noradrenaline Cortisol Korsakoff’s Syndrome Diencephalon (thalamus/hypothalamus) Alzheimer’s Disease Amyloid beta protein Basal forebrain, hippocampus, cerebral cortex Acetylcholine