Transcript Chapter 8 – Memory General Psychology

General Psychology
Chapter 8 – Memory
Sarah Rach
Questions to Consider
ABC…
 123…
 What is your address?
 What is your cell phone number?
 Who are these people?

Can you read this?

Olny srmat poelpe can raed tihs.
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd
what I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the
hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at
Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht
oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt
tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit
pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can
sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the
huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but
the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I
awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
Our minds are
magnificent
things!
Memory…

Is the persistence of learning over time
through the storage and retrieval of
information
How do we remember?

Encoding

Storage

Retrieval
Three stages to form memories
1. We record to-be-remembered information as
sensory memories
2.We process information into a short-term
memory bin, where we encode it through
rehearsal
3.Information moves into long-term memory
for later retrieval
Updated model
Some info is processed directly and
automatically into long-term memory, without
our conscious awareness
 Working memory concentrates on the
active processing of information in this stage

We pay attention to that which is novel or
important
 Use it or lose it

How much effort???

To….
Drive home
 Get dressed
 Put make up on
 Walk to your class
 Text message a friend
 Type an email
Examples of…

Automatic Processing
We automatically process info about…

Space


Time


You are taking a test… you recall that info at the
top of the first page in the chapter
You re-trace your day… and remember that at
12:30 you got home and set your cell phone
down… now you can go and find it
Frequency

Wow, I have already ran into you three times
today!
Do NOT read these words!
But it didn’t start that way…
The cat purred as he pet it.
C-A-T
Learning to read requires
effortful processing
Effortful Processing

218-924-2372
Take this number to the
front desk (you may not
write it down!)
 How do you remember
it???

We remember info better when…

It is distributed over time
Spacing effect – tendency for distributed study
or practice to yield better long-term retention
than is achieved through massed study or
practice.
 Semester course vs. one month course
 Study a little each day

NO Cramming!
Check out this list….
dog
cat
horse
pig
cow
donkey
chicken
bull
kitten
calf
What do you remember?
First item?
 Last item?
 Middle items?


Serial position effect
There are many other ways to
remember information…
Make it meaningful
 Visual encoding
 Acoustic encoding
 Mnemonic devices
 Chunking
 Hierarchies

Back to that list…

What do you remember now???
When rehearsal isn’t enough



Paragraph on page 258
Without making it meaningful – it
doesn’t mean much to us and
therefore it is very difficult to
remember
Semantic encoding – process the
info deeply by its meaning

Produces better recognition than
shallow processing (visual or acoustic
encoding)
The amount remembered depends
both on the time spent learning
and on our making it meaningful.
More on Encoding…

Visual
Easier to remember concrete words that we
can attach visual images to
 Abstract, low-imagery words are much more
difficult

 Inherent

vs. baseball
Two ways is better than one!

Concrete nouns – we can visualize and it
has a meaning (visual and semantic)
 Candle
Life was so wonderful…

“Back in the day”

Rosy retrospect – phenomenon of remembering high
points while forgetting mundane times
…she forgot about almost missing the plane, the humid
weather, sand crabs, and the rain on 5 of the 7 days they
were there…
Mnemonic Devices
Greek word for memory
Every good boy deserves fudge
 My very elderly mother just served us nine
pizzas


Peg-word System
Peg-word system
One is a bun
 Two is a shoe
 Three is a tree
 Four is a door
 Five is a hive
 Six is sticks
 Seven is heaven
 Eight is a gate
 Nine is swine
 Ten is a hen

Acoustic
&
Visual
Your Turn!

Shopping list for Walmart


You need ten items
Use the Peg-word system
Chunking
Occurs quite naturally
 Personally meaningful arrangements
 Acronyms

ROY G BIV – colors of the rainbow
 FACE – keys on the piano
 HOMES – Great Lakes names

Hierarchies

Make a hierarchy…
Collie
Cat
Tabby
Siamese
Dog
Poodle
Mammal
Outlining Material
1.
Encoding
A.
B.
C.
Meaning
Imagery
Organization
A.
B.
2.
3.
Chunks
Hierarchies
Storage
Retrieval
Outline the remainder of the Chapter
In groups… come up with an outline
2. Storage
 3. Retrieval
 4. Forgetting
 5. Improving Memory

Tuesday….
On Tuesday…we will…
Finish Chapter 8
 Start on Chapter 1 if time permits


In the mean time…
Be sure you have read all of Chapter 8 and
started Chapter 1 by Tuesday
 Have a GREAT long weekend! 
