Memory The persistence of learning over time through

Memory The persistence of learning over time through the storage and retrieval of information.

Take out a piece of paper…. . • Name the seven dwarves…. . Now name them…. .

Was it easy or hard? • It depends on several things…. • If you like Disney movies? • When was the last time you have seen the movie? • Are people around you being loud pain in the butts so you cannot concentrate?

Seven Dwarves Sleepy, Dopey, Grumpy, Sneezy, Happy, Doc and Bashful

Difficulty of the Task • Too long ago to remember • Obstacles of retrieval – noisy classroom • To name the 7 dwarfs, we must get the information into our brain (encoding), retian it over time (storage), and now get it back (retrieval)

Tip of the Tongue Phenomena(TOT) • Retrieval failure. . what’s the name again…

Recall vs. Recognition Recall • You must retrieve the information from your memory. • Fill-in-the blank or essay tests. Recognition • You must identify the target from possible targets. • Multiple-choice tests.

Retrospective vs. Prospective Memory • Retrospective memory involves things from the past (i. e. events, people). • Prospective memory - involves things you have to do in the future (i. e. remembering to email your college application).

The Memory Process Three step process… 1. Encoding: The processing of information into the memory system. 2. Storage: The retention of encoded material over time. 3. Retrieval: The process of getting the information out of memory storage.

Three Box Model of Memory

Encoding Getting the information into our heads!!!!

Sensory Memory • A split second holding tank for ALL sensory information. • Iconic Memory: a brief visual memory. • Echoic Memory: a brief auditory memory.

Two ways to encode information: • Automatic Processing • Effortful Processing

Automatic Processing • Unconscious encoding of incidental information. • You encode space, time and word meaning without effort. • Things can become automatic with practice.

Effortful Processing • Encoding that requires attention and conscious effort. • Rehearsal is the most common effortful processing technique. • Through enough rehearsal, what was effortful becomes automatic.

Ebbinghaus’ Retention Curve • Hermann Ebbinghaus. • The amount remembered depends on the time spent learning!

Spacing Effect • We encode better when we study or practice over time. • DO NOT CRAM!!!!!

Encoding Information • Primacy Effect (1 st things on a list) • Recency Effect (last things on a list)

Encoding exercise Types of Encoding • Semantic Encoding: the encoding of meaning, like the meaning of words. • Acoustic Encoding: the encoding of sound, especially the sounds of words. • Visual Encoding: the encoding of picture images.

Ways to remember things in STM…so they go to LTM • Chunking: Organizing items into familiar, manageable units. • Mnemonic devices: (memory aids) (like the “method of loci”). • Rehearsal: repetition, etc. 1 -4 -9 -2 -1 -7 -7 -6 -1 -8 -1 -2 -1 -9 -4 -1

Short-Term Memory • The stuff we encode from the sensory memory goes to STM. • Holds about 7 (+ or - 2) items for about 20 seconds. • We recall random digits better than random letters. • Info unrehearsed will decay in about 12 seconds.

Take out a piece of paper…. . • I will show you a series of slides with an increasing amount of numbers on each slide. • I will show each slide for 8 seconds. • When the slide is switched you may try and write down as many of the numbers as you can.

9754

68259

913825

5963827

86951372

719384273

9152438162

95284673184

517398263807

6940382415968

Storage How we retain the information we encode.

Long-Term Memory • We have yet to find the limit of our long-term memory. • For example, Rajan Mahadevan was able to recite 31, 811 digits of pi. • At 5 years old, Rajan would memorize the license plates of all of his parents’ guests (about 75 cars in ten minutes). He still remembers the plate numbers to this day.

Long-Term Memory • Unlimited storehouse of information. • It can last days, months, or years.

Types of Long-Term Memory

Explicit Memories • Episodic Memories (events). • Semantic Memories (facts).

Implicit Memories • Procedural Memories (skills). • Conditioned Memories.

Types of Long Term Memory

Storing Memories Long Term-Potentiation: • Is the long-lasting enhancement in signal transmission between two neurons. • In other words…they learn to fire together and get better at it…creating a memory. • When learning occurs, more serotonin is released into the synapses.

The Hippocampus • Is involved in storing explicit memories. • Damage to the hippocampus disrupts our memory. • Often leads to some form or amnesia. • The Cerebellum is involved in storing implicit memories.

Anterograde Amnesia • A loss of the ability to create new memories; while longterm memories remain intact. • Usually caused by damage to the hippocampus. • Can be caused by alcohol intoxication (i. e. “blackouts”).

Retrograde Amnesia • Form of amnesia where someone is unable to recall events that occurred before the development of the amnesia. • Commonly results from damage to the temporal lobes or hippocampus.

Retrieval How do we recall the information we thought we remembered? Lets Jog Our Memory!!!!!!!

STOP HERE • PRACTICE FILL IN

Retrieval Cues • Things that help us remember. • We often use a process called priming (the activation of associations in our memory).

Repetition Priming 1. Repetition priming refers to the fact that it is easier to recognize a face or word if you have recently seen that same face or word.

Semantic Priming 2. Semantic priming refers to the fact that it is easier to recognize a person or a word if you have just seen something closely associated with them/it.

Priming

The Context Matters!!! • Flashbulb Memories. • Mood Congruent Memory. • State Dependent Memory.

Another activity… • I will show you a series of slides with a word on each slide. • After I have shown you ALL the slides try and write down as many of the words as you can remember. • Ready?

Rest

Snore

Sound

Tired

Bed

Comfort

Awake

Eat

Wake

Dream

Slumber

Night

• Take 2 minutes to write down as many of the words as you can. • How many remembered the word AARDVARK? • How many remembered the word SLEEP? • Neither word was on the list!

Déjà Vu • That eerie sense that you have experienced something before. • What is occurring is that the current situation cues past experiences that are very similar to the present one & your mind gets confused.

Forgetting

Encoding Failure: Not getting info into LT Memory

Forgetting Which is the real penny?

Storage Decay • Even if we encode something well, we can forget it. • Without rehearsal, we forget things over time. • Remember Hermann Ebbinghaus?

Ebbinghaus’s Forgetting Curve

Retrieval Failure • The memory was encoded and stored, but sometimes you just cannot access the memory (like the Tip of the Tongue Phenomenon).

Forgetting: Interference Theory • Retroactive Interference: new information blocks out old information. • Proactive Interference: old information blocks out new information. Getting a new bus number and forgetting old bus number. Calling your new girlfriend by old girlfriends name.

Motivated Forgetting • We sometimes revise our own histories. Honey, I did stick to my diet today!!!!!!

Motivated Forgetting Why does is exist? One explanation is REPRESSION: • In psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings and memories from consciousness.

Memory Construction • We sometimes alter our memories as we encode or retrieve them. • Your expectations, schemas, and environment may alter your memories.

Misinformation Effect • Incorporating misleading information into one’s memory of an event. It would be like if my parents told me for years that I met Jerry West. I have the memory - but it never happened!!!

Misinformation Effect Depiction of Accident

Misinformation Effect Leading Question: About how fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?

Source Amnesia (source misattribution) • The inability to remember where, when or how previously learned information has been acquired, while retaining the factual knowledge. • You remember how to read and write, but don’t remember learning how to do them. • This is often at the heart of “false memories. ”