The Knowing Mind
Steps in a memory
Storage
Encoding
Acquiring information and transferring it to memory
Types of storage
Stored for several seconds (short term memory/ working memory)
Stored indefinitely (long term memory)
Stored for fractions of seconds (sensory information)
Information is scattered around brain, and the pathway creates the memory
Because the brain has to reconstruct the memory, errors can occur
Retrieval
2 most common reasons for failed retrieval
Interference
Stress
Adaptive Advantage
The memory allows us to reflect on past information and perform better in future situations
Disadvantage:
creating memories requires energy
Sensory memory
1st stage of Atkinson-Shriffin Model
holds enormous amounts of information
Only remains for a second or less
Compared to an "echo", b/c they are gone so soon, a "fade" of info
Types of Sensory Codes
Visual Codes
come from visual information
Haptic Codes
Process touch and other body senses
Acoustic Codes
Sounds and words
Known as Echoic Memories
last longer than Visual codes
Known as iconic Memories
Short term Memory (STM)
Tiny amount of sensory Information moves on to Short term Memory
if no extra strength is used, Usually lasts 30 seconds
Could b/c you are focusing really hard to remember something
Rehearsal
Can stay in STM in definitively, unless you are asked about something else
STM is easily displaced by new incoming stuff
George Miller, says we can handle 5-9 items of info at a time in STM
Chunking
grouping data together into something more meaningful
CIAFBIEPA --> CIA, FBI, EPA
"the information is encoded into neurological pathways"
they could be encoded into visual, sounds, or meaningful memorues
Working Memory
Differs from STM, b/c STM is passive storage, while Working is active, manipulation of info
Also STM is focused on each piece of info, and working can handle more complex tasks
4 components of manipulation
Phonological loop
Visuospatial sketchpad
Episodic Buffer
Central executive
Auditory and Verbal information
Visual and spatial information
aids in describing, planning, mind-mapping events, info, etc
Manages other 3 forms, directs info to the right sector, enables use of multiple parts at the same time
as you write down a phone number, you can plan a driving route, and understand the teachers lessons
mechanism to combine info in LTM, chunking
Long Term Memory (LTM)
has limitations in either capacity and duration
Rehearsal
Elaborate Rehearsal
Maintenance Rehearsal
Simple repetition of material
Linking material to already known information
more effective way to make material permanent
Benefits explained through the Levels of Processing Theory
Levels of Processing theory
mnemonics are more meaningful than a plain definition
Types of LTM
Declarative (conscious) Memory
Non-Declarative (unconscious) memory
Easy to "declare" or discuss verbally
explicit Memories
typically accessed in conscious, direct, and effortful manners
Difficult to discuss
implicit memories
affect our subconscious, effortless, indirect ways
we know the outcome, but the reasons for that outcome are harder to determine
types of Declarative Memories
Semantic
Episodic
general knowledge, word meanings, and facts
more personal accounts , experiences, etc
what is a churro?
what is the longest bone?
Usually time gives away that it is episodic not semantic
when i was 9, i ate grilled chicken
Autobiographical Memories- blending of semantic and episodic memories
connections in amygdala and hippocampus are stronger if there's autobiographical memories
types of nondeclarative memories
Classical Conditioning
Priming
Procedural memories
exposure to something, changes a subsequent stimulus
skill memories
driving a car
hearing polite words, will make you more likely to be nice to the interviewer.
Automate our performance
if it is learned wrong, it will be hard to correct
our actions are influenced by advertises, people, actions, etc
when you see words that are related you can connect and be influence by them faster than if they are not.
The hippocampus is used to create NEW memories
Spread across the Cerebral Cortex
naming animals are in occipital b/c you visualize them
naming tools are in motor cortex b/c you explain with hand motions
episodic memories are effected by damaged prefrontal cortexes
Process with the Basal ganglion, forebrain, and motor systems
Parkinson and Huntington diseases degrade ganglion, and they cannot learn new processes efficently
amnesia can be caused by damage here
disease where you cant form new memories, Antrograde Amnesia
Encoding Specificity
Spreading Activation Model
personal memory organization is based on personal experiences
every connection can differ in strength depending on the link with that memory
Background information that is also processed in memories, that can be used as cues later. Like scenery, temp, patterns, etc
Retrieval is not an all or none
Tip of the tongue can get you bits and pieces but not the whole word
Reconstruction
where a LTM is edited in working memory with new info present
these updates can also be lost if a memory is very old
Flashbulb Memory
extremely vivid memory like 9/11
Forgetting/ Decay/ interference
to forget something it must be learned
not paying attention would not be forgetting, just never encoded in the 1st place
Decay
memories we don't use, fade over time
Interference
new and old info is competing
memories need time to form and can be lost if the window of time is broken
could take minutes or hours
Proactive Interference
interference b/c of previous learning
Retroactive Interference
interference based on future learning
Forgetting
Motivated Forgetting
failure to retrieve memories b/c the were of threatening or unpleasant times
can be so extreme as original is lost
Long term Potentialation (LTP)
enhancing communication between neurons