Memory Processes and Encoding

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Questions and Answers

What does semantic encoding primarily involve?

Relating new information to existing knowledge. (correct)

Storing auditory information in short-term memory.

Creating mental images of information.

Categorizing information based on its sensory attributes.

Which part of the brain is associated with increased activity during semantic encoding?

Right temporal lobe.

Lower left frontal lobe and inner left temporal lobe. (correct)

Upper frontal lobe.

Occipital lobe.

What characterizes iconic memory?

It retains auditory information for several seconds.

It is a type of long-term memory.

It can store sensory information indefinitely.

It holds visual information for a few seconds or less. (correct)

Which memory storage mechanism allows information to persist for about 15-20 seconds?

Short-term storage. Signup and view all the answers

What benefit does chunking provide in memory processing?

Allows larger pieces of information to be held in memory. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is true about the recency effect?

It indicates the ability to remember the last few items presented. Signup and view all the answers

What is organizational encoding primarily focused on?

Categorizing information based on relationships among items. Signup and view all the answers

How does rehearsal aid in memory retention?

It keeps information active in short-term memory through repetition. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes the survival-encoding task's effect on memory recall?

Participants recall more words than from pleasantness tasks. Signup and view all the answers

What is a defining characteristic of echoic memory?

It retains auditory information for a few seconds or less. Signup and view all the answers

What best describes the role of the central executive in working memory?

It coordinates the subsystems and the episodic buffer. Signup and view all the answers

Which condition represents a disruption in the consolidation process?

Experiencing anterograde amnesia after a traumatic event. Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'transfer-appropriate processing' refer to?

The likelihood of memory transfer when contexts match during encoding and retrieval. Signup and view all the answers

Which type of memory does not require the hippocampal structures for its retrieval?

Procedural memory Signup and view all the answers

What does retroactive interference describe?

The impairment of memory for earlier learned information due to later learning. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of memory misattribution, what is 'source memory'?

The recollection of the original context where information was acquired. Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon is described by the term 'collaborative inhibition'?

The reduction in memory recall when individuals work together. Signup and view all the answers

Which process is implicated in why memories can become vulnerable when recalled?

Reconsolidation Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes unconscious influences that past experiences have on future behavior?

Implicit memory Signup and view all the answers

What does 'deja vu' signify within the framework of memory?

A false sense of familiarity with a recent situation. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Memory Processes

Memory is the ability to store and retrieve information over time. It's a constructive, not a recording, process.
Encoding transforms perceptions, thoughts, and feelings into memories.
Storage maintains information over time.
Retrieval brings stored information to mind.

Encoding Processes

Semantic Encoding: Relates new info to existing knowledge, activating areas in the left frontal and temporal lobes. More activity = better recall. Involves semantic, visual, and organizational judgments.
Visual Imagery Encoding: Stores info as mental pictures, creating visual and verbal placeholders. Activates visual processing regions in the occipital lobe.
Organizational Encoding: Categorizes information based on relationships. Activates the upper surface of the left frontal lobe.

Memory Storage

Sensory Storage: Holds sensory info briefly (seconds or less).
- Iconic Memory: Visual sensory memory
- Echoic Memory: Auditory sensory memory
Short-Term Storage/Working Memory: Holds non-sensory info for ~15-20 seconds.
- Rehearsal: Repeating information mentally to maintain it.
- Serial Position Effect: Better recall of first and last items (primary and recency effects).
- Chunking: Grouping info into larger units for easier recall.
- Working Memory Components:
  - Visuospatial Sketchpad: Stores visual and spatial information
  - Phonological Loop: Stores verbal information
  - Episodic Buffer: Integrates visual and verbal information
  - Central Executive: Coordinates the above subsystems
Long-Term Storage: Holds information for hours, days, weeks, or years. Capacity is unlimited. Linked to hippocampal index, which is critical initially, but potentially less so over time.
- Types of Amnesia:
  - Anterograde amnesia: Inability to form new long-term memories.
  - Retrograde amnesia: Inability to retrieve memories from before a specific event (injury/surgery).
- Consolidation: Memories become stable in the brain. Strengthened by sleep.
- Reconsolidation: Recalling memories makes them vulnerable and needs to be consolidated again.
- Long-Term Potentiation (LTP): Strengthening of synaptic connections to improve communication.

Retrieval

Retrieval Cues: External information associated with stored information that helps recall.
Encoding Specificity Principle: Effective recall when retrieval cue matches encoding context.
State-Dependent Retrieval: Recall is better when the encoding and retrieval states are similar.
Transfer-Appropriate Processing: Matching encoding and retrieval contexts increases memory transfer.
Retrieval-Induced Forgetting: Retrieving an item can impair recall of related items.

Types of Memory

Explicit Memory: Consciously retrieving past experiences.
- Semantic Memory: General knowledge network.
- Episodic Memory: Personal experiences at specific times and places (future envisioning).
Implicit Memory: Past experiences influencing later behavior without conscious awareness.
- Procedural Memory: Skills learned through practice (knowing how)
- Priming: Enhanced ability to recognize a stimulus after prior exposure.

Memory Failures

Transience: Forgetting over time, most forgetting happening immediately after an event.
Retroactive Interference: Later learning impairing earlier learned information.
Proactive Interference: Earlier learned information impairing later learning.
Absentmindedness: Lapses in attention leading to memory failure (divided attention).
Blocking: Inability to retrieve available information despite trying to recall it (names, places).
Memory Misattribution: Assigning a memory to the wrong source (deja vu, source memory).
Suggestibility: Incorporating misleading information into recollections.
Bias: Present knowledge, beliefs, or feelings distorting past memory.
Persistence: Intrusive recollection of unwanted events, especially from emotional experiences (flashbulb memories).

Collaborative Memory

Collaborative Memory: Group remembering.
Collaborative Inhibition: Groups recall fewer items than individuals.

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Description

Explore the various processes of memory including encoding, storage, and retrieval. This quiz delves into different encoding techniques such as semantic, visual imagery, and organizational encoding, as well as the characteristics of sensory memory. Test your understanding of how memory functions and the science behind it.