Psychology Chapter: Memory and Attention

Attention

• Attention is the mind's focus on one thing while ignoring others
• It involves withdrawing from competing stimuli
• Attention is not a static state but a dynamic process

Implicit Memory

• Implicit memory is a type of memory that affects behavior without conscious awareness
• It includes memories for learned skills, habits, and conditioning
• Implicit memories can influence actions without realizing it

Short-Term Memory

• Short-term memory stores recently encountered information
• It relies mostly on an acoustic code for storage
• Information is held for short durations, typically 20-30 seconds

Long-Term Memory

• Long-term memory stores information over extended periods, including lifetime memories
• It does not always require conscious effort for retrieval
• Examples include phone numbers, names, and addresses

Sensory Memory

• Sensory memory briefly stores sensory information
• It captures fleeting sensory impressions (visual, auditory, etc.)
• It holds information for a very short period before it's lost or transferred to short-term memory

Focused Attention

• Focused attention is the ability to attend to specific, discrete stimuli (visual, auditory, or tactile)
• It involves actively directing attention to a specific stimulus
• It's used in task focused situations where ignoring distractions is important

Alternating Attention

• Alternating attention is the ability to shift attention between different tasks or stimuli
• It involves switching between or focusing on multiple stimuli simultaneously
• Practicing tasks involving constant shifts in focus may improve alternating attention

Divided Attention

• Divided attention is the capacity to divide attention amongst different stimuli or tasks
• It requires dividing attention between various tasks
• Improving focus can be improved with practice

Selective Attention

• Selective attention is the ability to focus on a specific stimulus while filtering out irrelevant or distracting stimuli
• It's important for filtering out noises, distractions, or other stimuli not directly relating to the task
• It improves when trained and used regularly

Semantic Memory

• Semantic memory is a type of long-term memory
• It stores general knowledge, facts, and concepts
• Semantic memory is not tied to a specific experience

Episodic Memory

• Episodic memory stores personal experiences
• It's associated with specific times, places, and personal events
• Experiences are not typically forgotten, but can fade as time goes by

Procedural Memory

• Procedural memory stores information about how to perform tasks
• Includes learned skills, habits, and routines
• It allows for performing tasks automatically without conscious thought

Working Memory

• Working memory is a short-term memory system
• It allows for temporary storage and manipulation of information
• Important for completing tasks, encoding information, and reasoning

Types of Memory

• Episodic, semantic, working memory, procedural "body", implicit memory

Communication

• Communication is the process of conveyance of information or a message between two or more parties
• There are many types and forms including non-verbal

Temperament

• Choleric: Active, assertive, driving
• Sanguine: sociable, outgoing, positive
• Phlegmatic: calm, relaxed, steady
• Melancholic: sensitive, quiet, reflective

Psychological Approaches

• Psychodynamic: Emphasizes unconscious motives and early experiences
• Humanistic: Focuses on the potential for personal growth and self-actualization
• Behavioral: Focuses on observable behaviors and environmental factors that influence learning
• Cognitive: Focuses on mental processes like memory, perception, and thinking
• Evolutionary: Focuses on the evolutionary underpinnings of human psychological processes

Psychology Concepts

• Motivation: The drives underlying behavior
• Cognition: Mental processes involved in knowing, thought, and consciousness

Psychological Research

• Research methods: The strategies used to investigate psychological questions
• Important figures: Key individuals who contributed to the field of psychology
• Types of psychology: Various branches of psychological study

Sensory Processes

• Transduction: The process of converting physical energy into neural signals
• Sensation: The process of receiving and responding to stimuli
• Perception: The process of understanding and interpreting stimuli

Perception Types

• Top-down processing: uses background knowledge to understand stimuli
• Bottom-up processing: uses sensory experiences to perceive stimuli

Attention Terms

• Absolute threshold: Minimum stimulus strength that can be detected
• Just noticeable difference: Minimum difference that can be detected between similar stimuli
• Sensory adaptation: Diminished sensitivity to constant stimuli

Explore the fascinating concepts of memory and attention in this quiz. Test your knowledge on different types of memory, including short-term and long-term memory, as well as the dynamic nature of attention. Delve into how implicit memory influences behavior without conscious awareness.