Psychology Chapter on Memory Encoding and Storage

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Questions and Answers

What is the role of semantic encoding in memory?

It transforms sensory information into long-term memories.

It maintains information for a brief period before recall.

It relates new information meaningfully to existing knowledge. (correct)

It involves the visual representation of concepts.

Which type of memory storage is responsible for holding visual sensory information briefly?

Short-Term Memory

Echoic Memory

Iconic Memory (correct)

Working Memory

What is the primary difference between short-term storage and working memory?

Short-term storage lasts longer than working memory.

Working memory involves the active manipulation of information. (correct)

Working memory is limited to verbal information storage.

Short-term storage retains sensory information only.

Which of these processes is an example of organizational encoding?

Grouping words into categories based on their meanings. Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon explains why we often remember the first and last items in a list better than those in the middle?

Primacy and recency effects. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about rehearsal in memory is true?

It helps prolong the existence of information in short-term memory. Signup and view all the answers

What is true about survival-encoding tasks compared to other memory tasks?

They enhance recall due to their evolutionary significance. Signup and view all the answers

In what way does visual imagery encoding enhance memory?

By providing both visual and verbal mental placeholders. Signup and view all the answers

What mechanism allows for the effective retention of information by grouping smaller units into larger clusters?

Chunking strategy Signup and view all the answers

Which component is responsible for coordinating the subsystems of working memory?

Central executive Signup and view all the answers

Which type of amnesia prevents the transfer of new information into long-term memory?

Anterograde amnesia Signup and view all the answers

What process is enhanced by sleep to help stabilize memories in the brain?

Memory consolidation Signup and view all the answers

Which term refers to the ability to recall information better when in the same state during encoding and retrieval?

State-dependent retrieval Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between explicit and implicit memory?

Explicit memory involves conscious retrieval, while implicit memory does not. Signup and view all the answers

Which phenomenon occurs when retrieving information impairs the recall of related items?

Retrieval-induced forgetting Signup and view all the answers

Which type of memory is characterized by the gradual acquisition of skills through practice?

Procedural memory Signup and view all the answers

Which cognitive bias exaggerates the difference between current feelings and past beliefs?

Change bias Signup and view all the answers

What does collaborative inhibition refer to in the context of memory recall?

Reduced recall in groups compared to individual performance Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Memory Encoding

Encoding is transforming perceptions, thoughts, and feelings into memorable information.
Semantic Encoding involves relating new information to existing knowledge, increasing memory likelihood. This process is associated with activity in the frontal and temporal lobes.
Visual Imagery Encoding involves forming mental images to store information, creating both visual and verbal placeholders. This activates visual processing regions in the occipital lobe.
Organizational Encoding involves categorizing information based on relationships, activating the upper portion of the left frontal lobe. Survival-encoding tasks show superior recall.

Memory Storage

Sensory Storage briefly holds sensory information (icons and echoes).
Short-Term Storage / Working Memory holds information for a short time (15-20 seconds). Rehearsal maintains this information.
- Serial Position Effect: First and last items are easily recalled (primary and recency effects).
- Chunking: Grouping information into manageable units enhances recall.
- Working Memory involves active maintenance of information, using components like a visuospatial sketchpad (images), phonological loop (verbal information), episodic buffer (integrates information), and central executive (coordinates these). The frontal lobe is crucial for working memory.
Long-Term Storage holds information for extended periods, potentially indefinitely. Linked to the hippocampal index, although its role diminishes over time.

Memory Retrieval

Retrieval Cue: external info that helps retrieve stored information.
Encoding Specificity Principle: Retrieval is optimized if encoding and retrieval contexts match.
State-dependent Retrieval: Improved recall when the encoding and retrieval states are similar.
Transfer-appropriate processing: Memory transfer occurs when encoding and retrieval contexts align.
Retrieval-induced forgetting: Retrieving an item can disrupt recall of related items.

Types of Memory

Explicit Memory: conscious or intentional recall of past experiences.
- Semantic Memory: general knowledge, a network of facts and concepts.
- Episodic Memory: personal experiences at specific times and places.
Implicit Memory: Past experiences influence behavior/performance unconsciously.
- Procedural Memory: Skills learned through practice.
- Priming: Enhanced ability to think of a stimulus due to prior exposure.

Forgetting and Memory Errors

Transience: Forgetting over time, most pronounced immediately after an event.
Retroactive Interference: Later learning hinders recall of earlier information.
Proactive Interference: Earlier learning hinders recall of later information.
Absentmindedness: Inattention leading to memory failures.
Blocking: Inability to retrieve available information.
Memory Misattribution: Assigning recollection to the wrong source.
- Source Memory: Recall of when, where, and how information was acquired.
Suggestibility: Incorporating misleading information into recollections.
Bias: Distorted recall influenced by current knowledge, beliefs, and feelings.
- Change Bias: Exaggerating differences between past and present.
Persistence: Intrusive recall of unwanted memories (flashbulb memories, emotional impact).

Collaboration and Memory

Collaborative Memory: How people remember in groups.
Collaborative Inhibition: Groups may recall fewer items than individuals working on their own.

Memory Consolidation and Long Term Potentiation

Consolidation: Memories become stable in the brain. Sleep enhances consolidation.
Reconsolidation: Recalled memories become vulnerable and require reconsolidation.
Long-Term Potentiation (LTP): Strengthening synaptic connections between neurons to make communication easier.

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Description

Explore the intricacies of memory encoding and storage in this quiz. Delve into semantic, visual imagery, and organizational encoding, and learn about sensory and short-term storage. Test your understanding of how information is transformed and retained in our memory system.