Psychology Chapter on Memory Fundamentals

Memory Fundamentals

• Memory encompasses the ability to retain experiences, imaginations, and learned knowledge.

Information Processing Model

• Analogous to a computer, explaining how humans encode, store, and retrieve information.

Steps in Forming Memories

• Formation involves several stages: external stimulus, sensory register, attention, short-term memory, repetition, rehearsal and coding, long-term memory, and retrieval.

Sensory Registers

• Initial entry points for raw sensory information from the environment.

Attention

• Involves selecting certain incoming information for deeper processing.

Short-Term Memory (STM)

• Also known as working memory; a temporary storage space for selected sensory information.

Chunking

• A strategy that organizes information into meaningful units, enhancing short-term memory capacity.

Rote Rehearsal

• A memorization technique that involves repetitive verbal or mental repetition to retain information.

Long-Term Memory (LTM)

• A relatively permanent storage of knowledge encompassing all learned facts and experiences.

Uses of Rote Rehearsal

• Essential for preserving information in STM and useful for retaining conceptually meaningless material (e.g., phone numbers).

Elaborative Rehearsal

• Integrates new short-term memories with existing long-term memories, facilitating better retention.

Schemas

• Mental structures that encapsulate beliefs and expectations formed through past experiences.

Types of Long-Term Memories

• Episodic Memories: Store personal experiences and events.
• Semantic Memories: Retain general knowledge and factual information.
• Procedural Memories: Contain skills and motor tasks learned through practice.

Interference

• Occurs when previously learned material disrupts the understanding or recall of new information.

Decay Theory

• Proposes that the mere passage of time contributes to forgetting.

Tip of the Tongue Phenomenon

• A common experience where individuals can sense knowing a word but cannot retrieve it immediately.

Amnesias

• Retrograde Amnesia: Inability to recall events before an injury while retaining earlier memories.
• Anterograde Amnesia: Difficulty in forming new memories following an incident, while past memories remain intact.

Alzheimer's Disease

• A neurological disorder characterized by severe memory impairment.

Childhood Amnesia

• The phenomenon where adults struggle to recall experiences from their first two years of life.

Flashbulb Memories

• Highly vivid and detailed memories of significant events, preserved even over long periods.

Repressed Memories

• Traumatic memories that are unconsciously stored and can negatively impact conscious thoughts and behaviors.

This quiz explores the fundamental concepts of memory, including the stages in forming memories and the information processing model. It covers topics like sensory registers, attention, short-term memory, and techniques such as chunking and rote rehearsal. Test your understanding of how memories are created and retrieved!