Psychology Chapter on Memory

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Questions and Answers

What is the main function of sensory memory?

To store memories permanently in the brain

To retrieve information from long-term memory

To briefly hold sensory information for processing (correct)

To control attention and focus

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of short-term memory?

It is limited in capacity, holding approximately 7 bits of information.

It is the conscious part of the memory system.

Information is automatically transferred to long-term memory without effort. (correct)

Information is retained for a short period of time, around 20-30 seconds.

Which type of rehearsal focuses on meaning and connections, enhancing the chances of transferring information to long-term memory?

Sensory rehearsal

Maintenance rehearsal

Elaborative rehearsal (correct)

Spaced rehearsal

What is the primary reason why some information never makes it into long-term memory?

Information is not encoded sufficiently during short-term memory. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of automatic processing?

Remembering the order of events in your day Signup and view all the answers

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

Sensory memory deals with sensory information, while short-term memory processes thoughts and ideas. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a consequence of encoding failure?

You cannot remember information that was not adequately processed in short-term memory Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the 'icon' in sensory memory?

To store visual information briefly Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes elaborative rehearsal?

Connecting new information to existing knowledge in long-term memory Signup and view all the answers

Which of these factors can influence the likelihood of retrieving information from long-term memory?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

What concept emphasizes the idea that language shapes our perceptions and cognitive categories?

Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is not considered a basic element of language?

Morphology Signup and view all the answers

What area of the brain is primarily associated with the production of speech?

Broca’s Area Signup and view all the answers

According to Noam Chomsky, what is the term for the period when language acquisition is most critical?

Age 7 Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of language allows for the ability to discuss events or objects not currently present?

Displacement Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the concept of surface structure in Chomsky's theory?

The arrangement of words Signup and view all the answers

What principle does B.F. Skinner's Behavioral Theory primarily rely on?

Operant conditioning Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following properties ensures that a language can convey meaningful thoughts to its speakers?

Semanticity Signup and view all the answers

Who is associated with the theory that children are born with a universal grammar?

Noam Chomsky Signup and view all the answers

What does prosody refer to in the context of language?

Patterns of stress and intonation Signup and view all the answers

What principle explains why people are more likely to remember the first and last items in a list?

Serial Position Effect Signup and view all the answers

Which type of interference occurs when new information disrupts the recall of old information?

Retroactive Interference Signup and view all the answers

Which encoding method relies on associating new information with existing knowledge?

Semantic Encoding Signup and view all the answers

What does Long Term Potentiation refer to in the context of memory?

Strengthening of neural pathways Signup and view all the answers

What effect describes the phenomenon where individuals recall memories more accurately when they are in the same emotional state as when those memories were formed?

State-Dependent Learning Signup and view all the answers

What is the Ebbinghaus Curve of Forgetting characterized by?

Rapid initial forgetting followed by stabilization Signup and view all the answers

Which model explains the storage of related ideas in different categories during memory retention?

Network Model of Long Term Memory Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the creation of false memories due to misleading information?

Misinformation Effect Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements describes the spacing effect in practice?

Distributed practice improves long term retention Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon explains how the brain may fill in gaps with incorrect information during memory retrieval?

Constructive Processing Signup and view all the answers

What type of memories does the cerebellum primarily handle?

Procedural memories Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes 'blocking' in the context of memory retrieval?

A temporary inability to recall a well-known name or word Signup and view all the answers

What is 'functional fixedness' as an obstacle to problem solving?

Difficulty in conceptualizing solutions outside the conventional methods Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best defines the 'availability heuristic'?

Believing something is more common due to how easily a similar example comes to mind Signup and view all the answers

What component of creative thinking involves generating numerous ideas?

Fluency Signup and view all the answers

Which memory phenomenon refers to linking a memory with an incorrect source?

Misattribution Signup and view all the answers

Which problem-solving strategy guarantees a solution through a systematic procedure?

Algorithm Signup and view all the answers

In reference to cognitive processing, what does inductive thought involve?

Generalizing from specific observations to form broad principles Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following memory sins is associated with information fading over time?

Transience Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of problem solving does overconfidence hinder?

Perception of one's competence to solve a problem Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Memory

Memory is an active system for storing, organizing, altering, and receiving information.
It retains learned information and prior experiences, but is selective.

Information Processing Theory of Memory

Encoding: Getting information into the memory system.
Storage: Retaining encoded information over time.
Retrieval: Accessing stored information.
Memory failures can occur at any of these steps.

A Simplified Model of Memory

Sensory Memory: Briefly holds a copy of sensory input (visual=iconic, auditory=echoic).
Short-Term (Working) Memory: Conscious memory; limited capacity (~7 bits) and duration (~20-30 seconds). Easily disrupted.
Encoding:
- Effortful Processing: Requires conscious effort, strategies like rehearsal.
  - Maintenance Rehearsal: Repeatedly repeating information.
  - Elaborative Rehearsal: Connecting new information to existing knowledge.
  - Distributed Rehearsal: Rehearsals over time are better than massed rehearsals.
- Automatic Processing: Occurs with little effort and awareness (e.g., events, order).

Long-Term Memory

Encoding Failure: Information may never be encoded into long-term memory.
Rehearsal: Repetition aids encoding.
Acoustic Encoding: Encoding by sound.
Visual Encoding: Encoding by images.
Semantic Encoding: Encoding by meaning (relating new info to existing knowledge is best).
Serial Position Effect: Easier recall of items at the beginning and end of a list (primary and recency effects).
Ebbinghaus Curve of Forgetting/Retention Curve: Forgetting is initially rapid, then levels off; distributed practice leads to better long-term retention.

Interference

Proactive Interference: Earlier learning disrupts later learning.
Retroactive Interference: Later learning disrupts earlier learning.

Encoding Specificity Principle

Encoding context affects retrieval.
Mood-congruent Memory: Memories are best retrieved when current mood matches mood at encoding.
State-dependent Learning: Information is best recalled if the physiological state during retrieval matches that during encoding.

Long-Term Memory (LTM) Processes

LTM: Stores vast amounts of information permanently, based on meaning and importance.
Long-Term Potentiation (LTP): Repeated stimulation strengthens neural pathways. "Neurons that fire together, wire together."
Network Model of LTM: Related ideas stored in nodes linked together in a network.

Constructive Processing

Updating memories based on logic, guesses, new information.
Memory reconstruction can lead to inaccuracies (including misinformation effects) and pseudo-memories.

Explicit vs. Implicit Memory

Explicit (Declarative): Conscious memories of facts and experiences. (hippocampus).
Implicit (Procedural): Memories of skills and motor responses. (cerebellum)

Source Amnesia and Infantile Amnesia

Recall vs. Recognition

Recall: Retrieving information without cues.
Recognition: Identifying information with cues.

Retrieval Cues

Information encoded at same time as target information can act as cues for retrieval.
Priming: Activating related associations in memory.
Retrieval Failure: Forgetting due to inability to retrieve.

Improving Memory & The Seven Sins of Memory

Transience: Fading memory over time
Absent-Mindedness: Weak encoding, poor attention.
Blocking: Difficulty retrieving known information.
Misattribution: Linking memory to the wrong source.
Suggestibility: Misinformation altering memories.
Bias: Memories distorted by beliefs.
Persistence: Unwanted memories.

Three Basic Forms of Cognition

Mental Images: Sensory representations.
Mental Concepts: Generalized ideas.
Language: Rules for combining symbols.

Thinking in Mental Concepts (Schemas)

Concepts: Categorization of objects/events.
Prototypes: Best examples of concepts.

Insight and Problem Solving

Insight: Sudden realization of a solution.
Obstacles to Problem Solving:
- Framing: Presentation bias.
- Functional Fixedness: Limited view of object use.
- Belief Perseverance: Sticking to initial beliefs.

Problem Solving Strategies

Trial and Error: Trying solutions sequentially.
Algorithm: Systematic procedure guaranteed to find a solution.
Heuristic: Shortcut strategy (representativeness/availability).

Patterns of Thinking

Inductive Reasoning: Specific to general.
Deductive Reasoning: General to specific.

Components of Creative Thinking

Fluency: Number of suggestions.
Flexibility: Shifting between idea categories.
Originality: Uniqueness of suggestions.

Sternberg's Components of Creativity

Convergent vs. Divergent Thinking

Convergent: Single answer, logical.
Divergent: Multiple possibilities, creative.

Language

Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis: Language shapes thought.
Phoneme: Smallest unit of sound.
Morpheme: Smallest unit of meaning.
Grammar: Rules for combining sounds/words.

Language and the Brain

Wernicke's Area: Understanding speech.
Broca's Area: Producing speech.

Theories of Language Acquisition

Behavioral Theory: Learning through reinforcement/imitation.
Nativist Theory: Innate language acquisition device (LAD).

Noam Chomsky's Theory of Language

Surface Structure: Literal words.
Deep Structure: Underlying meaning.

Key Figures in Memory Study

Elizabeth Loftus: Misinformation effect.
Benjamin Whorf: Linguistic Relativity.
Noam Chomsky: Nativist theory, language structure.
B.F. Skinner: Behavioral theory of learning.

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Description

Explore the fundamentals of memory in this quiz based on the psychology chapter. Learn about the different types of memory, the information processing theory, and memory encoding strategies. Test your understanding of sensory, short-term, and long-term memory systems.