Psychology Chapter on Memory Processes

Memory

• Memory is a group of mental processes involved in acquiring, storing, and retrieving information.

Memory Process

• The stage model of memory describes memory as three stages: Sensory Memory, Short-Term Memory, Long-Term Memory
• Sensory Memory: Stores detailed information for a short period of time (¼ second to 3 seconds)
• Short-Term Memory: Stores information longer than Sensory Memory (30 seconds)
• Long-Term Memory: Stores information potentially permanently with unlimited capacity

Sensory Memory

• Sensory Memory briefly stores sensory impressions for continuous perception of the world
• Visual Sensory Memory: "Iconic Memory" - brief memory of an image
• Auditory Sensory Memory: "Echoic Memory" - brief memory like an echo

Short-Term Memory

• Short-Term Memory is also known as working memory
• Current conscious cognitive activity takes place in Short-Term Memory
• Information can be rehearsed (repeated) to remain in this memory stage
• George Miller (1956) proposed the capacity of Short-Term Memory to be approximately seven items

Long-Term Memory

• Information in Long-Term Memory is stored for longer than 30 seconds
• The capacity of Long-Term Memory is considered limitless
• Elaborative rehearsal: focusing on the meaning of information to enhance encoding and transfer for long-term retention

Types of Long-Term Memory

• Procedural Memory: Skills, operations, and actions
• Episodic Memory: Specific Events
• Semantic Memory: General knowledge, facts, names, and concepts

Mood and Memory

• Emotional state influences memory recall, consistent with the mood
• Happy Mood evokes happy memories
• Despondent Mood evokes sad memories

Flashbulb Memory

• Vivid, specific images and details associated with a significant event are recalled as Flashbulb Memories
• Flashbulb Memories are similar to normal memories with a high degree of accuracy confidence

Source Confusion and False Memories

• Source Confusion: Memory distortion forgetting the source of a memory
• False Memories can emerge from confusing imagined, heard, read, or seen content with actual events

Forgetting

• Inability to recall information previously available
• Unpleasant memories such as failures, social embarrassments, and unhappy relationships are often forgotten

Factors Affecting Forgetting

• Encoding Failure: Information never encoded into Long-Term Memory
• Interference Theory: Memories competing with or replacing other memories
• Decay Theory: Forgetting due to brain's metabolic processes over time

Amnesia

• Sever memory loss
• Retrograde Amnesia: Loss of memory, specifically episodic information, backward-acting
• Anterograde Amnesia: Loss of memory, specifically inability to store new memories, forward-acting

Explore the fascinating stages of memory in this quiz covering sensory, short-term, and long-term memory. Understand how information is acquired, stored, and retrieved, alongside key concepts like iconic and echoic memory. Test your knowledge and dive deep into the mechanisms of memory!