Psychology Memory Concepts

Study Notes

Memory is an active process of constructing information over time.
Brain regions involved in memory include the hippocampus (explicit, new memories), cerebellum (implicit memories), and prefrontal cortex (semantic, short-term memory). The entire cortex stores explicit memories
Amnesia refers to the loss of memories.
The misinformation effect involves creating false memories after receiving misleading information after an event. Example: Dr. Elizabeth Loftus's experiment with car crashes.
Flashbulb memories are vivid and emotionally charged memories that may change or fluctuate over time.
Memory has three systems:
- Sensory memory: Holds sensory information, allowing perceptual processing. It has a large capacity but short duration (iconic - visual, 1.5 seconds; echoic - auditory, 2-4 seconds).
- Short-term memory (working memory): Stores temporary information (20-30 seconds without rehearsal). Its capacity is limited (5-9 items).
- Long-term memory: Stores acquired information for unlimited duration and capacity.
  - Explicit (declarative) memories: Consciously recalled memories:
    - Episodic: Events in one's life
    - Semantic: Facts about the world
  - Implicit (non-declarative) memories: Do not require conscious thought:
    - Procedural: Skills and actions
    - Priming: Exposure to a stimulus influences a future response (e.g., seeing red and then thinking of a red fruit).

Stages of Memory Processes:
- Encoding: Getting information into memory through attention and mnemonics.
- Storage: Maintaining information over time
  - Engrams are the physical basis of memory (changes in the CNS)
  - Consolidation: fixing engrams in long-term memory.
  - Schemas are mental models relevant to the stored information.
- Retrieval: Accessing stored information when needed.
  - Recall: Generating information on one's own.
  - Recognition: Identifying previously learned information.
  - Retrieval cues: Hints that aid in remembering. Encoding to retrieval is improved by matching the context between encoding and retrieval.
Primacy Effect: Better memory for items at the beginning of a list.
Recency Effect: Better memory for items at the end of a list.

Engram: Physical changes in the brain resulting from experience (a memory trace).
Karl Lashley: Research showed engrams aren't stored in a specific brain location but distributed throughout.
Donald Hebb: Proposed that neurons activated together become associated.
Long-term potentiation: Strengthening connections between neurons after activation.
Long-term depression: Weakening connections between neurons after low or no activation.
Mood-dependent memory: Memory retrieval is enhanced when the mood during encoding matches the mood during retrieval.