PSY 1183 Introduction To Psychology Lecture 6 Memory PDF

PSY 1183 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY LECTURE 6 MEMORY AND FORGETTING Lecturer: Sharlene Teo Foundation in Science KPJ University College Learning Outcome At the end of this lecture, you should be able to:  Identify the different types of memories. ...

PSY 1183 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY LECTURE 6 MEMORY AND FORGETTING Lecturer: Sharlene Teo Foundation in Science KPJ University College Learning Outcome At the end of this lecture, you should be able to:  Identify the different types of memories.  Explain forgetting.  Differentiate between anterograde and retrograde amnesia.  Identify memory improvement strategies What is Memory? Memory  Memory is the retention of information.  It is our ability to store and retrieve information.  The field of psychology that is involved in learning about memory is cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Memory Involves skills... Facts that never change... Facts that seldom change... Facts that frequently change... Information Processing Model of Memory  There are 3 processes: Encoding Storage Retrieval How do we remember?  Encoding  Three ways in which information can be encoded:  Visual (picture)  Acoustic (sound)  Semantic (meaning) Encoding  Mere repetition does not guarantee strong memory.  Attention and emotional arousal can enhance memory encoding.  Giving meaning to the information that you want to remember will also enhance that memory. Storage  Process of maintaining or keeping information readily available.  Memories are stored in the short-term memory or long- term memory.  The process of converting information from short-term memory to long-term memory is called consolidation. Atkinson-Shiffrin Multi-Store Model (Shiffrin & Atkinson, 1969)  The Atkinson-Shiffrin Multi-Store Model argues that memory has three main storage areas:  Sensory memory  Short-term memory  Long-term memory Sensory Memory  Sensory memory is the shortest-term element of memory, which is related to sensory information.  Duration is ~1 second.  There are two types of sensory memory:  Iconic memory – sensory store for visual information  Lasts about quarter of a second (Sperling, 1960)  Echoic memory – sensory store for auditory information  Lasts about two seconds (Darwin et al., 1972) Short-Term Memory  Short-term memory holds the information we are currently thinking about  Information can be brought into short-term memory by paying attention.  Memory retention is brief, but if information is rehearsed or repeated, the information can be kept in mind.  Short-term memory capacity is about 7±2 chunks of information (Miller, 1956).  Chunks are combinations of many small pieces of information. This memory strategy is called chunking.  Chunking  Chunks are combinations of many small pieces of information. This memory strategy is called chunking. Letters can be chunks E H F T A E R One can fit more information Words can be chunks Flock Birds A Feather Of into short-term Together memory by combining Birds of a feather flock smaller chunks Phrases can be chunks together into larger A stich in time saves nine chunks Look before you leap Working Memory  Baddeley & Hitch (1974) developed an alternative model of short-term memory called working memory.  In contrast to short-term memory proposed by Atkinson & Shiffrin, working memory involves active processing, and is composed of several different components.  Working Memory  Working memory consist four components: 3. Central executive, which controls and coordinates the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad. 1. Phonological loop 4. Episodic buffer, 2. Visuospatial that stores and which integrates sketchpad that stores processes spoken and information from and processes visual and written information different systems. spatial information Baddeley’s (2000) Working Memory Model Working Memory  Serial position effect  We tend to remember items in the beginning of the series (primacy effect) and the end (recency effect), and forget the middle  Items early in the list are better remembered because they make it into long-term memory, whereas items at the end of the list are better remembered because they are still in short-term memory. Long-Term Memory  Storing information relatively permanent.  Duration is about a lifetime.  Stored on basis of meaning and importance.  Long-Term Memory  Types of long-term memory: Long Term Memory Declarative Procedural (implicit) (explicit) Memory Memory (“Knowing What”) (“Knowing How”) Semantic Memory Episodic Memory (General Knowledge) (Experience) Long-Term Memory Definitions  Declarative (explicit) memory is memory that we are conscious about.  Semantic memory is memory for general information, including both facts and language.  Example: Kuala Lumpur is the capital city of Malaysia; carrot is a type of vegetable.  Episodic memory is memory for experience.  Example: Your time in secondary school; your birthday party last year.  Procedural (implicit) memory is memory for how to do things  Example: Riding a bike, driving, playing piano Retrieval  Process by which stored information is recovered from memory  “Remembering” Forgetting What is it? Forgetting  Three parts to forgetting:  Transience – refers to that fact that memories sometimes seem to just fade away  Absentmindedness – forgetfulness due to not paying attention  Blocking – information that is stored in memory but we can’t seem to find it.  E.g., tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon  Retroactive interference – more recent information goes backward (retroactively) to interfere with earlier information.  Proactive interference – older material goes forward (proactively) to interfere with something new Forgetting Curve Amnesia  Organic amnesia is a deficit in memory that has been caused by brain damage.  There are two types of organic amnesia:  Anterograde amnesia (AA)  Retrograde amnesia (RA) The Curious Case of HM  Henry Molaison (HM) had incapacitating temporal lobe epilepsy.  At 27 years old, he had parts of his brain removed, including parts of his temporal lobes and hippocampus.  It resolved his seizures, but he had now anterograde amnesia.  Researchers concluded that hippocampus plays a role in the formation of new memories. What can we do to improve our memory? Memory Improvement Strategies  Mnemonics are memory techniques  Acronyms – making a word or phrase out of the first letter material that you want to recall  Example: ASAP; MAS; KPJ; OCEAN  Acrostics – new word is generated from each letter and the words are arranged in a sentence  Example: My Mercury Very Venus Excellent Earth Mother Mars Just Jupiter Served Saturn Us Uranus Nachos Neptune Memory Improvement Strategies  Method of loci (journey method) thinking of a series of places that you can remember in order, and mentally place the information that you want to remember in those locations. Summary  There are three main types of memory storages, sensory memory, short-term memory and long-term memory.  Retrograde amnesia refers to the inability of remembering past events, and anterograde amnesia refers to the inability of remembering new events.  Memory can be improved by using mnemonics, which include acronyms and acrostics, and method of loci.