Forgetting & Improving Memory Tutorial PDF

Forgetting & Improving Memory  Learning Objectives At the end of the lesson, students should be able to: ►Describe the biological factors that influence forgetting. ►Describe the environmental factors that influence forgetting ►Differentiate between retroactive and proactive interference ►E...

Forgetting & Improving Memory  Learning Objectives At the end of the lesson, students should be able to: ►Describe the biological factors that influence forgetting. ►Describe the environmental factors that influence forgetting ►Differentiate between retroactive and proactive interference ►Explain what is meant by context- dependent and state-dependent memory  Measuring Forgetting ► Psychologists use memory tasks to measure forgetting: recall, recognition and relearning. ► Recall: ► retrieval of previously learned material. ► Recognition: ► identifying previously learned material from an array of options. ► Recall is usually harder than recognition, because recalling involves two steps- generating and answer then determining if its correct. ► Recognition only involves determining which item from a list is correct. Measuring Forgetting ► Relearning: ► reacquiring knowledge that we have previously learned but largely forgotten over time. ► E.g. if you had cumulative test and had to go over material for finals.  Biological Reasons for Forgetting ► Why do memories once formed not remain forever? ► There is a biological explanation as well as the influence of experiences we have. Biological explanation of forgetting ► Decay theory: ► Information in memory eventually fades if it is not accessed - applies mostly to short term memory ► The mere passages of time produces forgetting. ► Information in LTM can also be lost through head injuries which may result in retrograde amnesia (where persons are unable to remember what happened to them before the accident) ► Memory lost can also be attributed to other factors including surgery, poor diet, or disease. ► E.g. Korsakoff’s syndrome –results from abusing alcohol and a vitamin deficient diet. ► Alzheimer's disease: a neurological disorder that results in severe memory lost.  Environment and Forgetting ► Lack of attention to critical information and inadequate rehearsal of the information may result in forgetting ► E.g. ineffective encoding- information may never have been inserted in memory- pseudo-forgetting Also learning more than one thing can also cause forgetting ► Interference: – When similar items of information interferes with one another in either storage or retrieval. Interference ► Two types of Interference: – Retroactive- new learning interferes with retrieval of old learning. – Proactive - older learning interferes with ability to retrieve more recently learned material. The greater the similarity between the materials we learn, the greater the interference.  Situational Factors and Forgetting ⦿ Context-dependent memory ⦿ When we try to memorize information, we may unintentionally pick up cues from the environment where this learning is taking place. ⦿ Cue-Dependent forgetting: ⦿ inability to retrieve information from memory because of insufficient cues. ► State-dependent memory ► Our physiological state can also influence our ability to remember information. ► This is our ability to recall information if we are in the same physiological or mental state as when we learned the information. Forgetting ► Repression: ► When we don’t want to remember something and push it away. ► Lack of motivation to remember things/events ► Amnesia can be caused by head injuries or brain disease but can also be as a result of a psychological dysfunction ► E.g. psychogenic amnesia: caused by a need to escape feelings such as guilt, shame, emotional shock. ► E.g. dissociative amnesia and dissociative fugue  Improving Memory ► Study of memory aids and related techniques in improving memory is called mnemonics. ► Organization: pay attention, especially to the natural organization of things, it may help with retrieval cues. May want to organize things that are not naturally organized. ► Concentration: Focus attention on the information, so it can be encoded and stored. Improving Memory ► Engage in adequate rehearsal, don’t cram ► Rehearsal increases the chances of retaining information in LTM. ► Maintenance Rehearsal: ► rote repetition of information. This helps keep information in STM, but may not always lead to retention in LTM. ► Elaboration Rehearsal: ► involves relating new information to material that is already well known. ► Method of Loci: ⦿ uses associations of place or task. Visualizing a place or task provides cues for recalling the task. Improving Memory ► Mnemonics: ► strategies and tricks used to encode, store and retain information. Mnemonics usually combine chunks of information into a format as acronym, jingle or phrase. ► Narratives- creating a story or song that links the concepts together in some manner. ► Acronyms (e.g. ROY G. BIV) ► Chunking Special Topics in Memory ► Childhood Amnesia: ► not being able to recall events before 2 years of age ► Eidectic imagery (photographic memory): ► the ability to reproduce unusually sharp and detailed images of something one has seen ► Flashbulb memory: ► a vivid memory of a certain event and the incidents surrounding the event even after a long time has passed. Most often related to shocking or highly important events. Special Topics in Memory ► Eyewitness testimony: ► Some evidence shows that eyewitnesses sometimes are unable to tell the difference between what they witnessed and what they merely heard about or imagined. ► Recovered memories: ► Many cases of people who experience traumatic event, lose memory of it, but later recall it. ► Highly controversial, because research shows that people can be induced to remember events that never happened References ► Morris, C.G. & Maistro, A.A. (2010). Understanding Psychology (9th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ► Rathus, S.A. (2007) Psychology: Concepts and Connections (8th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.