Memory and Language Unit 5 – Chapters 7 and 8

Overview Class business New Material – –Video – Super-MemoristSuper-Memorist –History of Memory –Processes of Memory –Encoding and storing memory –Video – Losing Explicit MemoryLosing Explicit Memory Old exams Final projects

Remember!!! –THUNSTOFAM

Memory Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850–1909) –Learned lists of nonsense syllables such as cac, rit, and dax –Later recalled nonsense syllables to investigate forgetting –Found that syllables early and late in a list are most likely to be recalled

History of memory Serial Position Effect –Primacy effect –Recency effect –Ebbinghaus Remembering the presidents

22. Cleveland 1. Washington23. Harrison 2. Adams24. Cleveland 3. Jefferson25. McKinley 4. Madison26. T. Roosevelt 5. Monroe27. Taft 6. J. Q. Adams28. Wilson 7. Jackson29. Harding 8. Van Buren30. Coolidge 9. Harrison31. Hoover 10. Tyler32. F. D. Roosevelt 11. Polk33. Truman 12. Taylor34. Eisenhower 13. Fillmore35. Kennedy 14. Pierce36. L. Johnson 15. Buchanan37. Nixon 16. Lincoln38. Ford 17. A. Johnson39. Carter 18. Grant40. Reagan 19. Hayes41. G. Bush 20. Garfield42. Clinton 21. Arthur43. G. W. Bush 22. Cleveland

Serial Position Effect Percentage Recalled Serial Position EarlyMiddleLate Primacy Effect Recency Effect

3 Processes of memory Encoding is the process of organizing and transforming incoming information Storage is the process of retaining information in memory. Retrieval is the process of digging information out of memory. Computer analogy

Different Memory Stores We have three different memory stages, (perhaps sets of neurons that maintain information) Each memory stage has a different… –Duration: the length of time information is maintained –Capacity: the amount of information that is maintained

Different Memory Stores Shiffrin and Atkinson 3-stage model of memory Sensory Memory Short-Term Memory Long-Term Memory Rehearsal

Characteristics of sensory memory Holds very large amount of letters for very short time. Sperling experiment

Sensory Memory Sperling’s partial report technique: a tone indicated which row to report after the stimuli disappeared –High tone = Top –Medium tone = Middle –Low tone= Bottom Z R A T B S L D Q E K R

Sensory Memory Sperling’s partial report technique –Findings Full report: 4-5 items correctly recalled Partial report: 4 items correctly recalled based on tone presented after the stimuli disappeared –Conclusions Large-capacity memory store that fades very quickly Information must be accessed before it fades or it is lost Attention is necessary to move information from SM to STM

Characteristics of Short-term memory Limited channel capacity (7 +/- 2) –Expanding capacity - chunking Duration - (30 seconds) –Extending duration - rehearsal

Demonstration: Limited capacity Elephant Mother Cottage Grasp Station Telegraph Trapeze Popsicle Salmon Drumstick Tomato Gunfire

Demonstration: Chunking Study these items

Write down all the items you can recall

Study these items FRY-ORIN AWT-DIAL DEI-BOYO BAW-RKOL REP-SEEP FED-DATO WEE-LIPE

Write down all the items you can recall

Short-Term Memory Original conceptualization of STM criticized for… –Not emphasizing active processing Rehearsal is relatively passive and does not sufficiently explain other processes –Not emphasizing visual information Original focus was on auditory information –Not emphasizing the role of attention

Working Memory Functions of WM –Central Executive Controls activity of the articulatory loop and VSSP –Articulatory Loop Tape recorder Most similar to original concept of STM –VSSP Maintains mental images, location of objects, etc. Central Executive Articulatory Loop Visuospatial Sketch Pad

Working Memory v Short-term Memory: Baddeley Where did you park your car today? Where did you park yesterday?

Long-Term Memory Long-term memory store containing the accumulated knowledge base Characteristics –Duration: Hours to years –Capacity: Huge-possibly limitless

Process of long-term storage Dynamic to Structural Memory Consolidation – The process of converting dynamic to structural memory

Consolidation The process of forming a relatively permanent memory trace –Patients who receive electroconvulsive therapy experience disruption of memory for recent events, even those that are no longer in STM. Older memories are unaffected. (remember dream theory)

Serial Position Effect Based on what you now know about the different memory stores, how would you explain… –The primacy effect? –The recency effect? –The poor recall for words in the middle of the list? How would the results change if… –The words were presented at a very fast rate? –After hearing the list of words, you had to count backward from 431 before writing down your answers?

Rehearsal Jane wants to order pizza but he doesn’t have the phone number. She calls 411 but since she doesn’t have a piece of paper to write down the number. She hangs up and keeps repeating over and over again and until she has dialed the number.

What memory store is Jane trying to utilize in this example? A.Sensory memory B.Iconic memory C.Short-term memory D.Long-term memory

If you think of the mind as being like a computer, which memory store represents the hard drive? A.Sensory memory B.Short-term memory C.Long-term memory

Making Memories: How is information represented in memory? A code is a type of mental representation, an internal “re-presentation” of a stimulus or event You can store information in a visual or verbal code vs.“Coffee and a muffin”

Making Memories: Code Information stored as one type of code does not need to match the original input –Visual stimuli can be coded verbally –Verbal stimuli can be coded visually

How does information get into LTM Rehearsal Use deep processing Use elaborative encoding

Depth of Processing The success of learning new information depends upon the depth at which it is processed –Shallow: based on characteristics of appearance –Moderate: based on characteristics of the sound –Deep: based on characteristics of the meaning

Depth of Processing An example: A word is used as a stimulus in all three questions below, each of which requires a yes/no response. The difference is in the type of processing required to answer the questions. Stimulus: GAIN Depth of processing questions –Shallow: Is this word printed in capital letters? –Moderate: Does this word rhyme with “train”? –Deep: Does this word fit in the following sentence? I have nothing to _______ by helping you.

Breadth of Processing Elaborative encoding involves organizing and integrating new information into what you already know –THUNSTOFAM

Context in Memory “A newspaper is better than a magazine. A seashore is a better place than the street. At first it is better to run than to walk. You may have to try several times. It takes some skill but is easy to learn. Even young children can enjoy it. Once successful, complications are minimal. Birds seldom get too close. Rain, however, soaks in very fast. Too many people doing the same thing can also cause problems. One needs lots of room. If there are no complications, it can be very peaceful. A rock will serve as an anchor. If things break loose from it, however, you will not get a second chance.”

Emotion and memory Flashbulb memories

Von Restorff Effect Jump Cut Run Fly Duck-billed platypus Read Build Lay

Organization of Memory Stores Implicit Memory Explicit Memory Semantic Memory Episodic Memory

Implicit vs. Explicit Memories Implicit memories –Cannot be voluntarily called to mind and verbalized –Include motor skills Explicit memories –Can be voluntarily called to mind and verbalized –Consist of both factual knowledge (semantic) and memory for personal experiences (episodic)

Implicit Memories Five major types –Classically conditioned responses –Memories formed through non-associative learning –Habits –Skills –Priming

Habits A well-learned response carried out automatically when the appropriate stimulus is present e.g. biting your nails

Implicit Memories: Skills Skills are sets of behaviors that can be applied to a variety of stimuli within a domain, such as riding a bike Initially, skills rely on controlled processing and given enough practice shift to rely on automatic processing

Priming The result of performing a task that facilitates the same or an associated task. The alphabet

Biological Foundations of Memory Long-term potentiation (LTP) is the strengthening of the connections between the sending and receiving neurons that underlies memory storage Human genes clearly play a role in memory –The apolipoprotein E (apo E) gene is present in many people who develop Alzheimer’s disease

Video Clip – Implicit v Explicit Memory 18. Living With Amnesia: The Hippocampus and Memory 18. Living With Amnesia: The Hippocampus and Memory

Retrieving information Recognition v Recall Which is easier

Using Cues Cues – stimuli that help you remember –Tip of the tongue phenomenon (demo) –Encoding specificity –State dependent retrieval –Hypermnesia – improval of memory over time

When Memory fails False memories –How they are implanted

What causes forgetting Failure to encode Decay Interference Intention