Memory Objective’s for Today’s Class: What are some types of memories? How can we retrieving memories?

Let’s Share Some Memories! What kinds of things do you remember?

What do you remember? Two types of long-term memories Declarative Memories (Explicit) Memories with conscious recall Memories for facts Procedural Memories (Implicit) Memories without conscious recall Memories for actions, skills, and operations ASK CLASS FOR SOME TYPES OF MEMORIES: What kinds of things do they remember? Based on how information is stored and retrieved, psychologists have made a number of distinctions among types of long-term memories.

Declarative Memory The ability to state a fact These memories are learned quickly but compared to procedural memories they are more likely to be forgotten over the long term Examples: Being able to tell someone your phone number The meaning of the word “consciousness”

Two Types of Declarative Memories Semantic Memory Contains general knowledge that is not tied to the time when the information was learned Memories of general principles, facts, rules and ideas. Episodic Memory Made up of chronologically, or temporally dated, recollections of personal experiences

Episodic Memory Who was the first person you kissed? What was your favorite toy in childhood? Memories for specific events Includes details of when and where the events happened Help us construct a sense of self

Procedural Memory It is the repository of motor skills and habits such as handwriting or driving. These skills are essential part of our memory store, but it is difficult to describe the "know-how" in words. In this sense the memory is said to be implicit or non-declarative …you just cannot explain how to ride a bicycle.

The skills may be difficult to acquire, but once learned they are never forgotten, even without occasional practice

How do we get information back out? Retrieval How do we get information back out?

What Influences Retrieval? What’s the difference between Jeopardy and Who wants to be a millionaire? Which game would you prefer to play? Why? Both games are examples of retention

How Do We Test Memory? Recognition is a method of testing memory by asking someone to choose the correct item from a set of alternatives. Example- True-false, multiple choice and matching tests Recall: essay or short-answer tests Recognition: multiple-choice, true-false, matching tests Recall measure of retention: requires people to produce information on their own Recognition measure of retention: requires people to select previously learned information from an array of options Retrieval Cues: Stimuli that help gain access to memories – such as hints, related information, or partial recollections Context cues often make retrieval of information easier

Recognition Task The next time you see someone at a party who is having trouble walking properly, you might say, "He has had too much to drink, and it went right to his _____________________.” Reticular formation Cerebellum Frontal lobe Parietal lobe

How is Information Retrieved? Free Recall is a method of testing memory by asking someone to produce certain items without substantial hints (Lefton & Brannon, 323). Example- fill-in-the-blank, short-answer or essays exams

How many items can you remember?

Traffic Elephant Circus Kitty Music Jibbyness Moon Bull Ocean Bicycle Fantastic Courageous Lobster Friend

Words positioned at the beginning and the end of a list are most likely to be remembered, a phenomenon called the serial position effect. Also, any unusual stimuli have a greater chance of being recalled, a phenomenon called the von Restorff effect (Hunt & Lamb, 2001).

Here’s a HINT… Cued Recall is a method of testing memory by asking someone to produce a certain item after being given a hint

Can you name some songs from the 80’s and 90’s? What type of memory activity is this? Can you name some songs from the 80’s and 90’s?

How come I can remember the words to a song from 10 years ago?

How about some T.V shows from the 80’s and 90’s?

T.V Trivia Name that show!

Where were you…?

Flashbulb Memories Unusually vivid and detailed memory for circumstances at the time of dramatic event. These are emotionally significant memories Highly detailed and long-lasting Memory of Princess Diana’s death Memory of the 9-11 attack Memory of the Challenger explosion Memory of JFK’s assassination Not a unique type of memory – they are just very vivid.

How Can You Improve Your Memory?

Encoding Specificity Principle The associations you form at the time of learning will be the most effective retrieval cues Mood congruence If you experience something while you’re in a particular mood – you are more likely to think of it again when you are in the same mood State-dependent retrieval The tendency to remember something better if your body is in the same condition during recall as it was during the original learning State-dependent memory The tendency to remember something better if your body is in the same condition during recall as it was during the original learning If you learn something in one location – you may forget it when tested in another location If you experience something while you’re in a particular mood – you are more likely to think of it again when you are in the same mood If you want to remember something at a particular time and place – make your study conditions as similar as possible to the test conditions

Mnemonic Devices Any memory aid that is based on encoding each item in a special way Use silly images The sillier the image the more effectively you will remember it Use pleasant images Your brain often blocks out unpleasant images Use vivid colorful images They are easier to remember than boring ones Use all your senses to code information Mnemonics can contain sounds, smells, tastes, touch, movements, feelings, and pictures Silly images: Exaggerate the size of important parts of the image Use humor Rude or sexual rhymes are very difficult to forget

Verbal Mnemonics Word associations (i.e., acronyms or acrostics) Example: ROY G BIV (acronym for colors of the spectrum) King Philip Came Over For Good Sex (acrostic for order of taxonomy in biology) Acronym: ROY G BIV: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet (colors of the spectrum) HOMES: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior (the great lakes) Acrostic: Kids Prefer Cheese Over Fried Green Spinach or King Philip Came Over For Good Sex Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species (for order of taxonomy in biology) Every good boy deserves fudge EGBDF (notes on a piano) Examples of rhymes: Thirty days has September, April, June and November. When short February’s done. All the rest have 31. Learning the ABCs to the tune of twinkle, twinkle little star “I before E except after C” In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue Righty tighty lefty losey Mi crooked letter, crooked letter, i, crooked letter, crooked letter, i, hump back, hump back, i. Method of Loci Involves taking an imaginary walk along a familiar path where images of items to be remembered are associated with certain locations First you memorize a series of objects along a familiar route (you imagine your morning walk from your bedroom to the bathroom to the kitchen to the front door) As you image the route, you visualize objects along the route (the bed, the bathroom door, the shower, the stairs, the stove, etc…) Each of these place becomes a spot for something to be remembered (for example, a dozen eggs lined up on the bed; a bag of apples hanging from the bathroom door, butter in the soap dish in the shower, etc…) When you think about the old household objects… it should remind you of the new objects

Verbal Mnemonics Narrative stories and rhymes Examples of rhymes: Thirty days has September, April, June and November. When short February’s done. All the rest have 31. Red sun at night – sailors delight, red sun in the morning – sailors take warning Righty tighty lefty loosey Learning the ABCs to the tune of twinkle, twinkle little star Other examples: I before E except after C, except when sounding like A as in neighbor or weigh Spelling Mississippi – M I crooked letter, crooked letter, I, crooked letter, crooked letter, I, humped back, humped back, I Red sun at night – sailors delight, red sun in the morning – sailors take warning 1492 Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2YR80hTRmw (Animaniacs singing about the presidents) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkO87mkgcNo (Conjunction junction) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4KLfDh3DX0 (Telegram – School House Rock!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkO87mkgcNo

How Should You Study? Distributed practice is better than massed practice Ten 1-hour blocks is better than one 10-hour block You should continue to rehearse the material after you first appear to have mastered it Skimming or speed-reading will not promote long-term retention

How Should You Study? Active is better than passive (allows you to engage in deeper processing) Writing out a detailed outline is better than passively reading over notes Try to relate material to your own life and experience rather than just memorizing material The better organized you are – the better you learn and remember

Next Class Why do we forget?