Memory Components, Forgetting, and Strategies Chapter 10 Memory Components, Forgetting, and Strategies Concept: Memory storage and retrieval influence motor skill learning and performance

Memory Structure Definition of memory: Our capacity to remember Tulving (1985) - Memory is the capacity that permits organisms to benefit from past experiences Memory structure comprised of two functional systems Working memory Long-term memory Memory functions Storage of information Retrieval of information System specific functions

Two-Component Memory Model Working Memory Sub-systems: Phonological loop Visuospatial sketchpad Central executive Long-Term Memory Sub-systems: Procedural memory Semantic memory Episodic memory

Working Memory (WM) Memory system associated with sensory, perceptual, attentional, and short-term memory processes Involved in all situations requiring temporary use and storage of information Function: Enables people to respond according to the demands of a “right now” situation Critical role in decision making, problem solving, movement planning and execution Interacts with long-term memory Interactive workspace

Three Types of Memory Systems in Working Memory Phonological loop – inner ear, inner voice Visuospatial sketchpad – mind’s eye Central executive – coordinated the information in working memory

Working Memory Storing of Information Duration: Maintains information for 20-30 sec. before losing parts of info See Adams & Dijkstra (1966) experiment Capacity Can store ~ 7 items (+/- 2) Person can increase capacity “Chunking”

Working Memory Processing of Information Information processed to allow person to achieve action goal or goal of problem at hand, e.g. Remember how to perform an action as just instructed Solve a specific movement problem: e.g., how to throw a ball to another person; how to fit together the pieces of a puzzle

Long-Term Memory (LTM) Serves as the more permanent storage repository of information Function: Allows people to have information about specific past events as well as general knowledge Duration: Unknown since we cannot satisfactorily measure duration of info in LTM Capacity: Relatively unlimited

Three Types of Memory Systems in Long-Term Memory Procedural: Stores information about “how to do” specific activities, e.g. motor skills Semantic: Stores our general knowledge about the world based upon experiences, e.g. concepts Episodic: Stores our knowledge about personally experienced events Allows us to “travel back in time”

Distinguishing Between Knowing What to Do and How to Do A common approach to classifying the types of knowledge in the episodic and semantic memory systems in LTM describes the knowledge as Declarative knowledge Knowledge that can be verbally described (i.e., “what to do” to perform a skill) Procedural knowledge Knowledge that enables the person to actually perform a skill (i.e., know “how to do” a skill) Typically this knowledge is not verbalizable or difficult to verbalize Consider distinction between verbally describing how to tie your shoes and actually tying them

Remembering and Forgetting Terminology Encoding: Process of transforming to-be-remembered information into a form that can be stored in memory Storage: Process of placing information in long-term memory Rehearsal: Process that enables a person to transfer information from working to long-term memory Retrieval: Process of searching through LTM for information needed for present use

Assessing Remembering and Forgetting Explicit memory tests Recall test Recognition test Implicit memory tests Assess info in memory that is difficult to verbalize or may not be verbalizable (i.e., info that would not be accessed on an explicit memory test)

Causes of Forgetting Trace decay Proactive interference Working memory LTM Proactive interference Retroactive interference LTm

Movement Characteristics Related to Memory Performance Location and distance characteristics Movement end-point location remembered better than movement distance Arm movement end-location within the person’s own body space remembered better than outside body space Implications for teaching motor skills Emphasize limb movement end-points or key spatial positions during movement Meaningfulness of the movement Movement becomes meaningful if they can relate the movement to something they know

Strategies that Enhance Memory Performance Increasing a movement’s meaningfulness Visual metaphoric imagery Person thinks of producing a metaphoric image related to the movement Verbal label Attach a specific label to the movement The intention to remember Intentional and incidental memory Subjective organization Organizing sequences of movements

Practice-Test Context Effects Encoding Specificity Principle (Tulving & Thomson, 1973) Refers to the relationship between memory encoding and retrieval process States that the more the test context resembles the practice context, the better the retention performance What are some implications of this principle for practicing motor skills