Memory

The persistence of learning over time through the storage and retrieval of information –Your memory is your mind’s storehouse, the reservoir of your accumulated learning

Memory Memory involves three fundamental processes: 1.Encoding 2.Storage 3.Retrieval

What do you think? Talk to the person sitting next to you What do you think each of the three means in terms of memory Check to see if you were correct

Memory – Information Processing Encoding – putting into Storage – keeping Retrieval –getting out

Sensory Information Every second are potential memories What do you pay attention to I.e. – walking down the hall – who do you remember? Why? Cocktail party effect

Encoding Encoding is the processing of information into the memory system – the first step of building a memory is sensory input

Encoding – Effortful Processing Two effortful practices that may help to gather (encode) sensory information include rehearsal and spacing

Encoding – Rehearsal – the conscious repetition of information Like studying or practice!

Encoding – Spacing Effect – rehearsing information repeatedly, over time. Spaced studying beats cramming! Rehearse a bit, take a break, begin rehearsing as you start forgetting things, take a break, rehearse again as you begin to forget, etc.

Types of Encoding Visual (Mental) Encoding – the encoding of picture images Acoustic Encoding – the encoding of sounds Semantic Encoding – the encoding of meanings, especially of words

Visual Encoding Where did you go yesterday, who was with you, where did you eat, and what did you wear? Remembering visual information is often easier than remembering formulas, definitions, names and dates. Visual encoding applies the idea of mental pictures to words and concepts, in order to put them into memory easier.

Encoding – Mental Imagery A mental picture of Lady Macbeth. While reading John Grisham’s “The Firm”, you picture Tom Cruise as the main character.

Encoding – Mental Imagery When encoding a list of words, apply a mental picture to each word. IE. Typewriter, fire, cigarette, scary.

Encoding – Mental Imagery Example Grocery List A through J Make a list of thing you the grocery store starting with A, B, C – J Directions follow

Auditory Encoding - Sounds auditory encoding enhances the processing of information by applying rhyme schemes, stories, songs, etc. to the information.

Encoding – A uditory Encoding 30 Days has September, April, June and November. All the rest have 31, except February… In fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the Ocean Blue. "i" before "e," except after "c," or in sounding like "ay" as in "neighbor" or "weigh."

Auditory Encoding - Sounds “What sobriety conceals, alcohol reveals”. “If the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit,” is easily remembered by jurors when a lawyer is fighting for his client’s innocence.

Encoding – A uditory Encoding Songs are another great way to remember things – SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK !!

Encoding – More Strategies (Mnemonics) Chunking – Organizing items into familiar, manageable units Acronyms – Organizing items by creating words or sentences from the first letters of the words or information to be remembered

Chunking Numbers Put your pencil down Remember the numbers I saw verbally

Encoding –Chunking 1,8,1,2,1,7,7,6,1,9,4,1,1,4,9,2

Encoding –Chunking Much easier to encode the numbers into our memory if we “chunk” them: Try to remember these numbers: 1812, 1776, 1941, 1492

Encoding –Chunking Where they easier to remember? They were the same numbers as before…

1,8,1,2,1,7,7,6,1,9,4,1,1,4,9,2 1812, 1776, 1941, 1492

Encoding –Acronyms Need to learn the names of North America’s five “Great Lakes”? –HOMES – Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior

Encoding – Effortful Processing Acronyms National Basketball Association – NBA Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus – SCUBA

Encoding – Effortful Processing Acronyms Can’t remember how to spell Arithmetic? –A Rat In Toms House Might Eat Toms Ice Cream

–Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally - mathematical order of operations: Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiply and Divide before you Add and Subtract –How about the planets in order… My Very Educated Mother Just Showed Us Nine Planets – …only no more Pluto so how about My Very Educated Mother Just Showed Us Nothing

Encoding with emotions Flashbulb Memories – a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event –Where were you when 9/11 occurred, or when Kennedy was shot? –You clearly remember your first hit in Little League, your first kiss, the first day of high school, a funeral, a wedding….. even though the memory may be many years old, you have a clear recollection.