Memory super memorist: 20 The persistence of learning over time through the storage and retrieval of information.

Was it easy or hard? It depends on several things…. If you like Disney movies? When was the last time you have seen the movie? Are people around you being loud so you cannot concentrate?

Take out a piece of paper….. Name the seven dwarves….. Now name them…..

Recall vs. Recognition Recall you must retrieve the information from your memory fill-in-the blank or essay tests Recognition you must identify the target from possible targets multiple-choice tests

The Memory Process crash course crash course Three step process…. 1.Encoding: The processing of information into the memory system. 2.Storage: The retention of encoded material over time. 3.Retrieval: The process of getting the information out of memory storage.

Three Stage Theory of Memory

Sensory Memory replication of Sperling's experiment replication of Sperling's experiment A split second holding tank for ALL sensory information. – Iconic (Visual) – Echoic (Auditory)

Short Term Memory The stuff we encode from the sensory goes to STM. Events are encoded visually (images), acoustically (sounds) or semantically (meanings). Holds about 7 (plus or minus 2) items for about 20 seconds. We recall digits better than letters.

Transferring from STM to LTM Chunking - organizing items into familiar, manageable units Mnemonic Devices Rehearsal – repetition, repetition, repetition "Mary Very Easily Makes Jam Saturday Unless No Plums."

Long Term Memory unlimited storehouse of information Explicit Memories (Declarative) – Facts Memorized (Semantic) – Events / Experiences (Episodic) Implicit Memories (Non- declarative or Procedural) – Skills – Example: how to ride a bike, shoot a basketball

Storing Memories - Encoding Effortful Processing done actively, “with effort”, on purpose Studying for a test Completing AP Psych reading assignment Drilling with AP Psych flashcards Automatic Processing done passively, “without effort”, by “accident” Remembering what you ate for breakfast this morning Remembering the score of sporting event Remembering who you first spoke to today

Storing Memories - Encoding Amnesia - generally, the loss of memory The Physical Basis of Memory – No one area houses memories – Ongoing Electrical Activity – Synaptic Changes Long-term Potentiation (LTP) – increase in a synapse’s firing potential after stimulation (engram) program 17 modern example

Encoding Processes Visual Encoding: the encoding of images example example Acoustic Encoding: the encoding of sound Semantic Encoding: the encoding of meaning the most effective encoding with multiple process types is even more effective

Memory Strategies 7:04 7:04 Mnemonic devices are strategies to improve memory by organizing information – Method of Loci: ideas are associated with a place or part of a building exampleexample – Peg-Word system: peg words are associated with ideas (e.g. “one is a bun”) – Word Associations: verbal associations are created for items to be learned

Chunking Chunking & other methods # Chunking & other methods # Organizing items into familiar, manageable units. Often it will occur automatically. Chunk- from Goonies Do these numbers mean anything to you? 1492, 1776, 1812, 1941 how about now?

Chunking Write down as many of the states of the US as you can remember!

Take out a piece of paper and name all the Presidents

Encoding Information Serial Positioning Effects – the tendency for recall to be affected by the order of encoding – Primacy Effect –more likely to recall items at the beginning of a list – Recency Effect – likely to recall items at the end of a list – What else influenced your ability to recall?

Serial Positioning Effect Our tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list. If we graph an average person remembers presidential list- it would probably look something like this. Presidents Recalled

Encoding – The Spacing Effect distributed study or practice yields better long term retention cramming is minimally effective What, then, would be good strategies for preparing for AP Psych tests? For the AP Exam in the spring?

The Context Matters!!! crash course crash course Flashbulb Memories – a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event Mood Congruent Memory – the tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with your current mood State Dependent Memory – memory that is recalled under the consciousness conditions it was formed

Memory Construction Memories are not always what they seem. Misinformation Effect – incorporating misleading information into one’s memory of an event Elizabeth Loftus

Misinformation Effect Depiction of Accident Leading Question: About how fast were the cars going when they hit each other?

Misinformation Effect Leading Question: About how fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?

Forgetting – Encoding Failure

Which is the Right Penny? AUTOMATIC ENCODING (From Nickerson & Adams, 1979) ‏

Forgetting – Retrieval Failure Retroactive Interference: recent information blocks out old information. Proactive Interference: previous information blocks out new information. Calling your new girlfriend by old girlfriend’s name. Getting a new bus number and forgetting old bus number. Clive Wearing

Repression – Freud’s concept of the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories

Forgetting - Storage Decay Even after encoding something well, we sometimes forget it. Herman Ebbinghaus’ experiments with non-sense syllables – Showed the memory fades quickly, but then the speed at which it fades levels out.

Ebbinghaus’s Forgetting Curve

Types of Amnesia Clive Wearing Clive Wearing Causes: Brain Damage, Shock, Repression, Stress and Illness Amnesia is forgetting produced by brain injury or trauma – Retrograde amnesia refers to problems with recall of information prior to a trauma – Anterograde amnesia refers to problems with recall of information after a trauma – 50 1st dates trailer 50 1st dates trailer – Infantile Amnesia: Before 3 years old – Source amnesia-where did I hear or read that??

Significant People - Memory George Miller – Research on Short-term Memory Capacity – “The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two” (1956, Harvard) established 7, + or – 2 as the limit of storable information also first developed the concept of “chunking” to aid in memory retention