1. Chapter 10 Memory and Thought

2. The Processes of Memory The storage and retrieval of what has been learned or experienced is memory There are three processes of memory: encoding, storage, and retrieval

3. Encoding Encoding is the transforming od information so the nervous system can process it You use your senses to encode and establish a memory (ex: singing the states song)

4. Storage Storage is the process by which information is maintained over time Information can be stored for a few seconds or for many years- usually depends on the encoding effort

5. Retrieval Retrieval occurs when information is brought to mind from storage The ease of which information can be retrieved depends on how efficiently it was encoded and stored

6. Sensory Memory In sensory memory, the senses of sight and hearing are able to hold an input for a fraction of a second before it disappears If you choose to pay attention, information is automatically transferred to short-term memory

7. Short-Term Memory Short-term memory is limited in capacity and in duration Maintenance rehearsal is the act of repeating information out loud in order to memorize it (ex: telephone numbers)

8. Short-Term Memory, Cont. Chunking is the process of grouping items to make them easier to remember (ex: we ‘chunk’ numbers into groups like 916-4100 instead of 9164100)

9. Short-Term Memory, Cont. The Primacy-Regency Effect refers to the fact that we are better able to recall items at the beginning or end of a list Short-term memory is also called working memory

10. Long-Term Memory Long-term memory refers to the storage of information over extended periods of time The capacity of long-term memory is limitless There are four types of long-term memory

11. Types of Long-Term Memory Semantic memory is knowledge on language including rules, words and meanings Episodic memory is memory of one’s life and personal experiences Declarative memory involves both episodic and sematic memory that you call forth and use as you need it Procedural memory is memory of learned skills

12. Memory and the Brain Short-term memory is stored in the cortex Long-term memory is stored in the hippocampus Psychologists are still studying physiological changes to the brain in learning and memory

13. Retrieving Information The storage of memory is useless without the ability to retrieve it The solution to retrieval is organization and the human brain is extremely organized

14. Recognition Recognition is memory retrieval in which a person identifies something they have or have not experienced before Recognition is quite easy for the human mind

15. Recall Recall is memory retrieval in which a person reconstructs previously learned material More challenging than recognition Recall is influenced by reconstructive processes, or alterations of recalled memories

16. Recall, Cont. If reconstruction of a memory is incomplete, sometimes confabulation occurs where memory gaps are filled with incorrect information We construct memory within our pre-existing schemas, or conceptual framework

17. Forgetting Forgetting happens when once known information cannot be recalled Decay refers to the fading of memories over time (high school) Interference is the blockage of a memory by previous or subsequent memories (addresses)

18. Amnesia Amnesia is a loss of memory May occur as a result of head injury, drug use, or severe stress Infant amnesia is the relative lack of early memories before age 3

19. Improving Memory You can use several techniques to improve memory and learn better Elaborative rehearsal is the linking of new information to already known material Mnemonic devices are associations used to memorize information (EGBDF, PEMDAS, etc.)