19 Memory I

Question 1

What are the 3 key PROCESSES in memory?

Define each

Answer 1

Encoding - CODING of information
Storage
Retrieval - FINDING stored memories

Question 2

What circumstances can cause memory to FAIL

Answer 2

Encoding error - no storage
Storage error - stored but LOST
Retrieval error - stored but CAN’T FIND

Question 3

Example of RETRIEVAL failure

Answer 3

“Tip-of-tongue” phenomenon

Question 4

Environmental stimuli are stored into WHAT type of memory first?

Answer 4

SENSORY memory (visual/auditory)

Question 5

From SENSORY memory, memories can enter what type of memory?

HOW does it become committed to this memory?

Answer 5

ATTENTION can commit sensory memories to SHORT-TERM memory

Question 6

Short-term memory is AKA

Answer 6

Working memory

Question 7

How can we ACTIVELY keep things in SHORT-TERM memory

Answer 7

Rehearsal

Question 8

Short-term memories can become….

HOW?

Answer 8

Consolidation can commit short-term memories to LONG-TERM

Question 9

BOTH _____ and ______ memory FEEDS INTO ______ memory

Answer 9

Both SENSORY and LONG-TERM memory feeds into SHORT-TERM memory

Question 10

Sensory memory (VISUAL) is AKA

Answer 10

“Iconic” memory

Question 11

FUNCTION of VISUAL sensory memory

Answer 11

“SMOOTHS OUT” visual lives

Question 12

Examples of how VISUAL sensory memory SMOOTHS OUT visual lives?

Answer 12

MOVIES
*must retain images to understand movie (CONTINUITY)

FINGER-WAGGING TEST

• see 2 fingers
• 1 image lingers after you move

Question 13

How long is information RETAINED in sensory memory?

HOW MUCH of the information is retained?

Answer 13

ALL information BRIEFLY available (~1/2 sec)

Question 14

What are the 2 BRANCHES of sensory memory?

Answer 14

Visual

Auditory

Question 15

Sensory memory (AUDITORY) is AKA

Answer 15

“Echoic” memory

Question 16

Function of AUDITORY sensory memory

Answer 16

SMOOTHS out auditory lives

Question 17

Experiment that shows the function of AUDITORY sensory memory

Answer 17

Dichotic listening task

Question 18

What does the Dichotic listening task prove about our AUDITORY sensory memories?

Answer 18

• Can attend to MULTIPLE auditory streams
• Can voluntarily SWITCH to one ear
• Can retain 2-3 sec from other ear

Question 19

What happens to information from the ear you are ATTENDING to?

Answer 19

Committed to SHORT-TERM memory

Question 20

What happens to information from the ear you are ΝΟΤ attending to?

Answer 20

Committed to ECHOIC memory

Question 21

Function of STM (Working)?

Answer 21

MENTAL WORK is done here

• mental arithmetic
• mental time travel (pull info from PAST or invent FUTURE)
• general conversation (pulling on words)
• mental rotation

Question 22

What are the 3 PARTS of STM?

Answer 22

• Visuospatial sketchpad
• CENTRAL EXECUTIVE
• Articulatory loop

Question 23

Function of Articulatory loop?

Answer 23

Repeating phone number over and over to make a call

Type of rehearsal

Question 24

Name 2 ways to ENHANCE working memory efficiency?

Answer 24

• ”Chunking”

* Rehearsal

Question 25

What is the general item LIMIT of memory span?

Answer 25

~7 items

Question 26

How does “chunking” work?

Answer 26

Memory span is ~7 items, but items can be “CHUNKED” into LARGER UNITS to commit MORE to working memory

Question 27

Give an example of how CHUNKING improves working memory

Answer 27

We can recall 7 letters We can recall 7 WORDS (32 letters) (Words = “chunks” of letters)

Question 28

Working memory can handle a CONSTANT number of .... | BUT we can ..... to commit more to working memory

Answer 28

Working memory can handle a CONSTANT number of CHUNKS | BUT we can make each chunk BIGGER to commit more to working memory

Question 29

When working memory (STM) is committed to LTM, what PHYSICAL CHANGE happens?

Answer 29

∆STRUCTURE of synapses to create new long-term memory

Question 30

Function of REHEARSAL

Answer 30

RETAIN things in working memory

Question 31

2 types of REHEARSAL

Answer 31

1. Maintenance rehearsal | 2. Elaborative rehearsal

Question 32

Compare functions of the 2 rehearsal types

Answer 32

``` Maintenance = simply HOLDING info for as long as you NEED it Elaborative = working DEEPER to find patterns, associations, form chunks ```

Question 33

What does ELABORATIVE allow us to do with short-term memories?

Answer 33

Enhances transition to LTM | Deeper processing = better recall

Question 34

Name the 3 LEVELS of processing from most shallow to deep

Answer 34

1. VISUAL - “how many vowels” 2. PHOENEMIC - “does it rhyme with crate?” 3. SEMANTIC - “what does it do?”

Question 35

When memorising a LIST of words, what EFFECT is seen?

Answer 35

Serial Position effect

Question 36

What MEMORIES operate when memorising a LIST of words?

Answer 36

Both SHORT + LONG-term memories

Question 37

Explain the Serial Position effect

Answer 37

EARLIER items held in LTM | LATER items held in STM

Question 38

What EFFECTS occur with the early vs late words?

Answer 38

``` Early = PRIMACY effect Late = RECENCY effect ```

Question 39

What can cause REDUCTION of the primacy / recency effects?

Answer 39

Primacy effect reduced by FAST presentation (No time to release for LTM) Recency effect reduced by DELAY (STM fades)

Question 40

People who have “supermemories” are called

Answer 40

Savants

Question 41

Describe general characteristics of Savants

Answer 41

* May use “TRICKS”, may have GENETIC component | * Often have DEFECITS (brain abnormalities, Aspergers)

Question 42

Name 3 Savants

Answer 42

1. Solomon Shreshevskii 2. Kim Peek 3. Daniel Tammett

Question 43

What was Solomon Shereshevskii’s TRICK to remember lists?

Answer 43

Method of LOCI | = imagine words in a familiar ENVIRO, then take a “MENTAL WALK” down the street

Question 44

What was a LIMITATION to Shereshevskii’s memory?

Answer 44

Highly SPECIFIC memory = hard to learn general CONCEPTS

Question 45

What “Syndrome” did Shereshevskii have? | Define it

Answer 45

Synaesthesia = possibly GENETIC tendency to ATTACH 1 sensory quality to another = forms VIVID images (eg. colors for days of the week)

Question 46

What did Kim Peek’s supermemory allow him to do?

Answer 46

Have a VAST knowledge of 9000 books, movies, music etc

Question 47

LIMITATIONS of Kim Peek’s supermemory status?

Answer 47

* LOW IQ = 87 * Couldn’t button own clothes * BRAIN abnormalities - macrocephaly, cerebellar malfunction

Question 48

What did Daniel Tammett do with his memory?

Answer 48

* Learned Icelandic in 1 week | * Learned π to 22,514 places

Question 49

What SYNDROME did Daniel Tammett have?

Answer 49

Synaesthesia | Saw π digits “ROLL BY”

Question 50

What LIMITATION did Daniel Tammett have?

Answer 50

Asperger syndrome