Memory Flashcards
Sensory coding
New information Re-appearance of old information
Working memory (= short-term memory)
active neural nodes and processes limited capacity of 7(±2) items attention is crucial
Long-term memory
depends on the formation of associations between nodes when they are active in working memory.
Memory model
Why is attention important for memory?
What happens to information we do not attend to?
Short term memory can only store around 7 things at a time so if you’re paying attention to thoughts or other sensory infos then you’d not record the memory into long term.
Why is rehearsal important for memory?
What happens to information we do not rehearse?
The active retrieval of the memory will cause a stronger connection and therefore it will become long term. If you don’t rehearse it will dissipate.
emotion - memory and learning
- low arousal/ high arousal
memory is an active process
best learning occurs when there is optimal arousal
few distractions
at low arousal
- we take in less detail, but have a more broad focus
at higher arousal
- we take in more detail,
but within a narrow range
- “flashbulb” analogy
arousal must be optimal
emotions and memory -
which memories are the most remembered?
how can emotion be negative?
- Freud: forgotten memories are not ‘lost’, but hidden from the conscious mind
- the most vividly remembered events tend to be the most emotional
but emotion is not always a positive factor …
- in situations of heightened emotions, people tend to remember emotions at the expense of facts
- encoding, rehearsal and storage are active processes attention and rehearsal are crucial but must be properly focused
- … implications for giving information in consultations
Medical Memory Model
Understanding boosts recall of information. Both factors makes the consultation more satisfactory which leads to greater treatment adherence.
implications for adherence
just because a patient is given information, there is no guarantee that they will change their behaviour
- patients immediately forget around 50% of what they are told by their doctor (Kessels, 2003)
information provided to patients may not be remembered if:
- it is not attended to
- it is not understood
- too much information is given
- it is not “encoded” through repetition or rehearsal
how do you maintain attention of the patient?
avoid distractions
ask patients to say in their own words what they have been told, and to correct any inaccuracies
be aware of emotions/arousal
How to improve patient recall?
use patient-friendly records of important information
print, audio, video
images relevant to written or verbal information can improve attention to, and recall of, health information
