L4 - Learning & Memory Flashcards
How does memory system work?
- Sensory input
- Sensory Register
- STM (rehearsal)
- LTM
Describe WMM
Immediate, conscious system to store, process and manipulate information
- Central Executive: decides where we focus attention to, helps manipulation of processes
- Phonological loop: slave system that processes auditory things, also rehearsing things, holds 7+-2 pieces of info, can chunk also
- Visual-spatial sketchpad: Visual semantics, test through spatial span test
- Episodic buffer: temporary storage
- Info goes through WMM before being stored in LTM
What are the types of explicit memory?
- Things you can explain, consciously accessible
- Episodic
- Semantic
What is Episodic memory?
- Specific events, associated with context and require reconstruction of past
- Ex. memories of past: what, where, when
- Autobiographical
- Memories that make up your history and identity, better in quality than other memories
What is Semantic Memory?
Facts, concepts, general knowledge
What is Procedural memory?
- Unconscious, difficult to verbalise
- e.g cog skills, motor skills etc
- Requires concentration at start, becomes automatic after
How to study implicit learning?
- Serial Reaction time task
- Visual stimuli seen that flashes on a position on screen
- Press one of 4 keys corresponding to location of light
- Show random sequences and people get faster as their skills better over time
- When certain sequences are repeated, people learn and predict, getting faster
- Not conscious
What is the power law of practice?
Performance improves with practise, but as you perform, the improvement diminishes
What is the serial position effect?
Primacy effect: people remember more from beginning of list due to rehearsal
Recency effect: people remember more at the end of the list as they are in STM (phonological loop)
What are the three main processes of memory?
- Encode
- Consolidate: rehearse and store
- Retrieve
Why do we forget?
- Insufficient encoding: not paying attention, info we process more deeply (semantically) is stored better
- Loss of info during consolidation, info not stored
- Retrieval unsuccessful, cues wrong
- Can be tested through Recall vs recognition tests and free vs cued recall
How do you do a recall v recognition test?
Recall: retrieval of info from past
- Free: no cues given
Recognition: identification of item as encountered before amongst distractions
- Single probe/multiple choice
What is the two stage theory of recall?
1) Search & Retrieval: have to look through memory and reconstruct
2) Validation & Recognition: Yes you do have that. (People do better in this stage)
Why is recognition not always easier than recall? (Study)
Study tested recognition:
- Recognition task: people were shown lists of names and had to tell which were famous or not
- Recall tests where they had to complete the famous name
What are the two possible processes of recognition?
- Familiarity: Fast process of knowing in the absence of contextual detail, e.g only see them in gym
- Recollection: Slow process involving retrieval of contextual details
- Info can be available even if not accessible currently
