Memory

Question 1

What is memory?

Answer 1

Active system that organizes, senses, alters, stores and retrieves info. OR, the ability to recall past info/events.

Question 2

What is the working memory and give an example?

Answer 2

Active system that processes information in the STM. Example: solving a math calculation and needing to go back into the LTM to recall info to help solve the problem.

Question 3

How long does info stay in the STM?

Answer 3

Around 20-30s

Question 4

How many items can be in the STM?

Answer 4

7 plus or minus 2

Question 5

What is STM?

Answer 5

Memory where info is held for brief periods of time while being used. When not being used, info is either lost or transferred to LTM.

Question 6

Chunking

Answer 6

Turning one large number of values into multiple smaller groups

Question 7

Mnemonics and an example

Answer 7

Taking the first letter of each item and giving them meaning. Ex: PEDMAS = Please Excuse My Dear Aunt sally. Makes it easier to remember the order

Question 8

Why is the Stroop Test so difficult to do? (3)

Answer 8

1. Interference: words vs. color
2. Speed of processing
3. Selective attention theory: ability to focus on only 1 stimulus among all sensory input

Question 9

Rehearsal

Answer 9

Can extend the duration of info kept in the STM (keep it longer than 20-30s)

Question 10

2 types of rehearsal

Answer 10

1. Maintenance rehearsal: repeating info over and over
2. Elaborative rehearsal: making the info meaningful by making connections with info from LTM, can help transfer this new info into LTM

Question 11

Selective attention theory

Answer 11

Ability to focus on only 1 stimulus among all sensory input

Question 12

Capacity/Duration/Retrieval of STM and LTM

Answer 12

STM: 7+/-2, 20-30s, info either lost or transferred to LTM.
LTM: indefinite size, permanent, info retrieved from STM.

Question 13

What is LTM?

Answer 13

Where info is stored indefinitely and can be recalled/remembered

Question 14

Sensory memory + an example

Answer 14

The shortest type of memory, more of a feeling than a memory. Ex: still hearing the ringing of a fire alarm in our head even after it’s stopped ringing

Question 15

What is the role of the hippocampus in memory?

Answer 15

Consolidation: the transfer of info from STM to LTM

Question 16

Retrograde amnesia

Answer 16

Patient can’t remember events prior to brain damage

Question 17

Anterograde amnesia

Answer 17

Patient can’t form new memories after the brain damage, but still remember everything pre- brain damage

Question 18

Infantile amnesia

Answer 18

The hippocampus only starts to greatly develop around 3yrs old and is fully developed around 7yrs old, so we don’t have a lot of memories from our childhood

Question 19

Which type of amnesia did Clive Wearing and H.M. have?

Answer 19

Anterograde amnesia

Question 20

Which parts of Clive Wearing’s brain were damaged?

Answer 20

Both temporal lobes, which encase the hippocampus, and part of the left frontal lobe

Question 21

Story of H.M.

Answer 21

H.M. was the first case that discovered consolidation. H.M. had severe epilepsy coming from his temporal lobes so a doctor removed his temporal lobes, which also removed the hippocampus. H.M. was completely healthy and functioning other than the fact that he now could not form new memories. However, his unconscious mind remembered things that his conscious mind didnt.

Question 22

3 stages of memory

Answer 22

1. sensory memory
2. STM
3. LTM

Question 23

4 steps of memory processing

Answer 23

1. encoding
2. consolidation
3. storage
4. retrieval

Question 24

What is the primacy-recency effect and what is it AKA?

Answer 24

Our recall is influenced by item position in a sequence.

AKA serial position effect

Question 25

What info that we receive is most easily recalled & hardest to recall?

Answer 25

Primary: rehearsal allows STM to LTM, easy Middle: STM is full, difficult Recency: info lingers in STM, easy

Question 26

Procedural memories and what type of memory it is

Answer 26

The memory of how to do things, we are not consciously aware of our procedural memories. Non-declarative memory

Question 27

Declarative memories and the 2 types

Answer 27

Memories of facts, data and events. Episodic and semantic

Question 28

Semantic memories and what type it is

Answer 28

All of the general knowledge about the world we've accumulated throughout our lives, including facts, ideas, meaning, and concepts relating to the world. Declarative memory

Question 29

Episodic memories and what type it is

Answer 29

Memory of personal experiences and specific events that occurred at a particular place and time. Dependent upon context and personal experiences. Declarative memory.

Question 30

Flashbulb memories

Answer 30

Automatic encoding occurs due to an unexpected highly emotional event, which is usually a tragedy

Question 31

Encoding specificity theory and the 2 types

Answer 31

When the conditions during retrieval match the conditions during recall, the better the recall. 1. Context-dependent (external, environment) 2. State-dependent (internal, mood)

Question 32

Context dependent memory and some in class examples

Answer 32

Improved memory for info if physical surroundings match where the info was first learned. Ex: taking a test in a different classroom vs where the info was learned results in poorer recall, scuba divers learning words underwater, etc.

Question 33

State-dependent memory and some in class examples

Answer 33

Improved memory for info if the physiological state matches when it was first learned. Ex: Weingartner study sober/drunk recall/learning, Eich and Metcalfe's happy/sad recall/learning

Question 34

Elizabeth Loftus car crash study

Answer 34

After showing 2 groups a video of a car accident, Loftus asked group 1 "how fast do you think the car was going when it crashed" and asked group 2 "how fast do you think the car was going when it made impact". Group 1 responded with 15-20mph higher than group 2. Loftus suggests that memory is maleable and suggestive

Question 35

False memory syndrome

Answer 35

Creation of inaccurate memories via others' suggestions, often while the person is under hypnosis

Question 36

Role of the amygdala in memory

Answer 36

Acts as a processing factory for memories on top of other things