term test 3 Flashcards
(223 cards)
what is memory?
Memory is the retention of information over time, it is made up and it is what we interpret. It has three important processes which are encoding, storage, and retrieval/forgetting. It can be visual, auditory, or tactile but it can not be smell or taste, it involves multiple systems such as the conscious and automatic systems, our conscious is the CEO so it does not control much.
Confabulation
It is when we make up information that we think is true, this happens because our memory is not 100% true, all our memories contain confabulated information, our memory has gaps and we fill these gaps with our schema and logic.
Memory encoding
it is a process by which information goes into memory storage. we have to pay attention to encoding information, our attention is a limited resource, and our ability to control it can be taken away from distractions.
what does encoding include
attention, sensory detection, recognition of meaning, and response selection
divided attention
concentrating on more than one activity at the same time such as listening to music and reading, which can be detrimental to the encoding process
sustained attention
is being able to maintain attention to a selected stimulus for a period of time such as paying close attention to the notes while studying for an exam
sensory detection
we monitor the environment consciously, with conscious parameters placed so that we ignore all the stimuli around us and respond only to certain ones. for example ignoring the movement of students in a class but responding to someone tapping you on the shoulder
response selection
is responding to certain stimuli but not others, there is always movement and stimuli around us that we do not pay attention to, attention is not under conscious control so it can be affected by many things
levels of processing
they range from shallow all the way to deep
shallow processing
in this, we are processing the structures, i.e structural encoding, for example encoding a color or a letter. it happens in less than a second and is not worth as much energy. it is also unconscious
intermediate processing
it is done when reading, it is the default mode of processing in the brain and is also known as phonemic encoding. (rhyming, etc.)
deep processing
is also called semantic encoding and processing things through meaning and symbolism. the more deep processing that occurs the better the recall of memory. This happens when we take new information we want to learn and apply it to old information we already know and can easily remember and connect them together, this leads to the greatest gain in memory.
facilitating encoding
this includes elaboration, visual imagery, self-referential encoding, rehearsal and over learning, deep and transfer appropriate thinking, distributed practice, and organizing information
elaboration
this refers to the formation of a number of different connections around a stimulus, it is basically making an example to understand something, we used to communicate with stories so this is the best tool we have. Greater elaboration is liked with neural activity, especially in the brain’s left frontal lobe, it activates parts of the brain associated with language and our hippocampus
visual imagery
the use of images helps us remember better, it makes us more confident, it is a great way of increasing encoding.
dual code hypothesis
this states that the memory for pictures is better than the memory for words because pictures are stored as both images and verbal codes
self-referential encoding
is paying attention to things our memory is biased towards, for example if I say I am learning about my brain I learn more than when I say I am learning about the brain
rehearsal and over-learning
this is when you do things over and over again and you get better as you do it, over-learning can create better proficiency but only up to a certain point
deep and transfer appropriate thinking
this is the idea that it is easier to recall information in the same method that we learned it. it basically says the more similar the encoding where you learned it the easier the retrieval is. for example, sitting in the same spot of where you usually sit in a lecture in an exam
distributed practice
this is when you spread the practice over time, it maximizes the attention and time to consolidate information when you sleep. Studying for 9 hours is useless because after an hour the attention drops and so it is not as beneficial
organizing information
includes time management and requires consistency and persistence
mnemonic devices
these include verbal and visual
verbal
these include acronyms and rhymes, we can remember things by creating rhymes and acronymes can be used as well. Acronyms are quite problematic because sometimes we can forget what they stand for.
visual
this includes the link method, keywords, method of loci, and SQ3R. The link method is when you imagine you are doing something like if you were to go grocery shopping you imagine yourself putting the things in the shopping cart. The method of loci is the most used method and it is when you use something familiar and associate it with something new. The keyword method is you use something general to symbolize something