Unit 6 – Memory
Psyc 101 – Eva Zysk
Memory
- The ability to store and retrieve information over time
- Mental capacity or faculty of retaining and reviving facts, events, impressions, etc., or of recalling or recognizing
previous experiences.
Attention
- Focusing awareness on a narrowed range of
stimuli/events.
- Effects on perception
- Effects on memory
- Effects on performance
Basic Process of Memory
1. Encoding – transforming what we perceive, think, or feel into an enduring memory.
2. Storage – maintaining the information in memory over time
3. Retrieval – recovering information from memory stores
PART ONE: Encoding
- Transforming what we perceive, think, or feel into a lasting memory
- Different types of encoding processes:
1. Semantic Encoding
The process of relating new information in a meaningful way to knowledge and memories we already
have
If things have a clear meaning, we can recall them better
Level of Processing Type of Encoding Example of question
Shallow <20% recall Structural: Is the word written in a fancy
- Emphasize the physical font? (case judgment)
structure of the
stimulus
Intermediate 50% recall Phonemic: Does the word sound like
- Emphasize what the “toy”? (rhyme judgment)
word sounds like
Deep >80% recall Semantic: Would the word fit in the
- Emphasize the sentence: “She ran after the
meaning of the word _______?”
2. Visual Imagery Encoding
Creation of visual images to aid in memory formation e.g. method of loci
Study: pairs of concrete and abstract words tested
E.g. High juggler, house, dress. Low Truth, necessary, quality.
3. Organizational Encoding
Grouping information with common features
E.g. School ruler, pencil, exam, laptop calculator.
, 4. Survival-related Encoding
People show higher levels of recall for things related to survival
Evolutionary adaptive
5. Self-referent Encoding
Deciding how or whether information is personally relevant
Can make the info relevant to recall it better.
PART TWO: Storage
- Three major kinds of memory storage
1. Sensory
Sensory memory – preserves information in its original
sensory form for up to a view second
Iconic memory – visual up to 1 second
Echoic memory – auditory up to 5 seconds.
2. Short-term
A limited capacity store that can maintain unrehearsed
information for under 1 minutes (usually approx. 20 sec)
Can remember 7(+/- 2) lists.
Serial position effect: primacy effect and recency effect
o First few and last few items are more likely to be
recalled in a sequence than middle items.
Chunking – a group of familiar stimuli stored as a single
unit.
Working memory – a limited capacity storage system that temporarily maintains and stores
information by providing an interface between perception, memory, and action
o Active maintenance of info in short term storage
o Manipulates info.
o Phonological loop: allows for recitation of info
(e.g. phone number)
o Visuo-spatial sketch pad: temporarily hold and
manipulate visual images
o Episodic buffer: interface between working and
long-term memory, temporary limited capacity
store for integration of information from other
modules.
o Central executive: coordinates the actions of the
other modules, controls, focuses, divides
attention.
Rehearsal – the process of repetitively verbalizing or
thinking about the information
1. Maintenance rehearsal – keeps on STM
2. Elaborative rehearsal – transfer to LTM
3. Long-term
A relatively enduring store of information
Can last for hours to years + no known capacity limits.
1. Much larger capacity than STM
Psyc 101 – Eva Zysk
Memory
- The ability to store and retrieve information over time
- Mental capacity or faculty of retaining and reviving facts, events, impressions, etc., or of recalling or recognizing
previous experiences.
Attention
- Focusing awareness on a narrowed range of
stimuli/events.
- Effects on perception
- Effects on memory
- Effects on performance
Basic Process of Memory
1. Encoding – transforming what we perceive, think, or feel into an enduring memory.
2. Storage – maintaining the information in memory over time
3. Retrieval – recovering information from memory stores
PART ONE: Encoding
- Transforming what we perceive, think, or feel into a lasting memory
- Different types of encoding processes:
1. Semantic Encoding
The process of relating new information in a meaningful way to knowledge and memories we already
have
If things have a clear meaning, we can recall them better
Level of Processing Type of Encoding Example of question
Shallow <20% recall Structural: Is the word written in a fancy
- Emphasize the physical font? (case judgment)
structure of the
stimulus
Intermediate 50% recall Phonemic: Does the word sound like
- Emphasize what the “toy”? (rhyme judgment)
word sounds like
Deep >80% recall Semantic: Would the word fit in the
- Emphasize the sentence: “She ran after the
meaning of the word _______?”
2. Visual Imagery Encoding
Creation of visual images to aid in memory formation e.g. method of loci
Study: pairs of concrete and abstract words tested
E.g. High juggler, house, dress. Low Truth, necessary, quality.
3. Organizational Encoding
Grouping information with common features
E.g. School ruler, pencil, exam, laptop calculator.
, 4. Survival-related Encoding
People show higher levels of recall for things related to survival
Evolutionary adaptive
5. Self-referent Encoding
Deciding how or whether information is personally relevant
Can make the info relevant to recall it better.
PART TWO: Storage
- Three major kinds of memory storage
1. Sensory
Sensory memory – preserves information in its original
sensory form for up to a view second
Iconic memory – visual up to 1 second
Echoic memory – auditory up to 5 seconds.
2. Short-term
A limited capacity store that can maintain unrehearsed
information for under 1 minutes (usually approx. 20 sec)
Can remember 7(+/- 2) lists.
Serial position effect: primacy effect and recency effect
o First few and last few items are more likely to be
recalled in a sequence than middle items.
Chunking – a group of familiar stimuli stored as a single
unit.
Working memory – a limited capacity storage system that temporarily maintains and stores
information by providing an interface between perception, memory, and action
o Active maintenance of info in short term storage
o Manipulates info.
o Phonological loop: allows for recitation of info
(e.g. phone number)
o Visuo-spatial sketch pad: temporarily hold and
manipulate visual images
o Episodic buffer: interface between working and
long-term memory, temporary limited capacity
store for integration of information from other
modules.
o Central executive: coordinates the actions of the
other modules, controls, focuses, divides
attention.
Rehearsal – the process of repetitively verbalizing or
thinking about the information
1. Maintenance rehearsal – keeps on STM
2. Elaborative rehearsal – transfer to LTM
3. Long-term
A relatively enduring store of information
Can last for hours to years + no known capacity limits.
1. Much larger capacity than STM
