Memory **You are what you remember** Without memory there would be no guilt or anger, each person would be a stranger, every language foreign, every challenge novel

The Memory process Encoding – getting info into our brains meeting a cute girl at a party Storage – retaining the information trying to remember her name after the party Retrieval – getting info back out seeing her the next day and call her the wrong name (retrieval failure!)

There are 2 ways we ENCODE… Automatic Processing: unconscious encoding of incidental information. Space: visualizing where you saw something last ◦word on a page, item on a shelf Time: remembering where you were throughout your day ◦retrace your steps when you lose your cell phone Frequency: effortlessly keep track of how many times… ◦you passed your crush in the hallway today Word meanings: when you see a sign (in native language), you can’t help but register the meaning

There are 2 ways we ENCODE… Effortful Processing: requires attention & conscious effort, produces durable & accessible memories Rehearsal: conscious repetition; crucial for learning new info Deeply processed vs. shallow processed: shallow = repeating a few times ◦writing it down on your test as quickly as possible deeply = using more cognitive time & energy to process the material

Encoding Successfully Relearning: you learn faster, the second time around Less time to study for finals if learned chapter tests in the first place

Encoding Successfully

Which is the real penny?

Answer

Encoding Failures Even though you’ve seen thousands of pennies, you’ve probably never looked at one closely enough to encode specific features

Encoding Failure

Effortful Processing

I will be reading a list of 15 words. Your pencils are to be down while I’m reading. When I’m done, you will have 30 seconds to write down as many words as you remember.

Effortful Processing

Remembering vs. Forgetting The procedure is actually quite simple. First you arrange things into different groups. Of course, one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is to do…After the procedure is completed one arranges the materials into different groups again. Then they can be put into their appropriate places. Eventually they will be used one more and the whole cycle will then have to be repeated. However, that is part of life.

Mood-congruent memory: ◦Easier to recall happy memories when you’re in a good mood ◦It’s easy to recall all the mean things your bf/gf has done when you’re fighting State-dependent memory: we can more easily recall information if we are in the same state of mind as when we learned it (sober, drunk, depressed, joyful)

Rosy Retrospection: recalling the high points while forgetting the mundane moments It’s the experience we remember not the experience that we had that predicts our future choices.