Memory Short-Term Memory Long-Term Memory activated memory that holds a few items briefly look up a phone number, then quickly dial before the information is forgotten Long-Term Memory the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system Memory Championships, pi, test your memory

Memory Sensory Memory Working Memory the immediate, initial recording of sensory information in the memory system Working Memory focuses more on the processing of briefly stored information

A Simplified Memory Model External events Sensory memory Short-term Long-term Sensory input Attention to important or novel information Encoding Retrieving

Encoding Ebbinghaus used nonsense syllables Spacing Effect TUV ZOF GEK WAV the more times practiced on Day 1, the fewer repetitions to relearn on Day 2 Spacing Effect distributed practice yields better long- term retention than massed practice

Encoding 20 15 10 5 8 16 24 32 42 53 64 Time in minutes 8 16 24 32 42 53 64 Time in minutes taken to relearn list on day 2 Number of repetitions of list on day 1

Encoding: Serial Position Effect 12 Percentage of words recalled 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 Position of word in list 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 Serial Position Effect--tendency to recall best the last items in a list

What Do We Encode? Semantic Encoding Acoustic Encoding Visual Encoding encoding of meaning including meaning of words Acoustic Encoding encoding of sound especially sound of words Visual Encoding encoding of picture images

Encoding

Encoding Hierarchies complex information broken down into broad concepts and further subdivided into categories and subcategories Encoding (automatic or effortful) Imagery (visual Encoding) Meaning (semantic Organization Chunks Hierarchies

Chunking…                  

Storage: Sensory Memory Iconic Memory a momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli a photographic or picture image memory lasting no more that a few tenths of a second Tests of George Sperling Echoic Memory momentary (3-4 sec) sensory memory of auditory stimuli

Storage: Short-Term Memory 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 3 6 9 12 15 18 Time in seconds between presentation of contestants and recall request (no rehearsal allowed) Percentage who recalled consonants Short-Term Memory limited in duration and capacity “magical” number 7+/-2 (Miller, 1956)

Storage: Long-Term Memory How does storage work? Karl Lashley (1950) – Searching for “engrams” rats learn maze lesion cortex test memory Synaptic changes – “The Brain” Clip Long-term Potentiation (LTP) increase in synapse’s firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation Strong emotions make for stronger memories

Stress Hormones and Memory Stress hormones aide memory Hormone surge alert brain that something important has happened. Physical or psychological pain, trauma create surge Rat study – shot of hormones with a leg shock Creates a very strong memory Biological evidence for why emotional memories are stronger.

Stress Hormones and Memory Stress hormones block and destroy memory Prolonged stress corrodes neural connections Memories can be blocked by stress hormones Rats trying to find a hidden target Public speaking

Storage: Long-Term Memory Amnesia--the loss of memory Retrograde Amnesia – mass forgetting of old information Antrograde Amnesia – inability to form new memories Oliver Sacks – “Jimmie” (earth from the moon example), H.M., Clive Wearing Childhood Amnesia – Why? (3 min) Amnesiacs demonstrate 2 forms of memory…

Storage: Long-Term Memory Amnesiacs Deny having seen an article and then read it faster Deny abilities to solve puzzle then complete it easily Childhood Amnesia – must have implicit memory in tact Explicit Memory (Declarative Memory) memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and “declare” Episodic Memory – personally experienced events Semantic Memory – facts, general knowledge Implicit Memory (Non-declarative Memory) retention independent of conscious recollection Skills (procedural memory), classical-conditioned responses

Storage: Long-Term Memory Subsystems Types of long-term memories Explicit (declarative) With conscious recall Implicit (nondeclarative) Without conscious Facts-general knowledge (“semantic memory”) Personally experienced events (“episodic Skills-motor and cognitive Dispositions- classical and operant conditioning effects

Storage: Long-Term Memory hippocampus--neural center in limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage Processes explicit memories – then sent to multiple different regions. Hippocampus

Storage: Long-Term Memory Cerebellum Process implicit memories Ex: classical- conditioned eye- blink disappears when you remove cerebellum