Memory and Forgetting *Memory: “The ability to recall information”. It is very closely related to learning. The retention of acquired information. If no previous experience, nothing would be learned.

Classification of memory 1- Immediate memory (sensory memory): The ability to recall perceived objects within seconds after stimulus has been removed. - Example: recalling a telephone number you just looked up in the directory. Examined by telling someone names of three things and ask him to repeat them immediately.

Classification of memory… cont. 2- Short-Term Memory (STM): (recent memory) - storage mechanism involves remembering events experienced in the past few days. - Information in short-term memory must be limited. *Example: remember your breakfast or recalling the address of a friend he had visited yesterday.

Classification of memory… cont. 3- Long Term Memory (LTM):Remote memory - Recall the events in the distant past that has received repeated attention. - Stores information indefinitely, and its capacity is limitless. Example: LTM like my name, age, telephone number … etc.

STM and LTM interaction. Two – process theory (Richard Atkinson & Richard Shiffrin theory): “Multi store Model or Modal Model” STM and LTM interaction. STM rapidly decaying system and LTM has permanent store. STM: Incoming information, begin to fade away It is possible to maintain selected information in STM by enough rehearsal.

Information is temporarily stored in STM via rehearsal, it is coded and transferred to LTM, OR decay in STM. LTM, or Remote memory: virtually unlimited, and permanent storage.

Why forgetting may occur?   Immediate recall may fail because, subsequent inputs to STM have caused the information to decay. Long term recall may fail because the information was never transferred to LTM or not enough cues are available at the time of recalling information in LTM

* The student who understands the material very well but couldn’t recall it for the exam: May started the textbook reading with his mind on other things and never rehearsed the material. Material may be stored in LTM, but the exam questions did not provide sufficient cues. * He may need additional cues e.g. retrieve some words similar to the target word, this lead to the target word.

“rote learning” " Rote learning methods are based on repetition and rehearsal – the idea is that the more something is repeated the easier (and more quickly) it can be recalled.

Physiological evidence for the forgetting some neurological problems e.g. data from patients who have undergone surgery for the relief of epileptic seizures. (specially hippocampus area) The pt. appears to be unable to transfer new information from STM to LTM.

They have no trouble remembering past information learned prior to operation, but they have serious difficulty with new learning. *Ex: in one case, several months after the operation, the pts. family moved to a new house, a few blocks away in the same street. A year later, the pt. still could not remember his new address but he recalled the old one perfectly.

Some patients fail recognize names of people they have met following surgery. Some walk to the shop for a newspaper and keep repeating verbally where and why they are going. If they stop rehearsing they quickly forgets. Rehearsal doesn’t produce permanent learning (inability to transfer new information form STM to LTM).

Storage and retrieval circumstances that can affect memory: Over learning the material will increase the storage process. Retrieval can be helped if the material is so organized. (recall of one part will lead to the recall of other). providing retrieval cues at the time of study will facilitate memory.

Improvement of Memory by: Mental imagery relates the words to be learned with visual image. (verbally and visually, twice likely to remember it). 2. Organization of material when it is stored in long term memory. 3. Self- recitation during practice increase memory . (repeating something aloud from memory) 4. Mood congruent memory, (ex. Depressed mood remember sad events). 5. Whenever possible, study in an environment that is similar to the testing environment

Improvement of Memory by: 6- Spread studying out over several days, rather than cramming (“distributed effort”). 7- Avoid multitasking when learning difficult or dense material. 8- Review information you’re trying to memorize right before you go to sleep 9- Self-quiz frequently by recalling information from your memory

others Pay attention to the learning task and avoid distractions Get 7-8 hours of quality sleep on a regular basis Deliberately link new information to existing knowledge

* The nature of forgetting: 1. Decay through disuse: Forgetting takes place simply through the passage of time. With the passage of time, the normal metabolic processes in the brain causes decay of the memory.

*Arguments against decay explanation : *Most motor skills like swimming and driving a car, are not easily forgotten for many years. *Some forgetting may occur through the organic changes (senility- Alzheimer’s)

2. Interference effects: -New learned material may interfere with previously learned material . 3. Motivated forgetting: -It gives attention to a person’s motives in remembering and forgetting.