Models of Memory Psychology 3717

Introduction Really there are two types of models Models that look at specific phenomena ACT*/ACT-R or TLC for example Models that look at general organization Atkinson and Shiffrin for example

But why model? Models organize data Models make explicit predictions Models can lead to application When you think about it, the first two are what science is all about, so models help us get beyond simple description

SAM Search of Associative memory Grew out of Atkinson-Shiffrin Math model Basically looking at list learning results So study list Then recognition or recall

Assumptions Target items are viewed in relation to the memory representations of all other items learned This includes the words, the context etc To be learned items are associated with the context When words are presented they are rehearsed Words have a familiarity value Old v new decisions are based on familiarity vale Basically a signal detection approach

Memory strength Based on rehearsal during encoding Association between the stimulus and the representation of the word itself Association between the stimulus and the context Item retrieval based on prompt by the experimenter

Retrieval Retrieval depends on the joint contribution of the context, of all other items and the item itself So the strength is, basically, the sum of all the associative strengths in the list This explains why recognition is easier than recall

Explains a lot Longer presentations, better memory RI effects (context changes subtly) Serial position Encoding specificity Recognition failure of recall

Nice eh! Yeah, but…. Makes a lot of assumptions Why aren’t all items recognized when one is?

Levels of Processing Craik and Lockhart Memory is NOT just this passive thing It is the result of encoding Perceptual analysis Pattern recognition Semantic elaboration

LOP is A OK Semantic processing produces better memory than perceptual processing Conceptually driven vs. Data driven Only true with explicit memory (though see Challis and Brodbeck, 1992) Deeper semantic processing, better memory Read – generate effect

Levels Depth seems sort of vague though Hmm, when do you get better memory? Well when you have deeper processing How do you know you have deeper processing? Err umm cuz you have better memory… Transfer appropriate processing may be a bit of a better concept

Memory systems approaches Tulving and episodic / semantic distinction One is explicit, one is implicit There is physiological evidence of a sort Tulving maintains that only humans have episodic memory For him, it involves consciousness because it must be self referential I don’t agree really…

Why would there be multiple systems? Sherry and Schacter, 1987 When a problem shows up that cannot be solved with the present system a new one will be selected for So, our memory for facts could not deal with autobiographical stuff Or, birdsong cannot be remembered with simple CS US associations

Conclusions Models are cool They can be tested because they will make explicit predictions They organize data They cannot have too many assumptions, the fewer the better