MEMORY & INTELLIGENCE

MEMORY: The input, storage, and retrieval of what has been learned or experienced

Sensory Memory works as a filter Sensory Memory works as a filter. It allows us time to determine what to pay attention to.

SPOT THE REAL PENNY The Real Penny = A

MAINTENANCE vs. ELABORATIVE REHEARSAL Even though you live in the United States and probably see hundreds of pennies a week, it is difficult to identify the real one from fake ones. Mere repetition, such as seeing something over and over again does not guarantee a strong memory. Maintenance Rehearsal = repetition Elaborative Rehearsal = linking new information to material that is already known Improves your chances of remembering it!!!!

Short-Term or Working Memory Use it or lose it!!!!! Working with information….. Chunking = Grouping items to make them easier to remember

Short-Term or Working Memory Use it or lose it!!!!! Working with information….. Mnemonic Devices = Techniques for using associations to memorize and retrieve information

Long-Term Memory Types of Long-Term Memory Episodic memory – memory of our own life (Personal facts) Semantic memory – knowledge of language, including rules, words, and meanings Declarative memory – Stored knowledge called forth consciously as needed; includes episodic and semantic Procedural memory – As we gain a skill, we gradually lose the ability to describe what we are doing. Procedural memory – Storage of learned skills that does not require conscious recollection

Memory and the Brain We are still learning about the role of the brain in MEMORY. To what extent the brain is involved is still being determined.

Retrieving Information Key = Organization of info in LTM Recognition: the ability to pick the correct object or event from a list of choices Recall: the ability to bring back and integrate many specific learned details The brain IS NOT a video recorder Reconstructive Processes: the alteration of a recalled memory depending on experiences and attitudes

FACT: 59-year-old Akira Haraguchi recited from memory the first 83,431 decimal places of pi, earning a spot in the Guinness World Records. FACT: Super card sharks can memorize the order of a shuffled deck of cards in less than a minute FACT: According to evidence, it's impossible to recall images with near perfect accuracy Alan Searleman, a professor of psychology at St. Lawrence University in New York, says eidetic imagery comes closest to being photographic. When shown an unfamiliar image for 30 seconds, so-called "eidetikers" can vividly describe the image—for example, how many petals are on a flower in a garden scene. They report "seeing" the image, and their eyes appear to scan across the image as they describe it. Still, their reports sometimes contain errors, and their accuracy fades after just a few minutes. Says Searleman, "If they were truly 'photographic' in nature, you wouldn't expect any errors at all." Photographic memory – ability to form sharp, detailed visual images of a picture or page and to recall exactly what you saw. DOES IT EXIST?

Eidetic Memory – The ability to remember with great accuracy visual information on the basis of short-term exposure 5% of children Very rare in adults

Eyewitness Testimony It is often wrong Involves recognition Memory of event is often distorted Eyewitnesses can be misled by questioning

FORGETTING Types Decay – fading away of memory over time Amnesia – loss of memory as a result of a blow to head or brain damage. Other causes: Stress/Drugs Interference – blockage of a memory by previous or subsequent memories or loss of a retrieval cue Procedural memory – As we gain a skill, we gradually lose the ability to describe what we are doing. Proactive Interference: prior learning interferes with learning new information Retroactive Interference: newly learned information interferes with previously learned information

DID YOU KNOW! Flashbulb Memories are vivid recollections of events that are shocking or emotional The SQ3R method of studying improves your ability to recognize and recall information

INTELLIGENCE: IQ & TESTING

INTELLIGENCE The ability to acquire new ideas and new behavior, and to adapt to new situations. Different views on Intelligence exist Emotional Intelligence: The ability to perceive, use, understand, and regulate emotions. Two-Factor Theory: Intelligence includes a general ability (g) level and specific mental abilities (s) Emotional Intelligence has been linked to success in the real world but it’s exact role is still not clearly understood Two-Factor Theory: Critics argue that g does not measure other kinds of mental abilities and intelligence cannot be reduced to just g. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory: Critics argue that many of Gardner’s intelligence’s are actually skills. They argue that intelligence and talent (skill) are two different things. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory: Numerous (8) and unrelated intelligences

INTELLIGENCE TEST Measure IQ, or a standardized measure of intelligence based on a scale of which 100 is average Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Originally meant for children; adapted for adults Groups test items by age level 100 is average for given age Wechsler Tests: More common today Three versions (2-6, 6-16, 16-89) More detailed scoring

IQ SCORES – What do they mean? Average score is 100 Traditionally 70 or below = mentally handicapped Good indicator of success in school Do not predict success in the real world Nature v. Nurture: Both genetic factors & the environment play a role in IQ. The % each contributes is debatable. Cultural Bias: wording used in questions may be more familiar to people or one social group than to another group