1 How Do We Learn and Remember? Some Basic Principles from Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience

2 Memory Processes kairos = chronos?

3 Memory Processes Encoding the processing of information into the memory system Storage the retention of encoded information over time Retrieval the process of getting information out of memory

4 Memory Stages  Sensory Memory ◦the immediate, initial recording of sensory information in the memory system  Short Term Memory / Working Memory ◦activated memory that holds a few items briefly for processing; reverberating net ◦capacity: about 7 items; duration: 30 sec.  Long Term Memory ◦the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system ◦chemical change in neural synapses (LTP)

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

6 Decay of Short-Term Memory Time in seconds between presentation of contestants and recall request (no rehearsal allowed) Percentage who recalled consonants

7 Memory and the Brain cerebellum

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

9 LTM and the Hippocampus MRI scan with hippocampus in red cerebellum

10 Encoding Failure SELECTIVE ATTENTION distractions pull attention toward irrelevant info information overload overwhelms capacity of STM

11 Encoding Failure SELECTIVE ATTENTION

12 Encoding Tips ORGANIZE chunking -- organizing information into familiar, manageable units hierarchies -- arrange info logically in categories and subcategories acronyms Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior

13 Encoding Tips Example:

14 Encoding Tips Encoding (automatic or effortful) Imagery (visual Encoding) Meaning (semantic Encoding) Organization ChunksHierarchies

15 Retrieval Failure INTERFERENCE proactive interference -- prior learning disrupts memory for new info “ forward-acting” study Greek; study Hebrew; test Hebrew retroactive interference -- learning new info disrupts old memories “ backward-acting” study Greek; study Hebrew; test Greek

16 Serial Position Effect 12 Percentage of words recalled Position of word in list

17 Memory Quiz Listen carefully to these 12 items Don’t write them down as you hear them! When the list is finished, try to recall as many as you can, in any order, and then write them down

18 Memory Quiz  rest  tired  awake  dream  snore  bed  eat  slumber  sound  comfort  wake  night Context errors can generate false memories!