Cognitive Psychology PS Unit 6 Meta-Cognition and Strong Memory Strategies with Professor Kimberly Maring

Halfway Through Late work? Get it in by Unit 8! No late work after that! Questions?

Memories Studied Semantic Memory : facts Episodic Memory : Autobiographical

How do we increase recall while decreasing forgetting?

Optimal Memory Strategy! For the next 10 seconds you are to memorize the following list:

Optimal Memory Strategy!

Relax and Take a Break! What was one significant thing that happened in the past week?

Now write down all the words you can remember.

Rehearsal Rehearsal is the continuous repetition of a name or an image of items to be remembered Requires the least effort and is natural

Organization Sorting Clustering

Association Finding something it relates to

Remember last week’s list?

Elaboration Defined as the association between two concepts, items, or images, creating links between newly learned concepts and stored concepts

Elaboration Defined as the association between two concepts, items, or images, creating links between newly learned concepts and stored concepts “When associated items are placed in an episode, process, or relation involving both of them,... the memories for these items will be strengthened as a function of elaboration” (Rohwher & Litrownik, 1983).

Early Memories To begin, at what age do you have your first memories? What types of memories are they?

Emotions Support Memory Retrieval Has this been your experience? Do you have childhood memories which seem “unemotional?”

Autobiographical Memory Memories of our own experiences Stories in our minds of our lives

Cognitive Development Cognition develops from birth to age 25 Prefrontal Cortex (place your hand on your forehead—the Prefrontal Cortex resides within) regulates reasoning and decision making skills Full decision making skills solidify in the early to 20’s!

Piaget’s Model of Cognitive Development Sensorimotor: Age 2 to 7 Preoperational: Age 2-7 Though language is not fully developed, we know that the STM is working even before birth. Learn of the environment through senses—sound, sight, touch, hunger, movement. Developing critical thinking skills (talking, walking, potty training) Literate and love stories and being read to. Not able to predict consequences nor understand that A + B + C

Piaget’s Model of Cognitive Development (continued) Concrete Operational: 7-12 Formal Operational: Logic is the key to this age. Understanding life through logic—love puzzles, mystery books, etc. Abstract thought added to logic

Childhood Amnesia Phase—Birth to 3 years Time of great learning Great need for memory function Memory systems are necessary for survival The memory functions of the brain are developed but not fully connected

As the memory system becomes more adept at remembering things, long term recall becomes stronger and we begin to have memories.

Robyn Fivush Premier researcher In of mother/child attachment and brain development In autobiographical memory Referred to in our text See Resources at the end of this Power Point Childhood Amnesia Phase—Birth to 3 years

Parent/Child Interactions What develops memories in children? Eye-to eye contact with pleasant memories Verbalizations Warm emotional connection Parental cues to memory The above actions create attention retention ability—Attention is directly correlated to developing memory

This moves children to the Memory Phase called what? Hint: Ages 10-25

Adolescence (Surprise!) From sexual development into adulthood The brain remembers many more details in this age In our culture it is a legal term In developmental psychology uses different classifications of age and developmental stages Prefrontal cortex (understanding of consequences) is fully connected by age 25 Inferior temporal and occipital sulcus is fully functional at 14 (tells the brain to take risks and do what “feels good”)

Cognitive Development— Adolescence This theory allows for 11 years of mistakes that do not take into account consequences. How does this relate to storing memories? Teens remember EVERY detail The memory system does not filter out “unimportant” details

SELECTIVITY OF OLDER BRAINS Not forgetful—instead, selective More efficient—do not need to listen to everything someone says Better at processing events and environmental stimuli Therefore, strong associations are less likely Good recent recall But weaker STM/LTM recall because of insignificance

The Mature Brain Mistakenly assuming that something is not important, when it really is Memory strategies are more sophisticated Family, friends, and coworkers help you with stories All the above account for a dip in accuracy The 60’s shows an increase in recall. Why?

Less stress = Better Memory

Any questions?????

Resources Epstein, R. (2007). The case against adolescence: Rediscovering the adult in every teen. Sanger, CA: Quill Driver Books. Fivush, R. (2006). Coping, Attachment, and Mother-Child Narratives of Stressful Events. Merrill- Palmer Quarterly, 52, Fivush, R., & Haden, C. A. (Ed.). (2003). Autobiographical memory and the construction of developmental and cultural perspectives. Mahway, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Robinson-Riegler, G., Robinson-Reigler, B. (2008). Cognitive psychology: Applying the science of the mind. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Thompson-Cannino, J., Cotton, R., & Torneo, E. (2009). Picking Cotton: Our memoir to injustice and redemption. New York: St. Martin’s Press.