MEMORY
What do we know about memory? w The “7 +/- 2” Rule Memory works best on sets of 5-9 items w Certain strategies can improve memory ‘Chunking’ things into groups Repetition w There are many competing theories of memory
Competing Theories of Memory w The Total Time Model The longer you spend thinking about something, the better you will remember it Explains classic repetition findings w The Levels of Processing Model a.k.a. The Depth of Processing Model ‘Structural’, ‘Phonetic’ and ‘Semantic’ levels The ‘deeper’ you think about something the better you will remember it
The Total Time Model w Time is directly related to memory w More time = more memory
Levels of Processing Model w The more deeply you process something, the better you will remember it “Structural” Processing “Phonetic” Processing “Semantic” Processing Shallow Processing Deep Processing What a word ‘looks like’; Morphology What a word ‘sounds like’; Acoustics What a word means or represents
Levels of Processing Prediction
Today’s Experiment w Design: w IV: depth of processing structural => uppercase letters phonetic => rhymes with X semantic => category w DV1: RT w DV2: % of correctly recalled words
Discussion w Both models apply! w Semantic level most accurate slowest reaction time w Primacy/Recency effects w every day life example: studying for exams