1. Forgetting Lecture Notes Key: ^ means discuss before notes
v means discuss after notes
Forgetting

2. Forgetting Ebbinghaus’s Curve of Forgetting
most forgetting takes placed during the first 9
hours after learning. Especially after the 1st hr.
V Ebbinghaus’s study on memory consisted of nonsense syllable words with to consonants and a vowel. Words like POF and CEM. He found that . . .
He also came up with something called the method of savings. This involves computing the difference between the number of repetitions needed to learn a list of items and the number of repetitions needed to relearn it after some time has elapsed.

3. Forgetting Ebbinghaus’s Curve of Forgetting
most forgetting takes placed during the first 9
hours after learning. Especially after the 1st hr.
Method of Savings –
difference between the # of repetitions needed to
learn a list of items & the # to relearn.
- It took Burt 8 repetitions to remember a list of 20 words
- One day later it took Burt 4 repetitions to remember the same list of words
- What is the savings??????
He also came up with something called the method of savings. This involves computing the difference between the number of repetitions needed to learn a list of items and the number of repetitions needed to relearn it after some time has elapsed.
Burt’s Answer = 4 or 50% Savings

4. Forgetting Ebbinghaus’s Results • Curve of Forgetting
Ebbinghaus’s Curve of Forgetting -
most forgetting takes placed during the first 9
hours after learning. Especially after the 1st hr.
Method of Savings -
difference between the # of repetitions needed
to learn a list of items & the # to relearn.
Ebbinghaus’s Results
• Curve of Forgetting
• memory(savings) lasts in
long-term memory for a long
time - decades
Points -(1) His curve can be generalized for almost all learning tasks - words, sentences and even stories whatever the material. In virtually all cases the forgetting curve shows the same strong initial drop in memory, followed by a much more moderate decrease over time.
(2) Relearning is faster - thus information about everything from math to psychology to rules to games is often retained for decades. Forgetting is NOT complete.

5. Forgetting - Decay & Interference
gradual erosion of a memory
- most common cause of short-term memory loss.
V L-T Memory - particularly when the memories or information are similar. Old math equations become difficult to recall because of new math equations learned.

6. Forgetting - Decay & Interference
interrupts memory through the presence of other info.
- STM, new info displaces old info because of the limited space.
- LTM the more memories stored, the harder to “find” one particular memory
V L-T Memory - particularly when the memories or information are similar. Old math equations become difficult to recall because of new math equations learned.
--RETROACTIVE INTERFERENCE - A new memory (e.g., your new phone number or girlfriend's name) gets in the way of you remembering an older memory (e.g., your old phone number or previous girlfriend's name). Book Ex. For example, if you knew how to speak French and then tried to learn to speak Spanish, your knowledge of French would hamper your ability to learn Spanish. You might accidentally use French words when attempting to speak in Spanish.
--Proactive interference: Opposite of above. EX. If you knew French, and then later learned to speak Spanish, your knowledge of Spanish could hamper your ability to remember French. You might recall Spanish words when trying to speak French.
An old memory (e.g., your old phone number or previous girlfriend's name) gets in the way of you remembering a newer memory (e.g., your new phone number or girlfriend's name)
- Retroactive interference when learning new info interferes w/recall of older info
- Proactive interference when older info interferes
w/recall of new info

7. Forgetting Suppression Repression
conscious attempt to forget information,
("I won't think about that now - tomorrow is another day")
Repression
unconscious attempt to forget information
(past abuse, etc.).
In suppression, you know the event that is being "forgotten;" you're simply choosing to not think about it. Many express doubts about the deliberate forgetting.

8. Brain Damage
Retrograde Amnesia - the loss of memory of events prior to an injury. Many regain most memories back.
Click play on the embedded link to a 1:35 minute Retrograde Amnesia Youtube video.
Mac users, click on black circle to open browser and view a 1:35 minute Retrograde Amnesia Youtube.
Original Link: V4SXmg&feature=youtu.be
Retrograde amnesia is a loss of memory- access to events that occurred, or information that was learned, before an injury or the onset of a disease. It is often temporary. Although many injury patients regain most of their memories, few can recall the events just prior to the injury. Often months or even years before the injury. As a result of the injury, the short-term memories of what happened were never transferred to long-term memory. Usually most distant memories come first and Seldom do they all return.
One Man - after a motorcycle accident believed he was 11 yrs old and it took 3 months to regain memory. Subjects are more likely
Next Anterograde - A case study about someone called H.M. had his hippocampus removed when he was 27 yrs old because of epileptic seizures. - In this case he seemed normal, but two years later, he still believed that he was 27. When his family moved, he couldn’t remember his new address. He also would wonder why his uncle stopped visiting long after he had passed away. Each time he was told he had died, he was upset. He could however could create Procedural memory.

9. Brain Damage
Retrograde Amnesia - the loss of memory of events prior to an injury. Many regain most memories back.
Anterograde Amnesia -
loss of memory of events occurring after
the injury
- result of damage to hippocampus
- Prevents transfer of new experiences
from STM to LTM
An embedded link to a 12:30 minute Anterograde Amnesia Youtube video begins next slide.
Mac users, click on black circle to open browser and view a 12:30 minute Anterograde Amnesia Youtube video.
Original link: 9xfMwU&index=15&list=PL0b0E54MkXkS 66qt60Yq2_c7Av0ADqoH9
V Anterograde - A case study about someone called H.M. had his hippocampus removed when he was 27 yrs old because of epileptic seizures. - In this case he seemed normal, but two years later, he still believed that he was 27. When his family moved, he couldn’t remember his new address. He also would wonder why his uncle stopped visiting long after he had passed away. Each time he was told he had died, he was upset. He could however could create Procedural memory.

10. Brain Damage
Retrograde Amnesia - the loss of memory of events prior to an injury. Many regain most memories back.
Anterograde Amnesia -
loss of memory of events occurring after the
injury
- result of damage to hippocampus
- Prevents transfer of new experiences
from STM to LTM
An embedded link to a 12:30 minute Anterograde Amnesia Youtube video begins here.
Mac users, click on black circle to open browser and view a 12:30 minute Anterograde Amnesia Youtube video.
Original link: 9xfMwU&index=15&list=PL0b0E54MkXkS 66qt60Yq2_c7Av0ADqoH9
V Anterograde - A case study about someone called H.M. had his hippocampus removed when he was 27 yrs old because of epileptic seizures. - In this case he seemed normal, but two years later, he still believed that he was 27. When his family moved, he couldn’t remember his new address. He also would wonder why his uncle stopped visiting long after he had passed away. Each time he was told he had died, he was upset. He could however could create Procedural memory.