1. Unit 3: Behaviour, Populations and environment Chapter 29: Localisation of memory Memory – encoding, storage and retrieval 09/10/2015Mrs Smith Ch25 The Brain1 Higher Human Biology

2. Learning Intentions To examine the workings of the brain and the nervous system and its role in Memory Success Criteria Describe the processes of encoding, storage and retrieval

3. Learning Outcomes To learn about the limbic system in relation to memory storage To examine the process of memory – encoding, storage and retrieval To compare the differences between long and short-term memory and how memory is transferred from STM to LTM To find out what causes Alzheimer’s disease at a molecular level

4. Limbic System

5. Memory is the brain’s ability to store information then retrieve it when its needed. Different types of memories are associated with different parts of the brain. Memory

6. The receptors in the human sense organs are continuously picking up stimuli and transmitting impulses to the brain. This results in sensory images such as visual and acoustic (auditory) impressions being formed in certain areas of the CEREBRUM. Selective Memory However only a fraction of these sensory images become committed to memory, because this process is highly selective.

7. If our memory was not selective The mind would become too cluttered with useless information such as every phone number ever used, every musical note of every tune ever heard and so on.

8. The stages of memory There are 3 stages in memorising facts and experiences: encoding storage retrieval

9. 1. Encoding All sensory information, before becoming part of a memory, must be encoded - be converted to a form that the brain can process & store. Sometimes encoding is automatic, other time it requires effort e.g. learning biological terms

10. There are several ways of encoding information: E.g. trying to remember the word for fork in Spanish – “tendor” Acoustic – say the word a few times Visual - visual image of a new word Semantic - think about the meaning of the word To memorise we use techniques such as rehearsal, organisation and elaboration

11. Examples of Encoding Acoustic Coding (most common) –If we memorise a poem, word for word Visual Coding (less common) –To remember someone’s face Semantic Coding (less common) –To remember the gist of a play or tv programme

12. Examples of Encoding The majority of information received by the brain is acoustic coding (sound). Some is also visual or semantic (meaning). To remember a phone number: we usually see it (visual), rehearse it (acoustic) and may place a meaning to it (semantic). It is easier to remember items organised into groups or use mnemonics to remember long numbers and lists of names - twit twoo (PIN 2820) - OILRIG - Richard of York gave battle in vain (ROYGBIV)

13. Storage is the retention of information/memories, over a period of time. This may last a short amount of time or over the course of a life time. 2. Storage

14. 3. Retrieval Retrieval is the recovery of the stored material. This involves the recall of information which has been committed to either the long-term or short-term memory.

15. Helping our retrieval skills Easier to retrieve facts and experiences if we are in the same situation as we were when it was encoded. As this rarely happens, we rely on contextual cues (smell, sound, sight, person etc) to “jog” our memory. Can use visualisation techniques e.g. posters for organic molecules

16. Change stimulus into a form we can retain. Store in short term or long term memory. Access when required. ENCODING STORAGE RETRIEVAL Summary

17. Learning Intentions To examine the workings of the brain and the nervous system and its role in Memory Success Criteria Design and carry out an investigation to determine the memory span for letters or numbers.

18. Investigating memory span A person’s short-term memory span can be measured by finding out the number of individual ‘meaningless’ items which they can reproduce correctly in order immediately after seeing and hearing them once.

19. Memory Span Con’ t Remembering objects once covered e.g. Recalling number series: 741 2835 46279 584153 2658437 96124892 TASK: Write numbers 3 to13 below each other. I will read out some numbers, after I read out the last digit of each series, I will signal you to lift your pencil and write down the digits you have just heard. Place your pencil down and I will begin the next series

20. Memory Experiment SeriesNumber of digits in series Number of pupils who remember series correctly 7413 28354 462795 5841536 90826377 161362098 5924035179 807614836210 7850194249311 51236750930812 682149670875413

21. Memory experiment results The tester will check the responses against the first list. The procedure is repeated at least twice using different lists. Each subjects best overall list is take to represent his or hers memory span. When studying a population, such as the class results are pooled and can be graphed.

22. A false memory Horizon Video Part 1 & 2 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programm es/horizon/broadband/tx/memory/false/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programm es/horizon/broadband/tx/memory/false/

23. Chunking is the grouping information into one large unit made of smaller units. This increases memory span. The effect of ‘Chunking’ on Memory Span! e.g. 01236 is the telephone code for Cumbernauld so makes it easier to remember local phone numbers, allowing us to remember more than we could without chunking.

24. STM is only capable of holding about 7 items at once ± 2. Short-term memory can be increased by chunking. Splitting up information that needs to be remembered into chunks (bite sized portions) Trying to remember the following telephone nos.: 012369871914 (12 items) 012369871914 Cumbernauld (3 items)year First AreaWorld War Codebegan1 item 5 items Memory Span – Chunking Con’t

25. Learning Intentions To examine the workings of the brain and the nervous system and its role in Memory Success Criteria Explain the process involved in transferring information between short and long term memory

26. Different Levels of Memory Continuous flow of information from environment Selected sensory images transferred Some images transferred Short lived: Most sensory images quickly forgotten Many items forgotten Brain constantly forming sensory images 1.1. Short term memory limited capacity -7 items 2. By Rehearsal Organisation Elaboration of meaning 3. Long term memory Unlimited capacity

27. Level 1 Memory Stimuli from the outside world are continuously being perceived as sensory images by the brain. These impressions are very short-lived. –0.5 secs for Visual –2 secs for Auditory Only a few of these are selected and transferred to level 2.

28. Level 2 Short Term Memory (STM) Most info encoded into this second level consists of visual and auditory images. Used when reading. Allows us to remember words for a few seconds so we understand a sentence. Has very limited capacity – approx 7 items so lists longer than approx 8 items almost impossible to remember without specialised techniques (e.g. Chunking)

29. Level 2 Short Term Memory (STM) Not only is STM limited in capacity (7 items), the items are held for only for a short-time (approx 30 seconds). During this 30 secs retrieval is very accurate. STM is constantly bombarded by new information so when extra information added, other items are displaced. After the 30 secs they are either transferred to level 3 or displaced and forgotten.

30. Homer explains his STM “How is education supposed to make me feel smarter? Besides, every time I learn something new, it pushes some old stuff out of my brain. Remember when I took that home winemaking course, and I forgot how to drive?”

31. Level 3: Long-term memory To retain info for any length of time, it must be transferred to LTM – long term memory. This system is thought to hold an unlimited amount of information. During encoding the items are organised into categories such as facts, episodes, skills, habit etc. These are then stored for a long time even permanently.

32. Transfer from STM & LTM Requires a conscious effort: Transfer methods... 1.Rehearsal - repetition 2.Organisation - grouping information into related groups or categories. 3.Elaboration of meaning - Analysis of the meaning of the item.

33. Task: Torrance-TYK pg 236 Qu 1-3 09/10/201533Mrs Smith Ch25 The Brain

34. Rehearsal Rehearsal is repeating something (silently or out-loud), over and over again. Extends length of time held in STM and facilitates transfer to LTM

35. Rehearsal: Study tip Research shows that students who regularly stop and rehearse what they are reading (and trying to learn) are much more successful at committing the information to memory than students who read continuously and resist taking rehearsal breaks. Several short rehearsal breaks are more effective than one long rehearsal at the end of a marathon learning session.

36. Serial position effect Can remember objects at start of a series (PRIMARY EFFECT) as there has been time for rehearsal so it is transferred to LTM. Can remember objects at end due to objects still being in STM (RECENT EFFECT) When shown a group of similar objects, one after the other, then asked to write down as many as possible in any order…

37. The images / words in the middle are pushed out or displaced from the STM Serial Position Effect …but it is difficult to remember the ones in the middle because our short-term memory is crowded and so did not allow the transfer to long-term memory. If it is a very unusual or favourite item (e.g. Jeans) it can sometimes be recalled no matter what its position.

38. In an investigation into the serial position effect, the recency effect causes items at the end of the list to be recalled, whilst the primacy effect helps recall of items at the start of the sequence. Serial Position Effect Elaboration of meaning aids transfer to long-term memory.

39. Organisation Grouping items in an organised way increases their chance of being successfully transferred from the short-term to long- term memory. Organised groups have contextual cues (hints) which help the retrieval of information from the long-tem memory. So organisation helps the transfer of info in both directions Organisation – grouping information into related groups or categories. Short- term memory Long- term memory Horizon clip on cues: Video 1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/progra mmes/horizon/broadband/tx/memory/se nses/

40. Past Paper MCQ 25 Q.Which of the following best describes memory? A.The total memory capacity of the brain B.The time taken to learn a piece of information C.The storage capacity of the short-term memory D.The capacity to store information in long-term memory

41. Answer: Past Paper MCQ 25 Q.Which of the following best describes memory? A.The total memory capacity of the brain B.The time taken to learn a piece of information C.The storage capacity of the short-term memory D.The capacity to store information in long-term memory

42. Elaboration of Meaning Analysis of the meaning of the item to be memorised and finding out more about it to make it more meaningful. Short-term memory Long-term memory e.g. making a mind-map of all the information you know helps you learn by elaboration of meaning This allows more connections (more contextual cues) so more ways to retrieve the information.

44. Classification of information in the LTM The system of storage in the LTM in analogous to a filing cabinet of unlimited capacity, organised into distinct categories of information. As items are encoded and transferred to the LTM, they are classified and filed in appropriate section(s).

45. Retrieval of Items from the LTM The LTM contains a vast and permanent store of remembered experience which is constantly being revised, reorganised and enlarged as new material flows into it. When a piece of information needs to be called up and retrieved from the LTM, a search is mounted. This is aided by contextual cues. It is thought a contextual cue somehow triggers off an impulse through a ‘ memory circuit’. The more powerful the contextual (e.g. A wedding day) the more easily the experience can be retrieved.

46. Lapses in memory Once the information has been transferred to the LTM, it is stored permanently, In theory that means that it is never forgotten, so how can failure to recall some item that was once very well known be explained? Sometimes we find it hard to remember if the: Contextual cues are weak or incomplete. Memory has not been retrieved for a long time.

47. Tip of the tongue state. The individual lacks sufficient contextual cues to recall the required information. However the person is armed with a sufficient number of cues to narrow the search and retrieve some related information. Slowly the cues lead to the required information and the information suddenly appears in the conscious mind.

48. Tricks used to aid memory Rhymes e.g. ‘30 days has September….’ Memorise simple sentence, with the first letter of each word representing something to be remembered Forming bizarre associations e.g. objects in a room – linked to a list of things to remember Retrieval of Items from the LTM – Mnemonic devices

49. Mnemonic Devices ed range ellow reen lue ndigo iolet ROYGBIVROYGBIV

50. Mnemonic Devices

51. Task: Torrance-TYK pg 239 Qu 1-4 09/10/201551Mrs Smith Ch25 The Brain

52. Task: Torrance AYK pg240/241 Qu’s 1-6 09/10/201552Mrs Smith Ch25 The Brain

53. What you should know Ch28-29 Cloze pg 241-242

54. SQA Essay Questions 2010 (1A) 09/10/2015Mrs Smith Ch25 The Brain54

55. SQA Essay Questions 2007 (1B) 09/10/2015Mrs Smith Ch25 The Brain55

56. SQA Essay Questions 2004 (1A) 09/10/2015Mrs Smith Ch25 The Brain56 There seems to be one of these essays every 3 years (2004, 2007, 2010). I wonder if there will be one in 2013????