PSYC 001 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Interference Theory, Mnemonic, Encoding Specificity Principle
Memory
● Sensory Memory: a set of registers that store sensory information until we can process
○ There is a different register for each sense, where stuff is stored temporarily,
recognized if significant, made consciously aware, and then sent to short-term
memory
○ Iconic memory: the visual sensory register
■ This copies every image you see for a very brief period of time, so that
you can sort through which ones need to be saved for the short-term
memory
■ Temporal integration procedure: an experiment that shows
meaningless dot-patterns, that will only become meaningful in
combination if you visually remember them
■ Sperling’s full/partial report procedure: patients would forget letters
when they had to report the whole matrix, but they could remember the
row attached to a tone - wtf does this prove???
● Short-Term Memory: when recognized information enters consciousness
○ It is also the “working memory”. It is where your long-term memories (ones that
have been rehearsed) go when you need to re-use them.
○ Memory span task: remembering a series of items in the order they were
presented
■ Memory Span: the average number of items a human can remember
(5-9 chunks of information)
● Chunk: a meaningful unit in memory (the combo of ABC would be
equivalent to one letter in a random sequence)
■ Distractor task: showed that if you don’t concentrate on information, you
will forget it in 30 seconds
○ Working Memory: a more detailed, urgent short term memory
■ Maintenance rehearsal: saying something over and over again so that
you remember it
● Long-term memory: storage in memory for a longer period of time. Unlimited.
○ Explicit (declarative) memory: requires a conscious recall of info. Mostly
hippocampus
■ Episodic memory: personal experiences
■ Semantic Memory: factual knowledge
○ Implicit (Nondeclarative) Memory: influences behavior but does not require a
conscious recall. Mostly the cerebellum/basal ganglia
■ Classical Conditioning: conditioned automatic responses
■ Procedural Memory: motor/cognitive skills (knowing how to ride a bike)
■ Priming: when you do current actions that remind you of things you’ve
already learned
● Free recall task (primacy vs recency effect): in a list of things to remember, we are
more likely to remember the first (primary) and last (recency).
Document Summary
Sensory memory: a set of registers that store sensory information until we can process. There is a different register for each sense, where stuff is stored temporarily, recognized if significant, made consciously aware, and then sent to short-term memory. This copies every image you see for a very brief period of time, so that you can sort through which ones need to be saved for the short-term memory. Temporal integration procedure: an experiment that shows meaningless dot-patterns, that will only become meaningful in combination if you visually remember them. Short-term memory: when recognized information enters consciousness. It is where your long-term memories (ones that have been rehearsed) go when you need to re-use them. Memory span task: remembering a series of items in the order they were presented. Memory span : the average number of items a human can remember (5-9 chunks of information) Chunk: a meaningful unit in memory (the combo of abc would be.
