Memory

PSY 100
 Overview
Introduction to Memory
Types of Memory
Working
Semantic
Episodic
Collective
Stages of Memory
Encoding
Storage
Retrieval
Putting It All Together
WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER?

The next slide will display a series of

numbers.
Without writing anything down,
remember as many as you
can.
First, try it like this
 Memorize these
numbers
8 3 7 9 2 5 1 6 10 0 1
4
 What do you remember?
Write down your answer on your notecard
 Now try it this way instead…
Flip over your notecard
Memorize these
numbers
483 792 516
1001
What do you remember?
Write down your answer on your notecard
What do you remember?

483 792 516 1001

4 8 3 7 9 2 5 1 6 1 0
0 1
 Why were the grouped
numbers so much easier to
remember?
Chunking: memory strategy of
grouping smaller units of info into
bigger meaningful units
o Reduces the number of items you're
holding in memory!
 Because...
We can only hold ~7 units of info
actively in our mind at once!
o -> why US phone numbers (after area
code) are 7 numbers long!
 Working Memory
Working Memory –
holding information actively in
mind for a brief time and
mentally manipulating it
For example...
Mental math
Remembering a list for
immediate use
Following a conversation
 Semantic Memory
Semantic Memory – “permanent” factual
knowledge, not tied to memory of specific experience
 Semantic Memory
Semantic Memory – “permanent” factual
knowledge, not tied to memory of specific experience

e.g. “Albany is the capital of

New York”

e.g. “Honey does not expire”

 Episodic Memory
Episodic
Memory -
memory for
“episodes” of your life
 Episodic Memory
Episodic
Memory -
memory for
“episodes” of your
life
Memories of specific
experiences you’ve
had
 Episodic Memory
Episodic
Memory -
memory for
“episodes” of your
life
Memories of specific
experiences you’ve had
"My 8th birthday
party"
"My first date with
my partner"
"the conversation I
had with my friend
yesterday"
 Overview
Introduction to Memory
Types of Memory
Working
Semantic
Episodic
Collective
Stages of Memory
Encoding
Storage
Retrieval
Putting It All Together
 Encoding
Encoding - initial experience
of perceiving and learning events
 Encoding
Encoding - initial experience
of perceiving and learning events
"Wow, look, there's a giraffe in
the middle of the street!"
 Encoding
Encoding - initial experience
of perceiving and learning events
"Wow, look, there's a giraffe in
the middle of the street!"
Usually happens automatically
 Encoding
Encoding - initial experience
of perceiving and learning events
"Wow, look, there's a giraffe in
the middle of the street!"
Usually happens automatically
But is Selective: not
everything gets encoded
 Encoding
Encoding - initial experience
of perceiving and learning events
"Wow, look, there's a giraffe in
the middle of the street!"
Usually happens automatically
But is Selective: not
everything gets encoded
Distinct/Unusual experiences
more likely to be paid attention to
and encoded
More likely to remember a giraffe
in the street than a car
Recoding: part of what we do
during encoding
Recoding – Using memory
strategies to take info from one
form and convert into another
form that makes sense of it
 Recoding: part of what we do
during encoding
Recoding – Using memory
strategies to take info from one
form and convert into another
form that makes sense of it
Makes associations between
new info and things we
already know
 Recoding: part of what we do
during encoding
Recoding – Using memory
strategies to take info from one
form and convert into another
form that makes sense of it
Makes associations between
new info and things we
already know
Helps us retrieve this info
later
 Recoding
Recoding – Using memory
strategies to take info from one
form and convert into another
form that makes sense of it
Makes associations between e.g. Pneumonic
new info and things we devices
already know Parentheses -
Helps us retrieve this info later
Please
Exponents -
Excuse
Multiplication -
 Storage
Memory Trace (engram) - neurological change
within the brain that represents our experience
“written down” version of experience in memory,
captured in neural connections
Storage
 Storage
Time between learning
and testing, when
memory is in storage
 Storage Errors!
Time between learning
and testing, when
memory is in storage

Retroactive Interference: New

similar memories formed during this period
interfere with remembering the intended
info
 Storage Errors!
Time between learning
and testing

e.g. remembering what you ate for lunch 17 days

ago is difficult because you’ve formed so many
other memories of eating lunch since then

Retroactive Interference: New

similar memories formed during this period
interfere with remembering the intended
info
Storage Errors!
Time between learning
and testing

Proactive Interference: memories

from before the intended memory interfere
with correctly remembering the intended
info
 Storage Errors!
Time between learning
and testing

e.g. memories of the grammar rules of your first

language get in the way of you learning rules of a
new language

Proactive Interference: memories

from before the intended memory interfere
with correctly remembering the intended
info
 Retrieval: the act of
remembering
Available – All info in storage
Accessible – info we can actually
retrieve from storage and remember
 Retrieval: the act of
remembering
Encoding Specificity Principle – retrieval
of a memory can be cued when a prompt (or even
environmental context) matches information in the
encoded in the intended memory trace
We remember things more easily when prompted by
cues that were there when we learned the
information!
The more specific the cue is to the intended
memory, the better!
Cues that match many memories = difficult to
recall the specific intended memory
 Measuring Retrieval
Production Tests
Generation of correct answer
from scratch
Example = fill in the blank, short
answer

Recognition Tests
Selection of correct answer
from list of possible answers
Example = Multiple Choice,
True/False
Retrieval: How to study?
How to study?

Distributed Practice
 How to study?

Distributed Practice

Most effective study

strategy!
Distributed practice of material: same
total study time, but over more
separate occasions
 How to study?
Distributed Practice
Make the most out of your studying by practicing on
multiple occasions, and practicing retrieval:
Test yourself!

Most effective study

strategy!
Distributed practice of material: same
total study time, but over more
separate occasions