Download Cognitive Processes: Memory and Thought

Cognitive Processes: Memory
and Thought
Psychology I
Mrs. Hart
The Processes of Memory
Memory refers to the processes that are used
to acquire, retain, and later retrieve
information. The three major processes
involved in memory:
• Encoding
• Storage
• Retrieval.
Stage Model of Memory
Atkinson and Shiffrin
(1968) – theorized
that there are three
separate stages of
learning:
• Sensory memory
• Short-term memory
• Long-term memory
Sensory Memory
• Earliest stage of
memory
• Stored for a short
period of time (1/2
second for visual data,
3-4 seconds for
auditory information).
• Some data passes into
short-term memory.
Short-Term Memory
• Information currently being thought about.
• Most information is stored fro 20-30 seconds, then
forgotten.
• Some information continues into long-term
memory.
Long-Term Memory
• Continuous storage of information.
• Can be called into working memory when needed.
• Capacity of long-term memory appears to be
limitless.
• Four types: semantic, episodic, declarative,
declarative.
Long-Term
Memory Loss
Retrieving Information
• Stored information is
useless unless in can be
retrieved.
• Need to store many
thousands of items in a
way that they can be
found when needed.
• The solution to retrieval
is organization.
Memory Retrieval
• Retrieval is the process
of accessing stored
memories.
• Retrieval cues or
prompts trigger the
retrieval of long-term
memory.
• Four basic ways of
retrieving memory;
recognition, recall,
relearning, and
recollection
Recognition
• Recognition involves identifying an object, idea,
situation or other information after experiencing it
again.
Recall
• Involves a person being able to reconstruct
previously learned material without being cued.
• Involves a person’s knowledge, attitudes, and
expectations.
• Eidetic memory (photographic memory) is one
type of recall.
Relearning
• Involves relearning
information that has
been previously
learned.
• Can improve the
strength of memories.
• Makes it easier to
remember and
retrieve information.
Recollection
• Involves
reconstructing
memory, utilizing
logical structures,
partial memories,
narratives, or
clues.
Forgetting
• Information that once entered long-term memory
and is unable to be retrieved, is said to be
forgotten.
• Involves decay, interference, or repression/
amnesia.
Decay
• Some information fades
away or decays over time,
happening quickly in
sensory storage or shortterm memory.
• Long-term memories seem
to remain, but may be
difficult to retrieve.
• Forgotten information may
be recovered through
meditation, hypnosis, or
brain stimulation.
Meditation
Meditation gives a person more time by making
the mind calmer and more focused, allowing the
person to retrieve memories more easily.
Hypnosis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9
mR7p4RGOE
Hypnosis, also referred to as
hypnotherapy or hypnotic
suggestion, is a trance-like state
in which you have heightened
focus and concentration.
Hypnosis is usually done with the
help of a therapist using verbal
repetition and mental images.
The subject is alert the whole
time. It is most often compared
to daydreaming, or the
feeling of "losing yourself" in a book or movie. The person is
fully conscious, but tunes out most of the stimuli around
him/her. Focus is on the subject at hand, and outside
thoughts are excluded.
Interference
• Refers to memory being blocked or erased by previous
or subsequent memories.
• Two types; proactive interference, retroactive
interference.
• May erase some memories permanently, while other
information is merely difficult to assess because it can’t
be found.
Repression and Amnesia
Repression
• Data is not lost, only blocked.
• Exists in a person’s memory, but has been made inaccessible because it may be
disturbing due to an embarrassing, tragic, or frightening experience.
Amnesia
• A loss of memory that may occur after a blow to the head or as a result of brain
damage.
• May also be the result of drug use, alcohol abuse, or severe psychological stress.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUq2-wx4oCA
•
http://izismile.com/2013/02/22/meet_the_man_with_the_worst_case_of.html
Improving Memory
• Flash cards: Flash cards and memory card games spruce
up the mental synapses, making your memory work
harder.
• Test games: Lay out a number of objects on a tray. Try to
memorize them. Place a cloth over the tray and write
down every object that you remember. Check back and
see how you did. If you did too well, add more objects.
Improving Memory
• Elaborative rehearsal: Relate
the new information that you
need to learn to something
you already know.
• Over-learning: To protect a
memory from interference is
to over-learn it. Keep on
rehearsing something, even if
you think you know it well.
• Distributed practice: Space out
learning, to avoid absorbing too
much information at one time.
Improving Memory
• Mnemonic devices: Techniques
that use associations to memorize
information are called mnemonic
devices. Some of these devices
include forming mental pictures,
making up words (acronyms),
stories, or rhymes. For example,
ROY G BIV (Red, Orange, Yellow,
Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet) stands
for each color of the rainbow.
• Variation: Another way to increase recall is to
occasionally change the study routine. If accustomed to
studying in one specific location, try moving to a different
spot during the next study session.