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 UNDERGRADUATE SYLLABUS SUBJECT: Psychology PAPER: Basic Psychological Processes TOPIC: Memory and Forgetting LESSON: Memory Memory You never realize what a good memory you have, until you try to forget
something. - Franklin Jones
Did You Ever Feel …………
• I often forget things that I place in my house.
• I am often confused whether today is Wednesday or Thursday.
• I often forget my spects or two wheeler key chain.
• I forget to lock the door while going out.
• I forget the phone numbers.
Memory
It is defined as persistence of learning over time via the storage and
retrieval of information. Ebbinghaus conducted number of studies in a
systematic and controlled way in laboratory.
Memory as Information Processing Model
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Similar to a Computer
• Write to file
• Save to disk
• Read from disk
Stage 1: Sensory Memory
It refers to the immediate, initial recording of sensory information in the
memory system. There are two types of sensory memory – iconic and
echoic. Memory for visual stimuli is referred to as iconic memory, which can
be defined as very brief sensory memory of some visual stimuli that occur
in the form of mental pictures. For example, if we look at a picture and then
close our eyes and try to see the picture, what we can "see" in our mind's
eye is an iconic memory of the image in the picture. Iconic memory which
lasts about 1/3 second was demonstrated in Sperling’s classic experiment.
Memory for sound is referred to as echoic memories, which can be defined
as very brief sensory memory of some auditory stimuli. Iconic and echoic
memory systems may allow us to experience the world as a continuous
stream.
Stage -2: Short-Term Memory
It is an activated memory that holds a few items briefly. For example, look
up a phone number, then quickly dial before the information is forgotten. It
is limited in duration and capacity. The capacity of this memory according
to George Miller is 7 +/- 2. Short term memory also known as working
Memory focuses more on the processing of briefly stored information.
Stage- 3: Long-Term Memory
This stage is the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the
memory system.
Long-Term Memory Subsystems
These memory subsystems involve procedural memories, declarative
memories, semantic memories and episodic memories.
Procedural memories: These are memories for performance of actions or
skills. This subsystem focuses on “Knowing how.”
Declarative memories: These are memories of facts, rules, concepts, and
events. It includes semantic and episodic memory. This subsystem focuses
on “Knowing that.”
Semantic memories: These are memories of general knowledge,
including facts, rules, concepts, and propositions.
Episodic memories: These memories are personally experienced events
and the contexts in which they occurred.
Memory Storages
There are different storages of memory -
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Encoding: This refers to the processing of information into the
memory system i.e., extracting meaning.
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Storage: This refers to the retention of encoded information over
time.
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Retrieval: This refers to the process of getting information out of
memory.
Encoding means “Getting Information In.” It can be automatic or effortful.
Automatic Processing refers to the unconscious encoding of incidental
information like space, time and frequency. It occurs with well-learned
information. For example, word meanings. We can learn the skill of
automatic processing like in the case of reading backwards.
Ebbinghaus used nonsense syllables like TUV ZOF GEK WAV to conduct
experiments on
memory. He found in one of his studies that the more
number of times subjects practiced on Day 1, the fewer repetitions they
have taken to relearn to relearn on Day 2.His studies also revealed
‘spacing effect’ i.e. distributed practice yields better long- term retention
than massed practice.
His experiments also revealed ‘Serial Position Effect’ which means subjects
have a tendency to recall best the last items in a list.
What Do We Encode?
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Semantic Encoding: It refers to the encoding of meaning and
meaning of words
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Acoustic Encoding: It refers to the encoding of sound and
especially sound of words.
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Visual Encoding: It refers to the encoding of picture images.
Encoding which is automatic or effortful involves meaning (semantic
encoding) and imagery (visual encoding). It also involves organization of
information either in chunks or hierarchies.
This helps in better recall of the information.
Storage means ‘Retaining Information’. It involves iconic Memory and
echoic memory.
Iconic memory is a momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli. It is a
photographic or picture image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of
a second. On the other hand, echoic Memory is a momentary sensory
memory of auditory stimuli.
Retrieval means ‘Getting Information Out.’ This occurs in four modesrecall, recognition, relearning and priming.