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Psychology Chapter 7
Memory
Section 1: Three Kinds of Memory
Memory – is the process by which we
recollect prior experiences, information,
and skills learned in the past
 3 kinds of memory – Episodic, Generic,
and Procedural

Episodic Memory
Episodic memory – memory of a specific
event. The event took place in the
person’s presence, or the person
experienced an event.
 Ex: Last meal, Quiz
 Flashbulb memory – recall events in
specific details. An event so surprising or
significant
 Ex: 9/11, first love, an accomplishment.

Generic Memory
Generic memory – General Knowledge.
You do not know when you attained the
knowledge, but you have it.
 Ex: George Washington, Basic Math,
Alphabet, oxygen.

Procedural Memory
Procedural Memory – a skill that you have
learned in the past.
 Ex. Riding a bicycle, throwing a ball,
typing, driving a car.
 The skill stays with you for years/maybe
life (even if you have not preformed the
skill in a long time)
 Pg 155 Q 1-3.

Section 2: Three Processes of
Memory
Three ways humans process information
 Encoding
 Storage
 Retrieval

Encoding
Encoding – is the translation of information into
a form in which it can be stored
 store information in brain.
 Most information is received through a physical
form (sound/ light). When we encode it, we
convert the physical stimulation into
psychological forms that can be mentally
represented.
 Three ways to encode

Encoding Continued
Visual Codes – memorize information by
trying to form a picture in your mind.
 Acoustic Codes – read the information,
then repeat to yourself.
 Semantic Codes – Make sense of the
information.
 Definition – relating to meaning.
 Ex: make a phrase or sentence out of the
information

Storage
Storage – second process – maintenance
of encoded information.
 Maintenance rehearsal – keep saying the
information over and over again. Trying
not to lose the information – poor way to
put information in long term memory.
 Ex: phone numbers, Actors.

Storage Continued
Elaborative Rehearsal – take new
information and relate it to information
that is already well known. Effective for
long term memory
 Ex: using new vocabulary words in
sentences

Storage Continued
Organizational systems – Memories that
you store become organized and arranged
in your mind for future use.
 Ex: history – chronological order –
presidents – what they did.
 Filing errors – put information in wrong
area (file) or information is not complete
on a subject.

Retrieval
Retrieval - third process – locating stored
information and returning it into conscious
thought.
 Context-dependent memory – memories
that come back to you in a certain place
 Ex: swimmer test, school tests, crime
scene.

Retrieval Continued
State-Dependent Memory – memories that
come back to you in an emotional state.
 Happy = happy memories
 Sad = sad memories
 If you learned something in a certain
emotional state you will remember it that
emotional state. Even on Drugs

Retrieval Continued
Tip-of-the-tongue – When you know
something but cannot seem to verbalize it.
 Person can come up with
acoustic/semantic clues.
 Ex: songs


Pg. 160 Q 1-4.
Section 3: Three Stages of Memory
You do not store every piece of
information that you see.
 Stages of memory
 Sensory Memory
 Short Term Memory STM
 Long Term Memory LTM

Sensory Memory
 1st
Stage, immediate, initial recordings of
Information that goes through our senses.
 Decays within a fraction of a second.
 Iconic memory – visual memory – seeing
–snapshots.
 Eidetic memory – Photographic memory
5% of children have this. Decays with age.
 Echoic memory – audio memory – easier
than iconic memory.
Short Term Memory STM
 2nd
stage, this memory last for a couple of
seconds. Fades rapidly after that
 To get information into your STM you
need to pay attention to iconic/echoic
memories.
 STM is called working memory. You use it
a great deal of the time – when you think
STM Continued
Primacy effect - easier to recall the initial
items in a series of items
 See them first and can rehearse more
 Recency effect – easier to recall the last
items in a series of items.
 The items are fresh in your mind

STM Continued
Chunking – organization of items into
manageable units
 EX: phone numbers 123-4567
 Average person can handle 7 items
 Few people can remember more than nine
 Businesses try to get repeated numbers or
spell words. 555-7788/ 786-JOES.

STM Continued
STM can only handle so much information
at a time.
 Interference – when too much information
comes in to your STM and replaces old
information in your STM.

Long Term Memory LTM
 3rd
stage and final stage.
 Get information in your LTM by using
maintenance rehearsal or by elaborative
rehearsal.
 Your LTM holds more information than a
computer. Smell, pictures, touch, taste,
and sound.
LTM Continued
Capacity – Psychologist said there is no
capacity to our LTM.
 Memory as Reconstructive – we
reconstruct our memories in our own
views, using bits and pieces.
 Explains different views of the same
event.

LTM Continued
Schemas – mental representation that we
form of the world by organizing bits of
information into knowledge.
 Wording Ex: poor/welfare
 Cars smashed/hit.


Q 1-3 pg 166
Section 4: Forgetting and Memory
Improvement
Forgetting is the opposite of memory.
 You can forget at any of the 3 stages of
memory. Sensory, STM, LTM.
 Basic memory tasks are:
 Recognition
 Recall
 Relearning

Basic Memory Tasks
Recognition – identifying objects or events
that have been encountered before. Easy
 Ex: multiple choice test.
 Recall – Bringing information back to
mind. You do this by reconstructing your
memories.
 Ex: remembering a list of numbers, using
pairs.
 Memory loss occurs within an hour.

Basic Memory Tasks
Relearning – If you forget something, so
can relearn it quick.
 Ex: Math problems from high school.

Different Kinds of Forgetting
Interference – too much information in
STM
 Decay – fading away of a memory
 Repression – when you push out painful,
unpleasant, and disturbing memories that
make us feel anxious, guilt, or shame.
 Controversial in the psychology world.

Different ways of Forgetting
(Amnesia)
Amnesia – severe memory loss caused by
brain injury, shock, fatigue, illness, or
repression
 Infantile Amnesia – when you cannot
remember information your early
childhood. (before 6 years old) Episodic.
 Why: repression because of boring
memories. Brain is undeveloped. No
language skills.

Amnesia
Antergrade Amnesia – memory loss from
trauma that prevents a person from
forming new memories
 Ex: blow to the head, brain surgery,
electric shock
 Retrograde Amnesia – is when people
forget the time period leading up to an
traumatic event.
 Ex: sports injury, car accidents.

Improving Memory
Drill and practice – repeat information
until you memorize it.
 Ex: flash cards, saying information aloud.
 Relate to things you know – helps because
you think deeply about the new and old
material
 Ex: spelling, world languages.

Improving Memory

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Form unusual associations – make things
humorous/ think outside the box.
Ex: sn = tin. Snake in a tin can haha. Number of
rooms in a house = the peoples names living in
the house.
Construct links between information
Mnemonic devices – systems for remembering
information
Ex. Never eat shredded wheat , HOMES, roy g.
biv.