3 Types of Memory

* Memory Systems

*    Sensory memory – brief lasting of the sensory image in our sensory register

*    Short-term or working memory (STM)-holds information we are actively thinking about; limited in capacity (~ 7 items) & duration

*    Long-term memory (LTM) – items encoded into LTM are held almost permanently; virtually unlimited capacity

 

* Memory Processes

*    Encoding (mentally processing information so it can be placed into memory).

*     Storage (holding that information for a period of time)

*    Retrieval (accessing  or recalling stored memories when needed)

 

Encoding

*     Sensory input is not sufficient – must attend to & process that input

*     Some encoding occurs automatically-

*    Personal experiences

*    Information of high interest

*    Some types of learning (conditioning, motor learning)

*     Much encoding, however, is effortful; it requires special thought and practice

 

* Primary Types of Long-Term Memories

*    Episodic Memories (life experiences)

*    Semantic Memories (information/knowledge)

*    Procedural Memories (how to do things)

Some Reasons for “Forgetting”

*     Encoding failure (didn’t pay attention)

*     Insufficient cues to retrieve stored memory

*    TOT phenomenon

*     Cue Confusion or Interference

*    Proactive interfererence

*    Older memories interfere with new recall

*    Retroactive interference

*    Newer memories interfere with old recall

*     Context cues change – State dependent learning

 

Nature of Memory

*     Subject to change - not a fixed permanent record

*     Reconstructed in pieces

*     Depends on our attention, expectations, past experiences, how we’re questioned

*     Since memory is malleable, always question its accuracy.

*     Accuracy of memory is weakly correlated with confidence – can be very confident and still be wrong!

 

Improve Your Memory

*    Study repeatedly (distributed practice or spacing effect); aim for “overlearning”

*    Avoid or limit interference

*    Remember that context and personal state can be memory cues (“state-dependent” learning)

*    Test your recall as well as recognition.

 

Improve Your Memory

*     Don’t rely on mindless re-reading as a rehearsal technique; do something elaborative

*     Actively work with, think about, and be sure you understand the meaning of material

*     Test yourself & study your mistakes

*     Organize material (outlines, lists of characteristics, parallel comparisons, diagram, etc)

*     Establish memory cues (mnemonic devices are 1 possibility), sometimes imagery can be useful