PSY111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Suggestibility, Encoding Specificity Principle
Everyday memory
- Laboratory memory studies can be artificial (timing, what is memorised, when it is
recollected).
- Studies of everyday memory examine:
- The function of memory and our intent as we learn information
- The emotional significance of memory
- Prospective aspect of memory (memory for things that need to be done in the future)
Encoding in long-term memory
- The storage of information in LTM requires that it be cast into a representational form
(encoded)
- The type and level of encoding influences the accessibility of information
Levels of processing
- Shallow processing: focus on the physical characteristics of the stimulus
- Deep processing: focus on the meaning of the stimulus
Encoding specificity principle
- The ease of retrieval of a memory depends on a match between the way information
was encoded and how it is later retrieved.
- There is poor recall if shallow learning is examined using a deep processing technique.
- Student who reads multiple choice items in text book and then takes an essay exam will
not do very well.
Context and retrieval
- Context dependent memory
- Information is easier to recall when it is encoded and retrieved in the same
context
- Mood (state) congruent memory
- Information is easier to recall when it is encoded and retrieved in the same
emotional state
- The same context or emotional state provides retrieval cues which facilitate recollection.
Networks of association
LTM is organised in clusters of information that are related in meaning
- The network is composed of interconnected nodes
- A node may contain thoughts, images, smells, emotions or any other information
- Mnemonic devices allow one to add concepts to existing networks
Document Summary
Laboratory memory studies can be artificial (timing, what is memorised, when it is recollected). Prospective aspect of memory (memory for things that need to be done in the future) The function of memory and our intent as we learn information. The storage of information in ltm requires that it be cast into a representational form (encoded) The type and level of encoding influences the accessibility of information. Shallow processing: focus on the physical characteristics of the stimulus. Deep processing: focus on the meaning of the stimulus. The ease of retrieval of a memory depends on a match between the way information was encoded and how it is later retrieved. There is poor recall if shallow learning is examined using a deep processing technique. Student who reads multiple choice items in text book and then takes an essay exam will not do very well. Information is easier to recall when it is encoded and retrieved in the same context.