PSYC 336 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Reminiscence Bump

• School: University of San Diego
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 336
• Professor: Appleton-Knapp

Document Summary

Longer retention intervals are generally associated with a greater amount of forgetting. Memories from long ago can turn out to be entirely accurate. Name-matching task in the yearbook with high school graduates. 90% correct if tested 3 months/7 years/14 years after graduation. Testing students" retention of a cognitive psychology course taken years earlier. Some forgetting of names and specific concepts was observed during the first 3 years after the course. After the 3rd year performance stabilized. Depends on how well established the memories were in the first place. The passage of time is the enemy of memory. Longer retention intervals produce lower levels of recall. If the material is very well learned at the start + you revisit the material dramatically diminish the impact of the passing years. Reminiscence bump people have clear and detailed memories of their late adolescence and early adulthood. Autobiographical memories can last for year and memories that don"t refer directly to your own life.