PSYC-1105EL Chapter Notes - Chapter 7-8, 10: Connectionism, Semantic Network, Sensory Memory
12 Jun 2018
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PSYCHOLOGY TEST #3
CHAPTER 7,8,10
DECEMBER 7TH 2017
CHAPTER 7: HUMAN MEMORY
Memory: the capacity to retain and later retrieve information
Human memory must undergo three tasks (ESR)
1. Encoding: converting information into a form that can be entered into memory (code)
2. Storage: retaining information over varying periods of time
3. Retrieval: locating and assessing specific information when it is needed at a later time
Role of Attention
Attention: focusing awareness on a narrowed range of stimuli or events (filter)
Levels of Processing
Proposes that deeper levels of processing result in longer-lasting memory codes.
Structural Encoding: is relatively shallow processing that emphasizes the physical structure of
the stimulus
Phonemic Encoding: emphasizes what a word sounds like (involves naming or saying the
words)
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Semantic Encoding: emphasizes the meaning of verbal input; it involves thinking about the
objects and actions the words represent
Enriching Encoding
Elaboration
Is linking a stimulus to other information at the time of encoding
Visual Imagery
The creation of visual images to represent the words to be remembered (can also be used to
enrich encoding)
Dual Encoding Theory: holds that memory is enhanced by forming semantic and visual codes,
since either can lead to recall
Self-Referent Encoding
Involves deciding how or whether information is personally relevant
- Appears to enhance recall by promoting additional elaboration and better organization of
information
Storage: Maintaining Information in Memory
Sensory Memory
Provides temporary storage (less than 1 second) of information stimulating our senses
- High capacity
- Selective attention is needed to transfer information from sensory memory to short term
memory
Short-Term Memory
A limited-capacity store that can maintain unrehearsed information for up to about 20 seconds
- Hold relatively small amounts of information of 60 seconds or less
- STM can hold 7-9 items at once
Rehearsal: the process of repetitively verbalizing or thinking about the information
Durability of Storage
- Without rehearsal, information in short-term memory is lost in less than 20 seconds
Capacity of Storage
- Can only hold about 7 items
Chunk: a group of familiar stimuli stored as a single unit
Short-term Memory as “Working Memory”
Working Memory: a limited capacity storage system that temporarily maintains and stores
information by providing an interface between perception, memory, and action
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Working Memory Capacity: refers to one’s ability to hold and manipulate information in
conscious attention
Serial Position Curve
The accuracy of recall of words or other information is greater for those early and late in a list
rather than information in the middle of a list
Word Similarity Effect
Words which sound alike are less well retained than those with distinctly different sounds
- Words are stored phonologically and are maintained by rehearsal mechanism
Word Length Effect
Memory span for immediate recall is greater for lists of short words than lists of long words,
which interfere with rehearsal
Long-Term Memory
An unlimited capacity store that can hold information over lengthy periods of time
- Retains vast amounts of information for long periods of time
- Crystallized information
- Seemingly unlimited capacity
Aspects of Long-Term Memory
1. Prospective Memory: remembering to perform certain activities at specific times
2. Infantile Amnesia: inability to remember the first two or three years of life, probably
because we did not possess a well-developed self-concept during that period
3. Flashbulb Memory: a vivid memory of what we are doing at the time of an emotion-
provoking event
Flashbulb Memories: unusually vivid and detailed recollections of momentous events
Clustering and Conceptual Hierarchies
Clustering: the tendency to remember similar or related items in groups
Conceptual Hierarchy: a multilevel classification system based on common properties among
items
Schemas
An organized cluster of knowledge about a particular object or event abstracted from previous
experience with the object or event
- People are more likely to remember things that are consistent with their schemas than
things that are not
Semantic Networks
Consists of nodes representing concepts, joined together by pathways that link related concepts
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Document Summary
Memory: the capacity to retain and later retrieve information. Attention: focusing awareness on a narrowed range of stimuli or events (filter) Proposes that deeper levels of processing result in longer-lasting memory codes. Structural encoding: is relatively shallow processing that emphasizes the physical structure of the stimulus. Phonemic encoding: emphasizes what a word sounds like (involves naming or saying the words) Semantic encoding: emphasizes the meaning of verbal input; it involves thinking about the objects and actions the words represent. Is linking a stimulus to other information at the time of encoding. The creation of visual images to represent the words to be remembered (can also be used to enrich encoding) Dual encoding theory: holds that memory is enhanced by forming semantic and visual codes, since either can lead to recall. Involves deciding how or whether information is personally relevant. Appears to enhance recall by promoting additional elaboration and better organization of information.
