Memory 2

Memory Part 2

Recalling Long-Term Memories:How do we pull information out of long-term memory?

The vast amount of information stored in our minds sometimes makes it difficult to remember. A retrieval cue is a stimulus that that allows us to recall long-term

memories more easily.

Recall: a memory task in which specific information must be retrieved with few context clues available.

Example: The weakest amount of a stimulus that a person can detect 50% of the time is called ____________.

Recalling Long-Term Memories:A retrieval cue is a stimulus that that allows us to

recall long-term memories more easily.

Recognition: a memory task in which individuals are presented with a stimulus and asked whether they have been exposed to it in the past, or, if they can identify it

from a list of alternatives.

Example: Which of the following is an operant conditioning technique? A) Transduction B) Osmosis

C) Reinforcement D) Schizophrenia

Level of Processing TheoryThis theory states that the more you processes information,

the better you will ultimately remember it. When you analyze new information in terms of its meaning, your mind will form more connections and associations. (This is why route memorization is a good way to cram for an exam the day before it takes place, but a terrible way to remember

information for long periods of time).

More likely to retain

information

Less likely to retain

information

“Bloom’s Taxonomy”

How Reliable is My Memory?Original Stimulus

(information)

Filtered through my

perception of reality

I form my original memory of the stimulus

Meaning is applied to my

memory

Additional information is applied to my memory each time I recall it

When we retrieve a memory from our minds, the memory

is affected not just by our direct prior experience, but

also by our guesses and inferences about its meaning.

How Reliable is My Memory?For example, a group of people witnessed a video of a car accident taking place. Participants were then asked to estimate how fast the cars were going. When police officers asked them, “about how fast

were the cars going when they smashed into each other?”, participants claimed an average of 60 kph. When asked, “about

how fast were the cars going when they contacted each other?”, participants claimed an average of 50 kph.

The memory is altered by the interpretation that you form around the original experience itself!

How Reliable is My Memory?• Children’s Reliability: Children’s memories are

highly vulnerable to the influence of others. Also, adults do not have memories earlier than age 3.

• Repressed Memories: Memories that are so shocking that our minds respond by pushing them into the unconscious. They can be remembered if they are triggered by events or stimuli.

• False Memories: When we have a vague memory, or the source of the memory is unclear, we may become confused about whether we actually experienced something, or whether it was imagined. It is possible to believe that an event which you imagined/dreamt actually occurred.

Autobiographical MemoriesThese are the episodic memories you hold of experiences

in your own past. They are always a distortion of the events that actually occurred. …Why?

1We are incapable of perceiving the world 100% as it

truly is. We have imperfect senses, and we each interpret events from different perspectives.

Limited information = Imperfect

understanding of reality.

Autobiographical Memories

2 Over time, we tend to distort memories of unpleasant events more than pleasant ones.

Adults in one study were more likely to

accurately recall their good grades from high school, and inaccurately really their bad grades.

These are the episodic memories you hold of experiences in your own past. They are always a distortion of the

events that actually occurred. …Why?

Autobiographical Memories

3Particular events or periods in life are easier to

remember than others. Older adults report clearer memory of major life transitions such as attending college, working their first job, getting married, etc.

These are the episodic memories you hold of experiences in your own past. They are always a distortion of the

events that actually occurred. …Why?

ForgettingAfter information has been committed to memory, how

quickly do we forget it? After one hour, we forget (on average) about 40% of the information we learned. The rate of

forgetting slows dramatically after nine hours have passed.

“Decay” is the loss of information

from non-use.

Forgetting: Explanations• Time: The longer we do not use information,

the more difficult it is to retrieve (decay).

• Interference: When new information disrupts the recall of other information. Imagine someone is taking a Chinese class, but last year they took French. The previous knowledge of French might cause confusion in the learning of Chinese.

• Lack of retrieval cues: Because cues help us remember, lack of cues can increase forgetting. Imagine you lost your keys. While you are at the store, you can’t remember where you left them, but when you get home and use visual cues in your home, you can recall where they are.