Memory: Key Concepts and Processes (Chapter 6 Study Guide)

Study Guide - Smart Notes

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The information processing theory compares human memory to computer operations, emphasizing how information is encoded, stored, and retrieved.

Assumption 1: Information is processed in stages (input, storage, output).
Assumption 2: The mind has limited capacity for processing information.
Assumption 3: Active processing is required for information to move between stages.
Assumption 4: Different types of memory stores exist, each with unique properties.

The multistore model (Atkinson-Shiffrin model) describes memory as a flow through three distinct stores.

Sensory Register → Short-Term Memory (STM) → Long-Term Memory (LTM)
Arrows represent the transfer of information via encoding and retrieval processes.

Diagram: (Textual representation)

Sensory Register --(Attention) --(Attention)--> STM --(Encoding) --(Encoding)--> LTM
LTM --(Retrieval) --(Retrieval)--> STM

Sensory Register: Briefly holds incoming sensory information (milliseconds to seconds).
Short-Term Memory (STM): Temporarily stores and manipulates information (about 15-30 seconds).
Long-Term Memory (LTM): Stores information for extended periods, potentially a lifetime.

Each memory store has distinct processes for encoding, storage, and retrieval.

Store	Encoding	Capacity	Duration	Type of Code	Forgetting	Retrieval
Sensory Register	Raw sensory input	Large	Milliseconds	Visual/auditory	Decay	Attention
STM	Acoustic/semantic	7±2 items	15-30 seconds	Mostly acoustic	Displacement/decay	Rehearsal
LTM	Semantic	Unlimited	Lifetime	Semantic/visual	Interference	Cue-dependent

Chunking is the process of grouping individual pieces of information into larger, meaningful units to enhance STM capacity.

Digit Span: Measures STM capacity by recalling sequences of numbers.
Paired Associates: Tests associative memory by learning and recalling word pairs.
Free Recall: Involves recalling items from a list in any order.

These effects describe patterns in recall from lists.

Primacy Effect: Better recall of items at the beginning of a list (due to LTM encoding).
Recency Effect: Better recall of items at the end of a list (due to STM availability).
Causes: Serial position and rehearsal strategies.

Forgetting in LTM is often due to interference.

Interference: When old and new information compete, causing forgetting.
Example: Learning a new phone number may interfere with recall of an old one.

Retrieval: Accessing stored information using cues.
Stroop Effect: Demonstrates interference in attention and automatic processing (e.g., naming the color of a word when the word itself is a different color).

Effective memory strategies enhance encoding and retrieval.

Retrograde Amnesia: Loss of memory for events prior to injury or trauma.
State Dependent Learning: Improved recall when in the same state as during encoding.
Reconstructive Process in Memory: Memory is actively reconstructed, not passively retrieved; may include errors or distortions.
Flashbulb Memories: Vivid, detailed memories of significant events.
Recovered Memories: Memories of past events that are recalled after being forgotten, often in therapeutic contexts.

Sleep enhances memory consolidation, especially for declarative and procedural memories.
Lack of sleep impairs encoding and retrieval.

Definition: Inability to recall memories from early childhood (typically before age 3).
Causes: Brain development, language acquisition, and encoding processes.

Additional info: Some definitions and explanations have been expanded for academic completeness.