long-term memory. the traditional view of long-term memory capacity analogy: “scrapbook” or...

Long-Term Memory

The Traditional View of Long-Term MemoryCapacity

Analogy:“Scrapbook” or “treasure chest”

What type of info is stored?

Some think LTM is unlimited

However….

I just sat

down.

I walked to

class.

Years Hours Minutes Now

I had lunch.

I got my

drivers

licence.

LTMSTM

The Traditional View of Long-Term MemoryCoding

One explanation for errors of retrieval

Problems with encoding

Long-Term Potentiation

http://web.bvu.edu/faculty/ferguson/Course_Material/Cognitive_Processes/Images/LTP.jpg

The Traditional View of Long-Term MemoryRetention Duration

Recognition:Recall:

Experiment 1: recall of Spanish

Experiment 2: recall of spatial layout of a city

The Traditional View of Long-Term Memory

Forgetting

Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve

http://www.moorshire.com/images/forgettingcurve.jpg

The Traditional View of Long-Term MemoryForgetting

A learning task: Paired-associates learning

The Traditional View of Long-Term MemoryForgetting

Interference

Proactive interference

Retroactive interference

How does interference work?

Retrieval Cue

Fan effect

The Traditional View of Long-Term Memory

Retrieval of InformationMnemonics

Categorization

The Traditional View of Long-Term Memory

The Traditional View of Long-Term Memory

Retrieval of InformationMnemonics

Encoding specificity

State-dependent memory 1. Environment (context effect)

1. Learn List

2. TestingLocation LandUnderwater LandUnderwater

Retrieval of InformationMnemonics

Encoding specificityState-dependent memory

2. Physiological state

3. Mood

The Traditional View of Long-Term Memory

Retrieval of InformationMnemonics

Encoding specificitySpacing effect

oEncoding variability

The Traditional View of Long-Term Memory

The Traditional View of Long-Term Memory

Retrieval of InformationMnemonics

Encoding specificityCue overload

Amount of processing (black:white; black:train)

The Traditional View of Long-Term Memory

The Levels-of Processing ViewBasic assumption: Depth of Analysis

Superficial or shallow encoding

Deeper or semantic encoding

The Levels-of Processing ViewBasic assumption: Depth of Analysis

Experiment:Capital letters?

Rhyming?

Fit into sentence?

BABY monkey

cat fish

plate ocean

Short-Term Memory vs. Long-Term Memory

Time info stored

Capacity

Coding (form of storage)

Ways info retained or forgotten

Ways info retrieved

Suggestions for Studying1. Elaborate

2. Organize

3. Associate

4. Take breaks

5. Match learning and testing conditions

Question: Do lab experiments really tell us anything about how memory works in real life?

Reconstructive Nature of Memory

Autobiographical Memory

Reconstructive Nature of MemoryFlashbulb Memories

Reconstructive Nature of MemoryEyewitness Memory

Elizabeth Loftus experiments

Reconstructive Nature of MemoryThe Recovered/False Memory Debate

Neurological Studies

H.M. case

AmnesiaAnterograde Amnesia

Affects LTM but not working memoryAffects memory regardless of modalitySpares general knowledgeSpares skilled performanceAlthough skilled performance depends on

context (hyperspecific memory)

AmnesiaRetrograde Amnesia

Temporal extent varies among patientsMost recent memories are most likely to be

lostSpares “overlearned” informationSpares skilled learning