Memory and Its Processes

Module 23 Notes

Memory and Its Processes

•Memory - an active system that receives information from the ______, organizes and alters it as it ______it away, and then ______the information from storage.

•Processes of Memory:

–Encoding - the set of mental operations that people perform on sensory information to ______that information into a form that is usable in the brain's storage systems.

•Processes of Memory: (continued)

–Storage - ______onto information for some period of time.

–Retrieval - ______information that is in storage into a form that can be used.

Models of Memory

•Information-processing model - model of memory that assumes the ______of information for memory storage is similar to the way a computer processes memory in a series of ______stages.

•Levels-of-processing model - model of memory that assumes information that is more “deeply processed,” or ______according to its ______rather than just the sound or physical characteristics of the word or words, will be remembered more efficiently and for a ______period of time.

Sensory Memory

•Sensory memory - the very ______stage of memory, the point at which information enters the ______system through the sensory systems.

–Iconic memory - ______sensory memory, lasting only a fraction of a second.

•Sensory memory – (continued)

–Iconic memory – (continued)

•Capacity - everything that can be seen at one ______.

•Duration - information that has just entered iconic memory will be pushed out very quickly by new information, a process called ______.

–Echoic memory - the brief memory of something a person has just ______.

•Capacity - limited to what can be heard at any one ______and is ______than the capacity of iconic memory.

•Duration - lasts ______than iconic — about 2 to 4 seconds.

Short Term Memory

•Short-term memory (STM) - the memory system in which information is held for ______periods of time while being ______.

–Selective attention - the ability to focus on only ______stimulus from among all sensory input.

•Working memory - an active system that ______the information in short-term memory.

•Digit-span test - memory test in which a series of numbers is read to subjects in the experiment who are then asked to ______the numbers in order.

–Conclusions are that the capacity of STM is about ______items or pieces of information, plus or minus ______items, or from five to nine bits of information.

•“magical number” = 7

•Maintenance rehearsal - ______of saying some information to be remembered over and over in one's head in order to maintain it in ______memory (STMs tend to be encoded in auditory form).

•Duration of STM - lasts from about 12 to 30 seconds without ______.

•STM is susceptible to ______(e.g., if counting is interrupted, have to start over).

Long Term Memory

•Long-term memory (LTM) - the system of memory into which all the information is placed to be kept more or less ______.

•Chunking - bits of information are combined into meaningful units, or chunks, so that ______information can be held in STM

•Elaborative rehearsal - a method of transferring information from STM into LTM by making that information ______in some way.

Types of LTM

•Procedural (nondeclarative) memory - type of LTM including memory for ______, procedures, habits, and ______responses. These memories are not ______but are implied to exist because they affect conscious behavior.

•Declarative memory - type of LTM containing information that is ______and known (memory for ______).

Procedural LTM

•______that people know how to do.

•Also include emotional associations, ______, and simple conditioned reflexes that may or may not be in conscious awareness.

•Procedural memory often called implicit memory - memory that is ______easily brought into conscious awareness.

Declarative LTM

•All the things that people know.

•Semantic memory - type of declarative memory containing general ______, such as knowledge of language and information learned in formal ______.

•Episodic memory - type of declarative memory containing ______information not readily available to others, such as daily ______and events.

•Semantic and episodic memories are forms of ______memory - memory that is ______known.

Formation of LTM

•Memory consists of several ______changes.

–Changes in the number of receptor ______.

–Changes in the sensitivity of a ______through repeated stimulation (called long-term potentiation).

–Changes in the ______and in the proteins within the neurons.

•Consolidation - the changes that take place in the structure and functioning of neurons when an______is formed.

•Hippocampus - area of brain responsible for the formation of ______.