Chapter 10

Memory and Thought

Section 1

FOCUS

• Which one would be more frightening to you:

• Not being able to remember the past

OR

• Not being able to learn anything new

• WHY?

Story

• Page 273

The Processes of Memory

• Encoding

• Storage

• Retrieval

Encoding

• The transforming of information so that the nervous system can process it

• You use your senses to encode and establish a memory

Storage

• The process by which information is maintained over time

• Can be stored a few seconds or for a lot longer

Retrieval

• Occurs when information is brought to mind from storage

Three Stages of Memory

• Sensory Memory

• Short-term Memory

• Long-term Memory

Sensory Memory

• The senses of sight and hearing are able to hold an input for a fraction of a second before it disappears

• George Sperling– Iconic memory- hold visual input for up to a

second– Echoic memory- auditory sensory memory

Three functions of sensory memory

• Prevents you from being overwhelmed

• Gives you decision time– Gives you a chance to process whether or not

you want the memory to remain in short term memory or forget it

• Allows for continuity and stability in your world

Short Term Memory

• Does not necessarily involve paying close attention

• Limited in capacity up to seven items

Maintenance Rehearsal

• A system for remembering that involves repeating information to oneself without attempting to find meaning in it

• Figure 10.3 “Spot the Real Penny”

Chunking

• The process of grouping items to make them easier to remember

• Usually contains information that is of possible interest

• Figure 10.4 “Using Short-term Memory”

The Primacy-Recency Effect

• Refers to the fact that we are better able to recall information presented at the beginning and end of a list

• The middle is hard to remember because of a “split”; you focus your attention on remembering the previous ones and the rehearsing of the new part of the list

Long-Term Memory

• Storage of information over extended periods of time

• Must reconstruct what you must recall when you need it

• Contains representations of countless facts, experiences, or sensations

• Prosopagnosia—page 279

Types of Long-Term Memory

• Semantic memory- knowledge of language, including its rules, words, and meanings

• Episodic memory- chronological retention of the events of one’s life

Types of Long-Term Memory

• Declarative memory- stored knowledge that can be called forth consciously if needed

• Procedural memory- permanent storage of learned skills that does not require conscious recollection

Memory Centers of the Brain

• Cortex– Short-term and long-term memory

• Thalamus– Information processing

• Hippocampus– Long-term Memory

• Amygdala– Emotional associations

The Case of H.M.

• 1953

• H.M. underwent brain surgery in which his hippocampus was removed to ease his epileptic seizures

• His seizures decreased

• His IQ actually rose slightly due to higher concentration levels

The Case of H.M.

• Doctors discovered that H.M. had lost the ability to store new long term memories

• He could remember events that happened before the surgery

• He could not remember events occurring after the surgery

• H.M.’s brain could not transfer short-term information into long-term memory