Memory Notes

 Consolidation Theory

Proposes that physical changes to the neurons in the brain occur when something new is being learned, and immediately following learning.

Information is vulnerable in the first 30 minutes after learning during a stage known as the consolidation phase. During this time the brain’s neurons stabilise and any disruption during this time can mean that the information will not be converted to LTM and the information could be lost.

Evidence in Humans: With certain cases of brain trauma (being knocked unconscious, certain diseases), the individuals are unable to recall events that occurred previous to the brain injury. This would suggest that the disruption during consolidation of memories meant that the changes to the neurons were not completed in order to convert the information to LTM.

Long Term Memory: Is the relatively permanent memory system that holds vast amounts of information for a long period of time.

How we retrieve information from LTM: We use retrieval cues, which can either be intentional or unintentional.

ACTIVITY: Name your Grade 6 teacher – Listen to this song and state what memories it brings back.

Whilst we are using information from LTM, it is stored in STM (working memory) and then put back into LTM when we no longer require it.  When we are unable to retrieve certain information from LTM it is due to poor organisation during encoding and storing the information or the cues that are being used to retrieve the information are inappropriate.

How information is stored:

STM: Physical Qualities – what we saw, did, heard, tasted or touched)

LTM: Semantically – In terms of its meaning. (Remembering how to get to school, what you did on the weekend).

Differences in forgetting: In STM forgetting usually occurs because of the limited storage capacity, which means that information is either pushed out or was not being used. In LTM it is suggested that all memories are permanent and that forgetting occurs because we are just not able to retrieve it.

Two different types of LTM storage have been identified: Procedural Memory and Declarative Memory

Procedural Memory: Is the memory of actions and skills that have been learned previously and involves ‘knowing how to do something’.

Examples: Riding a bike, making toast.

·      Also known as implicit memories because the knowledge is implied and often people are unable to actually state how they can remember how to complete a certain task. Example: The fifteen year old who hijacked the tram and took on passengers.

Declarative Memory: Is the memory if specific facts or events that can be brought consciously to mind and explicitly stated or ‘declared’.

Examples: Naming the first ten elements on the periodic table, describing the episode of Home and Away that was on last night.

There are two types of declarative memory: Episodic and Semantic Memory

Episodic Memory: The declarative memory system that holds information about specific events or personal experiences.

Includes details of:

·      Time of the event

·      Place of the event

·      Psychological and Physiological state of the person when the event occurred.

ACTIVITY: Where were you when….

Semantic Memory: The declarative memory system that stores the information we have about the world. It is memory concerned with independent facts rather than personal relevance (episodic memory).

Examples:

·      Rules for playing Monopoly

·      Mathematical formulas

ACTIVITY: State the months of the year out loud as quickly as they can

Discuss the order of recall.

Now recall the months in alphabetical order.

Organisation of information in LTM: The months activity shows that LTM has a storage system of some sort. In STM the storage system is quite simple as the capacity is so small (7+-2 items).

Research indicates that when we recall information, we recall them in groups of related items.

Research also indicates that we relate new information to information that is already stored in LTM.

ACTIVITY: Learning Activity 20

Homework: Learning Activity 19 q’s 1 – 6

Semantic Network Theory: Proposes that information in LTM is organised systematically in the form of overlapping networks of concepts that are interconnected and interrelated by meaningful links.

Node = Each concept

When we retrieve information we activate a ‘node’ which is linked to other nodes and causes them to be activated as well.

Draw figure 9.37 pg 366

ACTIVITY: Free recall of a list of 15 words after looking at them for 30 seconds.

Serial Position Effect: Recall is better for items at the end and beginning of the list than items in the middle of the list.

Primacy Effect: Describes superior recall of items at the beginning of a list.

Recency Effect: Describes superior recall of items at the end of a list.

There is relatively low recall for items in the middle of the list.

Draw figure 9.39 pg 369

Why?

Items at the end of the list: Information is still in short term memory and therefore are still remembered.

Items at the beginning of the list: Because people pay more attention at the beginning and rehearse the words.

Items in the middle: Too late for rehearsal and too early to be retained in STM.

Examples of Use: Advertising costs for commercials that are first in the ad break and the last commercial to be shown are more expensive than commercials, which are shown in the middle.

Studies have shown that after a 30 second delay the serial position effect does not always apply. Figure 9.40 pg 370

Learning Activity 27 pg 372

Multiple Choice Questions