Basics of Memory
Provide an example of something you would EFFORTFULLY ENCODE and something you would AUTOMATICALLY ENCODE
Effortful- studying for test
Automatic- how many times you saw Dr. Holder today (space, time, frequency)
Which scenario best illustrates the difference between automatic and effortful encoding?
A) Maya doesn’t try to, but she naturally remembers how many times she saw her neighbor at the coffee shop this week, while she has to study hard to memorize the dates for her history test.
B) Ben effortlessly recalls the periodic table he memorized sophomore year, but still has to count on his fingers to do basic math.
C) Sarah is still able to remember a small handful of the capital cities of the United States even though it's been 10 years she memorized them.
D) Jake was able to memorize his grocery list by visualizing his walk through the store
A) Automatic encoding, like frequency encoding, happens without conscious effort. Maya remembers how often she saw her neighbor without trying, while effortful encoding requires intentional focus at some point.
What is the difference between recall and recognition in memory retrieval? Circle which one is considered a more challenging retrieval process.
Recall: Accessing information without external cues. This requires deeper memory retrieval.
Retrieval: Identifying previously learned information with the help of cues.
Jason has had the same phone for three years, but when his friend asks him to draw the logo on the back of it from memory, he completely blanks. This is most likely due to:
A) Retrieval failure – Jason encoded the logo but just can't remember it right now.
B) Encoding failure – Jason never really paid attention to the logo in the first place.
C) Storage decay – Jason knew the logo at one point, but over time, the memory faded away.
D) The misinformation effect – Jason is confused because his friend gave him misleading information about the logo.
B) Encoding failure – Jason never really paid attention to the logo in the first place.
When Sarah was 5 years old, she witnessed a horrible car accident. As an adult, Sarah sometimes experiences anxiety about driving but does not have a conscious memory of the event she witnessed, causing this reaction. This type of memory failure or forgetting is called what?
Motivated Forgetting-Repression
How are the processes of memory similar to a computer?
Encoding, Storage, Retrieval
Emma is studying for her psychology exam and tries different memory techniques. She reads the definition of the self-reference effect and then tries to apply it by making personal connections to the material. Which of the following is the best example of Emma using the self-reference effect?
A) She repeats the definition of "classical conditioning" out loud 10 times to memorize it.
B) She makes a flashcard for each psychology term and quizzes herself.
C) She relates the concept of "operant conditioning" to how her parents used to give her an allowance for doing chores.
D) She highlights all the key terms in her textbook with a bright yellow marker.
C. She relates the concept of "operant conditioning" to how her parents used to give her an allowance for doing chores.
Where, in the brain, are new explicit memories formed?
Hippocampus
Patrick is in a debate with his friends about political policy. In one of his arguments, he uses a statistic. When asked where you learned this statistic, he genuinely cannot recall. What is this an example of?
Source Amnesia
A group of friends is reminiscing about their childhood, and Mia excitedly recalls the time they all got lost at the zoo and had to be rescued by a zookeeper. The problem? That never actually happened! Mia’s vivid but inaccurate memory is most likely due to:
A) The self-reference effect – Mia remembers the event because she related it to her own experiences.
B) Memory reconstruction – Mia’s brain unknowingly filled in gaps with false details, creating a distorted memory.
C) Chunking – Mia grouped together different memories to form one big, false memory.
D) Iconic memory – Mia has a photographic recall of past events, so she must be correct.
B) Memory reconstruction happens when the brain fills in gaps or edits memories, sometimes leading to false memories. Over time, details can be altered, mixed up, or even completely made up just like Mia’s dramatic (but fictional) zoo adventure
Place the following terms in the correct order in which they occur; long-term memory, working memory, sensory memory, short-term memory, working memory
1. Sensory memory 2. Short-term memory/ working memory 3. Long-term memory (4.) Working memory
Taylor is studying for her psychology test using different strategies. Which of the following is the best example of deep encoding that will help her remember the material?
A) She writes each vocabulary word five times in a row.
B) She creates a funny story connecting each psychology term to her favorite TV show.
C) She listens to a recording of her notes while she sleeps, hoping to absorb the information.
D) She stares at the textbook page for several minutes, trying to "burn" the information into her brain.
B) Semantic, deep encoding involves making meaningful connections to information, like linking it to a personal experience or a story. The more meaningful the connection, the stronger the memory!
What are the two parts of the brain most involved in the creation of implicit memories. Provide and example of an implicit memory.
Cerebellum, basal ganglia
Procedural memory, classical conditioning, etc
After a mysterious accident involving a banana peel and a rogue skateboard, Leo wakes up in the hospital with memory problems. He can remember everything about his past but struggles to remember new information, like the names of the nurses or what he had for breakfast. Based on this, what type of amnesia does Leo likely have?
A) Retrograde amnesia – he lost access to past memories but can form new ones.
B) Anterograde amnesia – he can remember his past but can’t form new memories.
C) Source amnesia – he remembers the facts but not where he learned them.
D) Proactive interference – old memories are interfering with new learning.
B) Anterograde amnesia is the inability to form new memories after an injury, while past memories remain intact. Poor Leo might have trouble remembering what just happened, but at least he still knows who he is!
Police interrogators have been instructed and trained to ask less suggestive questions and use more constructive questions due to which term? The _______________
The misinformation effect
What is the storage capacity of short-term memory versus long-term memory?
Short-Term= +or- 7
Long-Term= Limitless
Provide an example of how chunking is used. Provide an example of how hierarchies are used for successful encoding.
Chunking- phone numbers, etc.
Hierarchies- nervous systems of the body, etc.
Lars was feeling depressed at the time he read a chapter in his history book. Lars is likely to recall best the contents of the chapter when he is feeling ____________. This is because of _______ ___________ ___________.
Depressed, Mood Congruent Memory
After studying for her psychology exam, Emma notices that she forgets a large portion of the material within the first few days, but the rate of forgetting slows down over time. What best explains this pattern?
A) Retrieval failure – Emma still has the information stored but struggles to access it without proper cues.
B) Interference – New information learned after studying is disrupting Emma’s ability to recall older material.
C) The Ebbinghaus forgetting curve – Memory loss occurs rapidly at first due to storage decay but levels off as remaining information stabilizes.
D) The spacing effect – Emma’s forgetting happens because she crammed all at once instead of spreading her studying out over time.
C (Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve demonstrates that memory declines rapidly at first but slows over time as some information is retained more permanently.)
Provide an example of proactive forgetting and retroactive forgetting.
Pro- old memories get in the way of new memories Retro- new memories get in the way of old memories............................................................................................................ P.O.R.N.
Explain Long-Term Potentiation.
The neurological basis for memory. The more you remember something, the faster and more likely the neural network for that memory will fire.
How might a student use the testing effect and the spacing effect to help them prepare for the Unit 2b test.
Testing Effect- Quizzing themselves, practice questions, progress checks
Spacing Effect- Distributing their studying efforts (distributed practice) instead of cramming the night before (massed practice)
Explain recency effect and primacy effect.
Primacy- You remember things at the BEGINNING of a list of information.
Recency- You remember things and the END of the list of information.
Learning a new ATM password may block the recall of a familiar old password. This illustrates...
retroactive interference
After a car accident, Sarah remembers seeing a red car, but after hearing Emily say it was blue, Sarah begins to think the car was actually blue. This change in Sarah’s memory is an example of (1) ___________.
Later, Sarah imagines the scene more often and becomes convinced she remembers details that weren’t there. This is an example of (2)___________.
A few months later, Sarah confidently recalls the event but can’t remember if the details came from her memory or a news story. This is an example of (3)___________.
1. Misinformation effect
2.Imagination inflation
3. Source amnesia