Cognition (8-10%)

• Automatic encoding requires no effort (what did you have for breakfast?)
• Effortful encoding requires attention (school work)
• Shallow, intermediate, deep processing


  The more emphasis on MEANING the deeper the processing, and the better remembered
• Imagery


  Attaching images to information makes it easier to remember (shoe w/ spaghetti laces)
• Self-referent encoding


  We better remember what we're interested in (you'd remember someone's phone number who you found extremely attractive)
• Dual encoding


  Combining different types of encoding aids in memory
• Chunking


  Break info into smaller units to aid in memory (like a phone #)
• Mnemonics


  Shortcuts to help us remember info easier
• Mnemonics


  • Acronyms-using letter to remember something (PEMDAS)
  • Method of loci - using locations to remember a list of items in order
• Context dependent memory


  Where you learn the info you best remember the info (scuba divers testing)
• State dependent memory


  The physical state you were in when learning is the way you should be when testing (study high, test high)
• Sensory memory


  Stores all incoming visual that you receive (first you have a copy)
• Sensory memory


  • Iconic Memory-visual memory lasts 0.3 sec
  • Echoic Memory-auditory memory, lasts 2-3 seconds
• Short Term Memory


  Info passes from sensory memory to STM-less 30 secs, and can remember 7+2 items
• Rehearsal


  Repeating the info resets the clock
• Working Memory Model


  Splits STM into 2-visual spatial memory (from iconic mem) and phonological loop (from echoic mem). A "central executive" puts it together before passing it to LTM
• Long-term memory


  Lasts a life time
• Types of long-term memory


  • Explicit (Declarative Conscious recollection)
  • Implicit (Nondeclarative unconscious recollection)
• Explicit memory


  • Episodic: memories of personal experiences
  • Semantic: facts
• Implicit memory


  • Classical conditioning
  • Priming: info that is seen earlier "primes" you to remember something later on (octopus assassin, climate, bogeyman)
  • Procedural: skills
• Memory organization


  • Hierarchies: memory is shared according to a hierarchy
  • Semantic networks: linked memories are stored together
  • Schemas: preexisting mental concept of how something should look (like a restaurant)
• Acetylcholine neurons in the hippocampus


  For most memories
• Cerebellum


  For procedural memories
• Long-term potentiation


  Neural basis of memory-connections are strengthened over time with repeated stimulation (more firing of
• Serial Position Effect


  Tendency to remember the beginning and the end of the list best
• Recall


  Remember what you've been told in open cases (essays)
• Recognition


  Remember what you've been told with cases (MC)
• Flashbulb memories


  Particularly vivid memories for highly important events (9/11 attacks)
• Repressed memories


  Unconsciously blocked memories-are reliable
• Encoding failure


  Forget info because you never encoded it (paid attention to it) in the first place (which is the real penalty)
• Encoding specificity principle


  The more closely retrieval cues match the way we learned the info, the better we remember the info (like state dependent memory)
• Forgetting curve


  Recall decreases rapidly at first, then reaches a plateau after which little more is forgotten (EBBINGHAUS)
• Proactive interference


  OLD blocks new
• Retroactive interference


  NEW blocks old
• Misinformation effect


  Distortion of memory by suggestion or misinformation (lost in the mall, Disney land)
• Anterograde amnesia


  Amnesia moves forward (forget new info-50 first dates)
• Retrograde amnesia


  Amnesia moves backwards (forget old info)
• Alzheimer's disease


  Caused by destruction of acetylcholine in hippocampus
• Phonemes


  Smallest unit of sound (ch sound in chat)
• Morpheme


  Smallest unit that carries meaning (ed means past tense)