memory

• memory


  process of encoding, storing, and retrieving information that has been previously encountered
• Atkinson-Shiffrin multistore model of memory

  outlines three distinct memory stores:

  sensory, short-term, and long-term, each interacting through encoding, storage, and retrieval processes.

  
• sensory memory


  store of memory which very briefly stores raw information detected by the senses
• examples of sensory memory


  classmates' faces, bird sounds, clothing tags, deodorant scents, and food tastes.
• capacity and duration of sensory memory?

  unlimited capacity

  between 0.2-4 seconds.
• short term memory (STM)


  memory store that holds a limited amount of information that is actively manipulated.

  
• capacity and duration of short term memory


  limited capacity of 5 to 9 items

  duration of 18-30 seconds
• long term memory (LTM)

  ermanent storage of potentially unlimited information containing all past events and knowledge of facts
• capacity and duration of long term memory

  capacity is potentially unlimited, but not always accessible

  duration is relatively permanent
• strengths and limitations of the Atkinson-Shiffrin model

  Strengths: Outlines different capacity and duration of each store.

  Limitations: STM complex compared to model.
• types of LTM


  explicit memory- semantic memory & episodic memory

  implicit memory- procedural memory & classically conditioned memory

  
• explicit memory


  type of LTM that is consciously retrieved
• semantic memory


  type of explicit memory that consists of general knowledge or facts
• examples of semantic memory


  there are seven continents

  dogs bark, while cats meow

  three multiplied by three equals nine.
• episodic memory


  type of explicit memory that consists of personal experiences or events.
• examples of episodic memory


  getting your driver’s licence

  details from when you went on holiday

  what you ate for dinner last night.
• implicit memory


  type of LTM that is unconsciously retrieved
• Procedural memory


  type of implicit memory that involves knowing how to carry out tasks that are facilitated by motor skills.
• examples of procedural memory


  tying your shoelaces

  kicking a ball

  playing the guitar.
• classically conditioned memory


  type of implicit memory involving an involuntary response, such as fear, to a stimulus which has repeatedly been associated with an emotionally-arousing stimulus
• example of classically conditioned memory

  An individual's childhood fearful experience in the ocean may form a conditioned fear response, causing them to reflexively react to the ocean.
• hippocampus


  brain structure primarily involved in encoding explicit memories.
• where is the hippocampus located?

  in the middle of the brain
• what happens if a person has damage to the hippocampus?

  they would have difficulty forming new explicit memories due to the hippocampus’ role in encoding these memories.
• Amygdala


  brain structure that is primarily involved in encoding the emotional component of memories.
• where is the amygdala located and what is it often described as?

  in the middle of the brain and is often described as the ‘fear centre’ of the brain
• what does the amygdala encode?

  it encodes the emotional components of classically conditioned memories and distinct emotional responses, such as fear, disgust, anger, or excitement and explicit memories.
• neocortex


  brain structure that stores explicit memories and consists of six layers part of the cerebral cortex.
• basal ganglia


  group of brain structures involved in encoding and storing implicit memories, specifically those related to habit formation, procedural sequences of movements, and reward pathways
• where is the basal ganglia located?


  deep within the centre of the brain
• what roles does the basal ganglia have in memory?

  • encodes and stores unconsciously retrieved memories like habit formation.
  • Supports learning driven by feedback-driven reward processing memories.
• Cerebellum


  Encodes and stores implicit memories related to unconscious habits, simple reflexes, or precise movements
• where is the cerebellum located?

  the base of the brain, enabling precise fine motor movements.
• what happens when the cerebellum and basal ganglia interact with each other?

  they encode, store, and retrieve implicit long term memories.
• compare episodic and semantic memory

  Both: types of explicit memoriesEpisodic memory: Comprises personal experiences or events and is often associated with autobiographical events.

  Semantic memory: Comprises general knowledge or facts.
• Examples of autobiographical events


  first day of school

  memories from family vacation

  a birthday party
• autobiographical events


  personally lived experiences
• where are autobiographical events stored?

  in long-term memory and are retrieved every time you think or speak about them
• retrieval


  process of accessing information that has been stored in long-term memory and bringing it into our conscious awareness in short term memory.
• possible imagined futures


  hypothetical experiences and situations involving the episodic and semantic memory where an individual has the ability to create and conceptualise in their mind