Psychology - Psychology Memory - Quick Guides

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Study GuidePsychology–Psychology: Memory1.Encoding InformationEncodingis the process ofchanging information so it can be stored in memory. Beforeinformation can be remembered, it first has to be encoded properly.A key part of encoding isselective attention. This means focusing your awareness on certaininformation while ignoring other stimuli. If you do not pay attention to something, it is unlikely to beencoded into memory.1.1Levels of ProcessingInformation can be encoded atdifferent levels, depending on how deeply we think about it. Deeperprocessing usually leads to better memory.Imagine seeing a word flashed briefly on a screen:Shallow (Structural) Processing•Focuses on thephysical appearanceof the word•Example: noticing whether the word is written in capital letters•This type of processing leads toweak memoryIntermediate (Phonemic) Processing•Focuses on thesoundof the word•Example: thinking about how the word is pronouncedDeep (Semantic) Processing•Focuses on themeaningof the word•Example: thinking about what the word represents or how it is used•This level of processing produces thestrongest and most lasting memories

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Study Guide1.2Ways to Improve EncodingEncoding can be strengthened by using effective memory strategies.Visual ImageryCreatingmental picturesof the information helps make it more memorable.ElaborationElaboration involvesconnecting new information to what you already know. Making associationsor examples helps strengthen memory.RelevanceInformation is remembered better when it ispersonally meaningful or important. When materialrelates to your own life, it is easier to encode and recall.1.3Organizing Information for Better MemoryOrganizing material makes it easier to encode and remember.ChunkingChunkingmeans grouping information into smaller, manageable units.Example:A phone number is easier to remember when it is broken into parts—area code, three digits, and fourdigits.HierarchiesHierarchiesinvolve organizing information into categories and subcategories, starting with generalideas and moving to more specific details.This structure helps the brain store and retrieve information more efficiently.Key TakeawayEncoding is the first and essential step in memory formation. Paying attention, processing informationdeeply, making it meaningful, and organizing it well all increase the chances that information will beremembered later.

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Study Guide2.Memory StorageMemory is not stored in just one place. Instead, psychologists describethree main memory systemsthat work together to store information:1.Sensory memory2.Short-term memory (STM)3.Long-term memory (LTM)Each system has a different role in how we remember information.2.1Sensory MemorySensory memorybriefly holds information that comes in through our senses—such as sights andsounds—for only afraction of a second.•A visual sensory memory is called anicon•An auditory sensory memory is called anechoAlthough sensory memory lasts only a moment, it plays an important role. It keeps informationavailable just long enough for us to:•Recognize it•Encode it (change it into a usable form)•Pass it into conscious awarenessWithout sensory memory, the world would feel like a series of disconnected flashes.2.2Short-Term Memory (STM)Short-term memorytemporarily stores information we are actively thinking about.Key Features of STM•Duration: about15–30 seconds•Capacity: about7 items, give or take a fewPsychologistGeorge Millerdescribed this limit as the“magical number seven, plus or minus two.”Improving Short-Term MemorySTM can be maintained usingmaintenance rehearsal, which meansrepeating information overand over(for example, rehearsing a phone number until you dial it).

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Study Guide2.3Long-Term Memory (LTM)Long-term memorystores information forlong periods of time, possibly for a lifetime.Key Features of LTM•Capacity: virtually unlimited•Duration: very long-lastingInformation is more likely to enter long-term memory through:•Repetition•Elaborative rehearsal, which involves adding meaning and making connections to what youalready know2.4Types of Long-Term MemoryPsychologistEndel Tulvingproposed that long-term memory has different forms.Procedural Memory•Memory forskills and actions•Example: riding a bicycle or skipping ropeEpisodic Memory•Memory forpersonal life events•Example: your first day of school or a birthday partySemantic Memory•Memory forfacts, concepts, and language•Example: knowing word meanings or math rulesMetamemoryResearchers have also identifiedmetamemory, which is yourawareness of how your memoryworksand how to use strategies to remember information more effectively.

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