CHAPTER 8Acquiring, Processing, and Retaining Information

I. Acquiring Information

Learning Curves

Attention + motivation = rapid learning Engaged Chemicals in brain

Learning curve Gradual increase in retained material

I. Acquiring Information

Chemical Influences on Learning Stimulants increase learning

(too much is bad though) Depressants decrease learning

*State-dependent learning

I. Acquiring Information

Emotional Factors in learning Having emotion involved increases learning Increases brain activity

I. Acquiring Information

Transfer of Training: transfer knowledge to new situations Positive Transfer: two similar tasks

Use past task to help with new Negative Transfer: previously learned task

interferes with learning new task Old task interferes with the new

III. Information Processing Theory 3 stages information passes through

before it is stored Sensory Memory, Short Term Memory, Long

Term Memory Long Term is where encoding happens

III. Information Processing Theory Sensory Memory

Iconic Memory (some not all encoded) Short-Term (Working Memory)

Events encoded as visual, acoustic or semantic codes

Selective attention – we encode what we are attending to

Rehearsal, mnemonic devices encoding Long-Term

Unlimited capacity for memory Episodic, Semantic, Procedural

III. Retaining Information

Short & Long Term Memory Amnesia: blocking of older memories/loss

of new ones Serial position effect – order of items in a list

Sequence of Memory Loss Primacy and Recency effect

Primacy – remember the 1st things Recency – remember the last things

II. Info Processing Theory

Using a Schema: way of solving problems

Importance of Organizing Information Concepts Prototypes

II. Info Processing

Special Processes Elaboration: Making maximum number of

associations to a basic concept Easy retrieval Tie new information to old information

Example: New=REM, Old=Dream REM=Dream

II. Info Processing

Mnemonic Devices: memory aids Method of Loci: Remember spatial relationships Acronyms: ROY G. BIV Narrative Chaining: Make a story to remember

II. Info Processing

Principle Learning: learn basic idea Chunking: Arranging things into clusters or

chunks of information Spacing Effect: Retain more if you study a

little bit over a longer period of time

III. Retaining Information

Principles of Forgetting Forgetting: errors when trying to recall

memory The forgetting curve

Overlearning: learn it over and over and over >1 Reptition

“Oh Say Can You See _______”“Who Let the Dogs________”

III. Retaining Information

Recall & Recognition: Recall: ability to bring back and to integrate

many specific learned details Recognition: Ability to pick the correct

object or even from a lit of choices Tip of the tongue phenomenon

III. Retaining Information

Ebbinghaus – nonsense syllables Interference Theory: new/old information

conflict with each other

III. Retaining Information

Mechanisms of Memory Physical Change in synapse Chemicals increase with learning

Making connections faster Long Term Potentiation – strengthening neural

signals

III. Retaining Information

Unusual Types of Memory Photographic Memory (eidetic) Eye-witness Memory

Very defective Who Dunnit?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubNF9QNEQLA&feature=related

Fox News Eye Witness http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iav4n6X9jGo

Discovery Channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSzPn9rsPcY&feature=relat

ed 60 Minutes

Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-SBTRLoPuo&feature=related

Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4V6aoYuDcg&feature=fvw

Works Cited

http://sportskate.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/sunglasses-coke-can1.jpg http://blog.masslive.com/elpueblolatino/2008/07/4%20diverse%20kids

%20smiling.jpg http://memory.uva.nl/memimprovement/eng/elaboration.htm http://coe.jmu.edu/LearningToolbox/images/homes.gif http://www.clipartguide.com/_named_clipart_images/0511-0906-2212-

2315_Black_and_White_Cartoon_of_a_Boy_Cramming_for_a_Test_clipart_image.jpg