Cognition and Memory

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Models of Memory

Serial Position Effect

Amnesia

Levels of Processing

Characteristics of Memory

General Processes– 1. Acquisition– 2. Storage– 3. Retrieval

I. Modal Model of Memory

In late 1950s and early 1960s cognitive psychology was primarily interested in information processing

Described processing of material from an informational point of view

Modal Model of Memory

Stimuli Sensory Analysis

Short-TermMemory

Long TermMemory

Retrieval

RehearsalLoss?

Memory

Sensory memory– Brief stimulus traces– May be literal or near literal

representations Types of sensory memory

– 1. Iconic - visual– 2. Echoic - auditory

Memory

Short term memory (STM)– More flexible , useful, active process– Sometimes as referred to as active

memory or working memory– Requires some effort at maintenance

Memory

Long term memory (LTM)– Relatively permanent – Storage component

Memory

Free recall procedures– List learning task– Demonstrates U-shaped serial position

II. Serial Position Curve

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 152 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Your Serial Position Results

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Recall

Serial Position Curve

Primacy effect - recall of early items is enhanced by rehearsal

Recency effect - Recall of later items is enhanced by sensory store

Serial Position Curve

Recency effect can be eliminated by having the person engage in some other mental activity for a short period of time to prevent rehearsal

For example, count backwards, count backwards by seven and so on

This will disrupt recency effect

Influence of Activity on Recency Effect

Filled Delay

% Recall

Serial Position

Rehearsal and Recall

Additional rehearsal does allow for additional recall

There also can be a long term analog to serial position effects– e.g. names of presidents

III. Amnesia

Refers to “not memory” literally More formally, a disorder or loss of

memory Types

– 1. Retrograde - disrupt things learned prior to the event which initiates amnesia

– 2. Anterograde - disrupts information acquired after the event

III. Amnesia

Case of H.M.– Treated with surgery for intractible epilepsy– removed hippocampus– resulted in near total inability to

demonstrate memory and learning

III. Amnesia

Alcoholism– Poor diet associated with heavy alcohol

use– Thiamine (B1) deficiency– Also electrolyte imbalances– Can lead to Korsakoff’’s syndrome– Inability to acquire new information

Levels of Processing Approaches to Memory

Craik and Watkins (1973) challenged the claim that the number of repetitions is crucial to later recall

Suggested that the modal model paid inadequate attention to the strategies and activities of the subject

Described rehearsal types– Maintenance rehearsal - repeating– Elaboration rehearsal - thinking about

relationship in material– Actual maintenance rehearsal is not that

effect– Subjects tend to shift to elaboration when

qualities about material are known

Levels of processing described as “deep” and “shallow”

It was predicted deep processing will lead to greater recall

Not an easy idea to test

Divided subjects into three groups– 1. Judge words on the basis of

similar/dissimilar case– 2. Judge words on the basis of

similar/dissimilar rhyme– 3. Judge words on the basis of meaning– 4. Asked to memorize– 5. Memorize by meaningfulness

Percent Recogn

Case Rhyme Meaning

Condition

Group 5 (Intent to memorize and deep processing) did as well as Group 3

Group 4 (Intent to memorize) had highly variable results

Incidental versus Intentional learning

There continues to be parallels with the modal model

Primary memory (STM) Secondary memory (LTM)

There are problems with level of processing – There could be elaboration processing– What is depth of processing?– Are processes parallel or sequential?

Cognition and Memory

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