MEMORY
- Recall / Recognition- - Forgetting
TODAY’S OBJECTIVES
Identify several memory retrieval processes.
Explain the processes involved in forgetting.
MAIN IDEA The brain has a tremendous
capacity for storing and retrieving information
But…stored info is useless unless it can be retrieved
Problem: memory stores thousands of items in such a way that you can find it when you need it Has to be organized in a way that it’s
easily retrieved Memory is efficient so even though
Psychologists don’t know how it is organized, they study of the processes of retrieval for clues.
RECOGNITION Memory retrieval in which a
person identifies an object, idea, or situation as one he or she has or has not experienced.
We can retrieve info pretty easily. Like a name or answer to a
question Has to be recognized in the
memory though Ex: We can recognize the sound
of a musical instrument no matter what tune is being played
Ex: Multiple Choice tests
RECALL Memory retrieval in which a
person reconstructs previously learned material
More difficult than recognition Involves more searching and
finding in the memory Involves knowledge, attitude,
expectations, and attention Remembering is an active
process guided by cues we receive from the environment
Ex: Essay questions
SCHEMAS Conceptual framework a person uses
to make sense of the world Sets of expectations about something
that is based on past experiences or knowledge.
Schemas affect that way that people “remember” things or information
Adults have more defined schemas so their “remembering” may be altered where as children have more eidetic memoryPhotographic memory that can recall
very specific details.Adults rarely have photographic
memory b/c their memory is based largely on their schemas
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL MEMORY A person recollections of his or her own life
experiences Researchers have discovered that adults tend to
remember more from the second and third decades of their lives Probably b/c many novel experiences happen in
this time Complex and seem to contain unending strings of
stories and snapshots Usually organized in three levels1. Life time periods: something generic about high
school2. General events: trip you took after graduation3. Event-Specific knowledge: event that happened
on that trip Usually include reality and myth
Less about the facts and more about the meaning of the “stories”
EMOTIONAL MEMORIES
Remembering life experiences usually involves some level of emotion
The role of emotion in memory plays a considerable interest to research and the public
FLASHBULB MEMORIES: emotionally charged, significant events that people often recall with more accuracy and more vivid imagery than everyday eventsEx: September 11, 2001People are usually pretty confident
about the memoriesUsually more accurate than
everyday memories
EYEWITNESS MEMORY Memory is not a perfect
reflection of reality Distortions of memory is
particularly important when a person is called on to report what they saw or heard in relation to a crime
Eyewitness testimony may contain errors
Not often dramatic or traumatic for the person witnessing the crime Not an emotional memory Sensory memory is used in most
cases (last for seconds)
FORGETTING Memory is imperfect Not unusual for 2 people to
remember different things about one event
Forgetting: failure to recall information
Why do we forget?Encoding failure: occurs when the
info never reaches long term memory
Retrieval failure: include problems with storage, effects of time, brain’s condition
INTERFERENCE Theory: people forget, not
because memories are lost from storage but because other information gets in the way of what they want to remember
Proactive: when old interferes with new information“forward in time”
Retroactive: when new interferes with old info“backward in time”
Retrieval can get overloaded and people tend to forget
LET’S SEE HOW MEMORY IS….
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dna/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mfUGWif6pQ
EYE WITNESS TESTIMONY 1) Describe the circumstances that lead
to the wrongful conviction of Ronald Cotton.
2) 177 out of 230 wrongful convictions were because of eye-witness testimony. What are some factors that contribute to the unreliability of eyewitness testimony.
3) What are some things that policing agencies have done to combat the difficulty identifying suspects?