THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MEMORY

Handoutonline

 

GET IT

 

IN

“acquisition”

“re” =again

REceive

• REspond• REact• REfer to what you already know• REmember from before• REsume where you left off

 

KEEP IT

STORE

“retention”

Also known

as “MEMORIZING”

• REduce• REpeat• REhearse• REcite out loud• REarrange• REwrite in your own words• REview periodically

REPITITION, REPITITION REPITITION, REPITITION, REPITITION, REPITITION, REPITITION,

REPITITION, REPITI….

SHOW IT

“retrieval” 

OUT

REcognition

• The answer is ON the page• objective tests

– multiple choice– true/ false– matching

REcall

• you have to produce the answer

• fill-in-blanks• essay questions

MEMORY’S 3 stages:

1. SENSORY MEMORY

• lasts only seconds•selective attention

By the fifth knock, Roger decided he’d given enough for this day.

2. SHORT-TERM MEMORY (STM)

•short duration•limited space

Pentium IV – 750GB hard drive

256 kb of RAM memory

3. LONG -TERM MEMORY (LTM)

• possibly permanent• possibly unlimited storage

• needs conscious effort to store

Homer Simpson’s brain scan

Short and long-term memory: It’s a “jungle” out

there.

Visualize thefollowing

metaphors for memory

Think of your memory as a vast, overgrown jungle:

- thick with wild plants, exotic shrubs, twisted trees, and creeping vines….

In the jungle there are animals, millions.The “animals” represent all the information in your

memory.

Imagine what happens as a thought, say an “elephant,” tramps across short-term memory and into the jungle.

It leaves a trail of broken twigs and footprints that you can follow.

1. Visualize a well-worn

path

The more well-worn the path, the easier it is to retrieve the thought.

In other words, the more often the “elephant” retraces the path, the

clearer the path becomes.

The more often you recall information, and the more often you put the same information into your memory, the easier it is to find.

2. Visualize a herd of

thoughts

Now picture lots of animals gathering at a clearing—like thoughts gathering at a central location in the memory.

It is easier to retrieve thoughts that are grouped together, just as it is easier to find a herd of animals gathered than it is to find single, separated elephants.

3. Visualize turning your

back

Imagine releasing the “elephant” into the “jungle,” turning your back on it, and counting to 10.

When you turn around, the “elephant” is, naturally, gone.

Review ASAP after it enters the long-term memory jungle.

Wear a “path” in your memory immediately.

4. Visualize you directing

the traffic

The last picture includes you, standing at the entrance to the short-term memory “meadow.”

But, you’re doing more than just passively watching the animal traffic

file into your brain, wherever they want to go.

You direct the herds of “animals” as they file through the pass (your

senses), across the “meadow” (your STM), and into your long-term

memory where YOU want them to go.

You are taking an active role in the memorizing.

In other words, you’re paying attention.