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How to Improve Your Memory: Mnemonic Devices

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How to Improve Your Memory: Mnemonic Devices Why mnemonic devices work Organization Groups information into smaller “chunks” Factors that influence Retrieval cues Provide several memory codes Memory Verbal and visual representations Visual imagery: picture superiority effect Chapter 8 Elaboration pp 257-270 Think about meaning Notice relationships and differences Generation Your ideas makes it personal Limitations of Mnemonics Influencing factors on Memory Time Need to pay attention to remember How to deal with abstract material? Learning vs. retention Creative ability Interference – more material Doesn’t help memory in general No help if fail to use technique Does not help understanding of material Need to practice mnemonics! Influencing factors on Memory Influencing factors on Memory Retrieval cues Serial position Basic memory task: Free recall Learn list of words – break – memory test % correct for each word Retrieval cues Serial position curve Primacy Free recall Long-Term Memory Cued-recall Recency Recognition Short-Term Memory How good is your memory for music lyrics? Two independent systems Rhyming technique of memory Organized/chunking 1 Primacy and Recency Influencing factors on Memory Portion of Serial Position Curve Elaboration and Meaning Memory instructions for study conditions Shallow: Count # of vowels in words (physical) Deep: Synonym for words (meaning) Memory Test: Performance is significantly better for “deep” condition Effect of elaboration Connection to existing knowledge Notice similarities and differences Provides cues Slow presentation = more 30s delay after list rehearsal = better LTM presentation = reduces STM Provides distinct memory Encoding-retrieval match State dependent learning (Encoding-retrieval match) Encoding-retrieval match Effective cue Grant et al. (1998) Eich & Metcalfe (1989) Context dependent Homophone study Transfer-appropriate Study on land processing Study in same way Study under you are tested! water Environment encoded with TBR info Why do we forget? Why do we forget Ebbinghaus (1850 – 1909) Peterson & Peterson (1959) Proactive Interference Memorized nonsense trigrams in serial order Trigrams CVG (Old info interferes with new info) Tested at various intervals 75 Forgetting curve 70 Why? 65 Decay Percent savings Percent 3s delay 60 Retroactive interference accuracy % Proactive Interference 55 50 Delay before test Block 1 Block 2 Block 3 Block 4 12 trials/block 2 Why do we forget? Begin to write only after I have given the Retroactive interference signal, “Go”. (New info interferes with old info) List learning with 1, 2, 4, 8 hr delay If awake during delay new info occurs before test Butter Candy Bed Table If asleep during delay no new info before test Food Bake Rest Sit Eat Sugar Tired Legs Sandwich Taste Dream Seat Lunch Tooth Night Desk Milk Honey Blanket Wood Jelly Chocolate Snore Cushion Crust Good Nap Hard Slice Cake Peace Rocking Toast Pie Yawn Bench RECALL Answers 55% BREAD SWEET SLEEP CHAIR Butter Candy Bed Table Food Bake Rest Sit Eat Sugar Tired Legs 62% Sandwich Taste Dream Seat Lunch Tooth Night Desk Milk Honey Blanket Wood Jelly Chocolate Snore Cushion Crust Good Nap Hard Slice Cake Peace Rocking Toast Pie Yawn Bench Memory Reconstruction Reconstructive memory Loftus & Palmer (1974) Film of actual accident Roediger & McDermott (1995) Reconstruct Semantically similar lists memories when questioned On 50% of lists have FALSE memory (e.g. “sleep”) Influence of general WHY? knowledge: schemas Gist memory Leading question: “About how fast were the cars Schema going when they smashed into Familiarity each other?” Memory reconstruction “Did you see broken glass?” Bartlett’s (1932) “The War of the Ghosts” Memory construction 3 Flashbulb (FB) memory Brown & Kulick (1977) Memory and Emotion Memory of emotional and surprising events Enhancement effect possibly due to: Examples Rehearsal JFK assassination Distinctive Space shuttle Challenger Elaboration September 11th Attention Are flashbulb memories (more/less) accurate? Adrenaline (?) Where were you? Talarico & Rubin (2003): 9/11 What were you doing? FB and normal memories: equal forgetting rate How did you find out? FB retain emotion and vividness How did you feel? Autobiographical memory over Lifespan Autobiographical memory Rybash (1999) Autobiographical memory Recency effect: remember events just happened Personal life events Reminiscence bump: remember events from 11 – 24 yrs old First memory Recency effect Average 3-5 years old Inverse relationship: Age 1st memory and intelligence Reminiscence bump Infantile amnesia: Why? Brain development Self-concept Language Common Memory Questions Review: Chapter 8 Memory Mnemonic devices Why do some people remember better than others? Why are there differences in the things you Why mnemonics work and their limitations remember well vs. forget? Types of memory: stm/ltm; explicit/implicit; Does memory always decline with age? episodic/semantic How can I improve my memory? What we’ve learned about memory from amnesia case studies Does sleep improve memory? Factors that influence memory Why is Alzheimer’s disease more common today? Why we forget Reconstructive memory and schemas Autobiographical memory; Flashbulb memory 4 Memory Repetition Attention Retrieval cues Ensure encoding Dual-coding cues Elaboration Verbal and visual Think about meaning representations Deep vs shallow processing Organization Encoding-retrieval match “Chunks” Transfer appropriate Notice relationships and processing differences Serial position curve Use existing knowledge Primacy vs recency Generation Decay vs interference Your ideas makes it personal Proactive vs retroactive 5 .
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