Remembering &

Forgetting
Unit 8
Lesson 2

Objectives

Review elements of memory &

information processing.
Explain retrieval techniques.
Describe theories on forgetting.

Warm Up

What are the 3

stages of info
processing theory?

Input Central
Processing
Output

Warm Up

What happens in
the central
processing stage?

Encode-StoreRetrieve Info

Review

3 Memory Systems?

Sensory
Short-Term

Working

Long-Term

Types of LTM?

Episodic- Events
Semantic- Knowledge
Procedural- Skill

Review Fill-In-Blank

Info enters the ___ where we have to pay

___ to it or it is lost. If we do, it moves
into ___ where there is limited capacity
and duration. To increase capacity we
can ___ info. To increase duration we can
___ info. We must then move this info
into ___ by connecting it to stuff we
already know, called ___. We organize
LTM into mental maps, called _____.

Review Fill-In-Blank

Info enters the sensory memory where we

have to pay attention to it or it is lost. If
we do, it moves into STM/working memory
where there is limited capacity and
duration. To increase capacity we can
chunk info. To increase duration we can
rehearse info. We must then move this
info into LTM by connecting it to stuff we
already know, encoding.

Retrieval

Obtaining info stored in LTM for use

Recognition Id as familiar or unfamiliar

Recall Active reconstruction of previous

learned into

Confabulation- remember info never stored

Relearning Learned before, havent

rehearsed lately, can relearn quickly.

Recognition Test
LION

BEAR

PIG

COW

CHICKEN

BIRD

ELEPHANT

GIRAFFE

DOG

Recognition Test

Which of the following words was not on

the list?

A. Lion
B. Chicken
C. Elephant
D. Tiger
E. Dog

Recall Test
HATE

IRATE

HAPPY

MAD

FURIOUS

MEAN

CALM

ENRAGED

FUMING

Recall Test

Memory Reconstruction

Must be careful when recalling info

b/c of confabulation how many
wrote ANGRY? Expectation that it
would be part of list

Eyewitness Testimony
Recovered Memories

Activity

3 or 4 volunteers

Class, listen for

how much of story
they actually
repeat correctly, or
even mention!

Activity
A farmer in western Kansas put a tin roof on his
barn. Then a small tornado blew the roof off,
and when the farmer found it 2 counties away
it was twisted and mangled beyond repair.
A friend and lawyer advised him that the Ford
Motor Co would pay him a good price for the
scrap tin, and the farmer decided he would
ship the roof up to the company to see how
much he could get for it.

He crated it up in a very big wooden box and

sent it off to Dearborn, Michigan, marking it
plainly with his return address so that the
Ford Motor Company would know where to
send the check.
12 weeks passed, and the farmer didnt hear
from Ford. Finally, he was just on the verge
of writing them to find out what was the
matter, when he received an envelope from
them. It said, We dont know what hit your
car mister, but well have it fixed for you by
the 15th of next month.

Listen For

Farmer
Kansas
Tin roof on barn
Small tornado
2 counties away
Twisted
Friend and lawyer
Ford Motor Co.
Good price

Ship the roof

Wooden box
Dearborn, Michigan
Return Address
12 weeks
Verge of writing
Received envelope
Hit your car
5th next month

Recall

What did people remember most?

Items at beginning and end of story

called serial position effect

Serial Position Effect

Remembering
first and last
items in list is
easier than items
in middle.

Primacy: Encode
first by rehearsal

Recency: Last are

still in STM

Primacy-Recency Test

Pet
Bread
Jail
Shirt
Ottoman
Taxi
Football
Comb

Doll
Bed
Car
Bridge
Purse
Desk
Flower
Book

Primacy-Recency Test

Pet
Bread
Jail
Shirt
Ottoman
Taxi
Football
Comb

Doll
Bed
Car
Bridge
Purse
Desk
Flower
Book

Review Fill-In-Blank

If we need to ___ info from LTM we can do

one of three things. ___ is looking at info
and deciding it its familiar or unfamiliar to
us. Reconstructing the info from the top of
our head is ___. We must be careful not to
falsely fill in the blanks which is ______.
And finally, once weve learned something,
we can go back after a period of time and
___ that info much more quickly.

Review Fill-In-Blank

If we need to retrieve that info, or get it out,

we can do one of three things. Recognition is
looking at info and deciding it its familiar or
unfamiliar to us. Reconstructing the info
from the top of our head is recall. We must
be careful not to falsely fill in the blanks
which is confabulation. And finally, once
weve learned something, we can go back
after a period of time and relearn that info
much more quickly.

Random Retrieval
Phenomena

Dj vu

Seen before
Current event provokes
similar retrieval cues,
but you havent done it.

Jamais Vu

Never before
Event doesnt match
earlier encoded clues,
but know youve done it

Random Retrieval
Phenomena

Tip of the Tongue

Try to retrieve
familiar piece of
info but cant quite
do it

Blocking Theory
Partial Activation

Random Retrieval
Phenomenon

I Froze

Stress hormones
inhibit hippocampus

Cognitive function
and LTM retrieval
fail

Random Retrieval
Phenomena

Priming

Preparing networks to remember...

Hte plpae si edr

Grandma is buying an apple.

Hte plpae si edr.
The apple is red

Forgetting

What is it?

Loss of info over

time

Hermann
Ebbinghaus

Why do we forget things?

Simple Reasons:

Not encoded/stored in first place

Retrieval failure
Decay/fade over time
Dont want to remember (repression)
Something gets in the way (interference
theory)
Injury/Trauma (Amnesia)

Why do we forget over

time?

Interference Theory

People forget info

because other learned
info interferes.

Proactive: Old info

interferes with new
learning

Retroactive: New info

makes people forget
old info

Memory Impairment:
Amnesias

Organic Amnesia

Physical trauma to
brain structure.

Anterograde: Cant
recall event after
injury
Retrograde: Cant
recall events that
occurred before

Memory Impairment:
Amnesias

Functional Amnesia

Due to
psychological
trauma
Psychogenic
amnesia
Dissociative Fugue:
Forget selves for
a timeidentity,
life, etc

Memory Impairment:
Amnesias

Infantile Amnesia

Remember very little

about 1st years of life

Why?

Structure
Language

Memories:

3/4th birthday
Narrative 7yrs

Closure
Identify two reasons why we forget
information:

Never stored, Poor retrieval, Decay,

Interference, Repression, Amnesia