Ch.7 Topics

1. Partial report in visual sensory and how it shows the fading of this memory.
       Sensory  memory is a brief stimulus that leaves a vanishing trace on the nervous system. People can generally recall this sensory stimulus for several seconds after it is gone. When you look at something and glance away, you can usually briefly picture the image and recall some of its features. George Sperling found that we lose visual memory after about 1/3 of a second, because our memories perceive the world as a continuous stream. People who can remember segmented visual memories with detail for a period of time have photographic memories.
2. The serial position effect and its explanation.
       The serial position effect deals with one's ability to remember items of a list either better at the beginning or end rather than the middle, and it involves two different effects. The primary effect deals with people who remember things at the beginning of the list better. Recency effect deals with people who remember the most recent information or the stuff at the end of a list.
3. Forms of interference in memory.
       Transience occurs because of interference from other information. Proactive interference is when old information inhibits the ability to remember new information and retroactive interference is when new information inhibits the recollection of old information.
4. Two mnemonic strategies.
       There are six learning mnemonic strategies. The first is to practice; the repetition of a motor skill makes it easier to perform. The second is elaborating the material because processing information at a deeper level helps people remember it. Getting adequate sleep is another strategy. Overlearn information by testing your ability to recall information multiple times. Use verbal mnemonics to come up with a catchy saying or rhyme that will make remembering easier. Visual diagrams and other aids help learners recall seeing what they previously saw.
5. Two causes of false memories.
       Source amnesia is one form of false memory that occurs when a person has a memory of an event, but cannot remember the location of where it occurred. This is also related to childhood amnesia. Most people cannot remember specific memories from before age three. Confabulation is another form of false memory when someone has a false recollection of episodic memory due to a brain injury. Another name for confabulation is "honest lying" because a person doesn't realize what they're saying isn't true.