Memory II: Not remembering Memory II: Not remembering

3/1/043/1/04

Mr. Short Term MemoryMr. Short Term Memory

Think H.M.Think H.M.• Bilateral medial temporal lobe resectionBilateral medial temporal lobe resection

• Anterograde amnesiaAnterograde amnesia New info goes in one ear, out the nextNew info goes in one ear, out the next

• Storing is different from encodingStoring is different from encoding Knows name, hometown, but…Knows name, hometown, but…

Plan: Errors in MemoryPlan: Errors in Memory

Sins of forgetting, distortion, and Sins of forgetting, distortion, and suggestibility (false memory)suggestibility (false memory)

Ways to improve memoryWays to improve memory

How’s your memory?How’s your memory?

7 Sins of (normal) Memory7 Sins of (normal) Memory

AbsentmindednessAbsentmindedness TransienceTransience BlockingBlocking MisattributionMisattribution SuggestibilitySuggestibility BiasBias PersistencePersistence

Can occur at any Can occur at any stagestage• EncodingEncoding• StorageStorage• RetrievalRetrieval

Which is the real deal?Which is the real deal?

Tatiana CooleyTatiana Cooley “I’m incredibly “I’m incredibly absentmindedabsentminded… I … I

live by post-its”live by post-its”

99 photos w/names99 photos w/names• 15 minutes15 minutes• Same photos, different orderSame photos, different order• 85 correct!85 correct!

Also: strings of 4,000 numbers, 500 Also: strings of 4,000 numbers, 500 words, lines of poetry and deck of cardswords, lines of poetry and deck of cards

““Visualization & association”Visualization & association”

The Name GameThe Name Game

http://www.pbs.org/saf/1102/http://www.pbs.org/saf/1102/features/name_game.htmfeatures/name_game.htm

AbsentmindednessAbsentmindedness

Much of what we sense, we never noticeMuch of what we sense, we never notice• Change blindness (even while in our presence)Change blindness (even while in our presence)

Encoding failuresEncoding failures• Lack of attention OR,Lack of attention OR,• Don’t process well enough for consolidationDon’t process well enough for consolidation

Ineffective encodingIneffective encoding• Imagine reading aloud to yourself while Imagine reading aloud to yourself while

distracted…distracted…

ConsolidationConsolidation Changes in strength of neural connxnsChanges in strength of neural connxns

Originally, Lashley & “Engram”Originally, Lashley & “Engram”• Rats in maze, more area removed, worse Rats in maze, more area removed, worse

memorymemory No specific locationNo specific location EquipotentialityEquipotentiality

Wrong, wrong, wrongWrong, wrong, wrong

SpecializationSpecialization: “Bark” : “Bark” soundsound vs. “Dog” vs. “Dog” picturepicture

StructureStructure: Black-capped chickadees : Black-capped chickadees withwith vs. Monkeys vs. Monkeys w/outw/out. .

NeurochemNeurochem– epinephrine (stress) & – epinephrine (stress) & glucoseglucose• 22 seniors: Country Time vs. Crystal Light22 seniors: Country Time vs. Crystal Light• 36 teenagers: normally -8%, unless glucose36 teenagers: normally -8%, unless glucose• Breakfast before tests…Breakfast before tests…

Transience: decay over timeTransience: decay over time

Competing information displaces Competing information displaces information attempting to retrieveinformation attempting to retrieve

InterferenceInterference• Sleep study, 1924: 1, 2, 4, 8 hoursSleep study, 1924: 1, 2, 4, 8 hours

Not as much decay as Not as much decay as interference, inhibition, interference, inhibition, obliterationobliteration of old by new of old by new

• Proactive- already known intf’s with newProactive- already known intf’s with new• Retroactive- new material intf’s with oldRetroactive- new material intf’s with old

Stanford President: fish & namesStanford President: fish & names

Memory as ReconstructiveMemory as Reconstructive

Filling in missing piecesFilling in missing pieces

Disadvantages of schemasDisadvantages of schemas• Office StudyOffice Study• Confidence & accuracy NOT well correlated Confidence & accuracy NOT well correlated

(sleep list, 2 voices, remember vs. know)(sleep list, 2 voices, remember vs. know)• Memories for early events = reconstructionsMemories for early events = reconstructions

Misinformation EffectMisinformation Effect

False/ misleading information given False/ misleading information given after eyewitness event incorporated after eyewitness event incorporated into account of eventinto account of event

Loftus & Palmer (1974)Loftus & Palmer (1974)• How fast was the car going when it…How fast was the car going when it…

Contacted- 31.8Contacted- 31.8 Smashed- 40.8Smashed- 40.8

• Did you see any broken glass…Did you see any broken glass… Hit- 14%Hit- 14% Smashed- 32%Smashed- 32%

Experiment 1Experiment 1

Film of 5-car chain-reaction accidentFilm of 5-car chain-reaction accident• Accident = 4 secondsAccident = 4 seconds

Driver runs stop sign into oncoming trafficDriver runs stop sign into oncoming traffic 10 questions10 questions

• How fast was Car A going when it ran the How fast was Car A going when it ran the stop sign?stop sign?

• How fast was Car A going when it turned How fast was Car A going when it turned right?right?

10. Did you see a stop sign for Car A? (53% vs. 10. Did you see a stop sign for Car A? (53% vs. 35%35%

Experiment 2Experiment 2

After short video:After short video:• How fast was white car going when it How fast was white car going when it

passed the barn while traveling along passed the barn while traveling along the country road?the country road?

• How fast was the white car going while How fast was the white car going while traveling along the country road?traveling along the country road?

1 week later1 week later• Did you see a barn?Did you see a barn?• 17% vs. 2% said “Yes”17% vs. 2% said “Yes”

Experiment 3Experiment 3

Did you see a truck in the beginning Did you see a truck in the beginning of the film?of the film?

0%0% At the beginning of the film, was the At the beginning of the film, was the

truck parked beside the car?truck parked beside the car? 22%22%

ACCURACY is VERY importantACCURACY is VERY important

Tell me about the time you got a Tell me about the time you got a hand caught in a mousetrap and had hand caught in a mousetrap and had to have the trap removed at the to have the trap removed at the hospital?hospital?

Commercial…Commercial…

““My brother Colin was trying to get My brother Colin was trying to get Blowtorch from me and I wouldn’t let Blowtorch from me and I wouldn’t let him take it from me, so he pushed me him take it from me, so he pushed me into the wood pile where the mouse into the wood pile where the mouse trap was. And then my finger got trap was. And then my finger got caught in it. And then we went to the caught in it. And then we went to the hospital, and my mommy , daddy and hospital, and my mommy , daddy and Colin drove me there, to the hospital Colin drove me there, to the hospital in our can, because it was far away, in our can, because it was far away, and the doctor put a bandage on this and the doctor put a bandage on this finger”finger”

False Memory ImplantationFalse Memory Implantation

Present 4 childhood eventsPresent 4 childhood events 3 provided by parents as true3 provided by parents as true

• 1 created by experimenter, verified as false1 created by experimenter, verified as false Describe all 4 eventsDescribe all 4 events

29% adults recall being lost in mall29% adults recall being lost in mall 20-30% hospitalized with ear infection, spilling 20-30% hospitalized with ear infection, spilling

punch at wedding, evacuating store with punch at wedding, evacuating store with activated sprinklers, releasing parking brake & activated sprinklers, releasing parking brake & rolling into objectrolling into object

Case study*Case study*164164**

Remembered feeling frightenedRemembered feeling frightened Described store was lost inDescribed store was lost in Recalled scolding when foundRecalled scolding when found Remembered looks of man who Remembered looks of man who

found him (blue flannel, glasses, old, found him (blue flannel, glasses, old, bald)bald)

Clarity rated at top of scaleClarity rated at top of scale Chose true experience as falseChose true experience as false

ApplicationApplication

Eyewitness Testimony (see clip)Eyewitness Testimony (see clip)

How to improve your memoryHow to improve your memory

How to Improve Memory: How to Improve Memory: MnemonicsMnemonics

Increase Practice TimeIncrease Practice Time• More time spent studying, betterMore time spent studying, better• Remember more from 4- 2hrs than 1-8hrRemember more from 4- 2hrs than 1-8hr

Increase the Depth of ProcessingIncrease the Depth of Processing• Think actively and deeply (how is it Think actively and deeply (how is it

linked? Ask, think ,talk)linked? Ask, think ,talk)

Hierarchical OrganizationHierarchical Organization• Outline: Broad categories, subcategoriesOutline: Broad categories, subcategories

How to Improve Memory: How to Improve Memory: MnemonicsMnemonics

Method of LociMethod of Loci• Mentally place in familiar locations. Memorize Mentally place in familiar locations. Memorize

familiar route, then place visual images.familiar route, then place visual images. Peg-Word MethodPeg-Word Method

• List of words = “pegs”; Hang items on pegs; List of words = “pegs”; Hang items on pegs; imagine interactionimagine interaction

Minimize InterferenceMinimize Interference• Study before sleeping; review Study before sleeping; review allall material right material right

before exambefore exam Utilize Context EffectsUtilize Context Effects

• Setting, mood, time, smell, etc. Setting, mood, time, smell, etc.

Imagery & MnemonicsImagery & Mnemonics One is a bunOne is a bun Two is a shoeTwo is a shoe Three is a treeThree is a tree Four is a doorFour is a door Five is a hiveFive is a hive Six is sticksSix is sticks Seven is heavenSeven is heaven Eight is a gateEight is a gate Nine is a lineNine is a line Ten is a henTen is a hen

PTSDPTSD

Persistence of unwanted memoriesPersistence of unwanted memories

Film clipFilm clip