Chapter 4: Memory and Forgetting
Information Processing Model
(Richard Atkinson and Richard
Shiffrin (1968)
Suggests that in order for information
to become permanent in memory, it
must pass through three stages of
mental processing:
This model sometimes known as the
three box model analyses the memory
systems in these three stages.
Memory
Memory is the retention of
information/what is learned earlier
over time.
Itis the way in which we record the
past for later use in the present
Memory Processes
arethe mental activities we perform
to put information into memory, to
keep it there, and to make use of it
later. This involves three basic steps:
1. Encoding
Convertingsensory input into a form
that can be processed and deposited
in the memory
2. Storage
It is the location in memory system in
which material is saved. Storage is the
persistence of information in memory.
3.Retrieval
is the point at which one tries to
remember a particular memory trace from
among all the others we have stored.
In retrieval, material in memory storage is
located, brought into awareness and used.
Stages/ Structures of Memory
1. Sensory Register
Is an initial /entry way of storage
information is lost without attention
within seconds
2. Short term Memory (STM)
Has a limited capacity to store information
Information is lost without Rehearsal
Rehearsal
is the process of repeating, activating,
renewing or refreshing information to keep
it in memory.
Types of Rehearsal
A. Maintenance rehearsal
This kind of rehearsal involves the rote
repetition of a material in order to
maintain it.
B. Elaborative rehearsal
It involves making associations or
connections between the new
information we want to remember with
familiar already existing information in
memory.
Is also known as working memory,
immediate memory, active memory and
primary memory
3. The Long term Memory( LTM)
Has unlimited capacity to store
information
Stores Information
permanently( Indefinite time)
Information can also be lost due to
interference
Interference
is the process through which either the
storage or retrieval of information is
impaired by the presence of other
information
Types of Interference
1. Proactive interference
occurs when previously stored
material interferes with the ability to
remember similar, more recently
learned material
2. Retroactive interference
occurs when recently stored
materials interferes with the ability
to remember similar and previously
stored material.
Contains a large amount of
information which can be classified in
to three categories ( Subsystems)
Types of Memory in the LTM
1. Declarative/ Explicit Memory
the conscious recollection of information
such as specific facts or events that can be
verbally communicated.
Itis further subdivided into semantic and
episodic memories.
A. Semantic memory
This is a memory of general
knowledge, including facts, rules,
concepts and propositions and
conceptual knowledge
B. Episodic Memory
is internal representation of
personally experienced events.
Is Autobiographical in nature
Have historical and emotional
Semanticand episodic memory are
known as declarative or explicit
memory since they can be
communicated verbally
2. Non-declarative/ Implicit memory-
refers
to type of memory in which
behavior is affected by prior
experience without that experience
being consciously recollected.
One of the most important kinds of
implicit memory is procedural memory.
A. Procedural memory
is a memory of knowing how.
This memory is about the
performance of activities,
Serial Position Effect
Is a theory that explains an
individual remembers information
differently depending on the order
the information is presented.
If you are shown a list of items and
are then asked immediately to
recall them, your recall will be best
for items at the beginning of the
list (the primacy effect) and at the
end of the list (the recency effect).
Factors that Affect Memory
A number of factors determine the
degree of memory.
1. Age of the person ( Maturation)
Youngsters can remember better
than the aged.
2. Good health
A person with good health can retain
the learnt material better than a
person with poor health
3.Will to remember( Interest)
Willingness to remember helps for
better retention.
4. Over learning
Experiments have proved that over
learning will lead to better memory.
5. Meaningfulness of the Material
Meaningful materials remain in our
memory for longer period than for
nonsense material
6. Sleep or Rest
Sleepor rest immediately after
learning strengthens connections in
the brain and helps for clear
memory.
Forgetting
refers to the loss of information
from memory or inability to
retrieve or remember information.
Theories ( Causes) of
Forgetting
1. Decay ( Disuse) theory
states that information which is
not used gradually disintegrates
2. Interference theory
Accordingto this theory, people forget
not because memories are actually lost
from memory, but because other
information gets in the way of what we
want to remember.
3. Displacement (New for old)
theory
Newinformation entering memory
can wipe out old information
Short
term memory has a limited
capacity and can only hold a small
amount of information at one time.
Once the memory is full, new
information will replace the old one
4. Motivated Forgetting
( Repression)
According to this theory, We forget
because we want to forget
5. Cue dependent Forgetting
( Retrieval Failure)
Is the failure to recall information
without memory cues.
Information stored in the memory
is retrieved by way of association
with other memories.
