Memory 11/17/98

Memory structures

Episodic vs. Semantic vs. Procedural memory

Organizational Processes in Memory

The Schema

Social Psychology: The Power of the Situation

Conformity

Sherif Paradigm

Private acceptance

The Asch Paradigm

Public compliance

The Serial Position Effect

How well an item is recalled depends upon its position in the list of items to be recalled--remember first and last.

 

Why? Rehearsal (first items) and STM (last items). Middle items cannot be rehearsed and cannot remain active in STM.

 

Reasons for failing to remember

Information may not have made it from Short-term memory to Long-term memory

 

Information was stored in Long-term memory, but it can't be retrieved (e.g., Tip of the Tongue is a failure of retrieval)

 

Long-term Memory Stores

Episodic Memory--personal, factual, and autobiographical. Contains info. about past events and experience. (E.g., Challenger; what I did this a.m.)

 

Semantic Memory--Abstract information about the world and about language. (E.g., "Squares have four sides")

 

Procedural-- "How to" information about the skills we possess. (E.g., Riding a bicycle).

 

Organizational Processes in Memory

 

The Schema

A schema can be defined as a highly organized cognitive framework containing information about a person, group, or topic. (e.g., you have a U of M schema).

 

 

We have:

Person Schemata -- about particular people we know -- friends, Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich

 

Group Schemata -- about groups of people -- like Men and Women.

 

Event Schemata -- about particular events -- like baseball games or going out to a restaurant

 

SO...

Schemas help memory by facilitating both encoding and retrieval.

 

But....

There is a downside--schematic processing can lead to distortion.

 

Schematic Processing and Encoding: Duncan's Ambiguous Shove

 

 

Schematic Processing and Encoding: Duncan's Ambiguous Shove

 

 

Another example of distortion....

sometimes we "remember" something because it is consistent with a schema, not because it really happened.

--paying the bill in a restaurant

--"Sure I turned off the stove"

 

Distortions at Retrieval: A demonstration

 

To Summarize: Schematic processing leads to two kinds of distortion:

Encoding biases--we see, and therefore remember, things differently.

 

Recall biases--we remember things that didn't happen.

 

Some final thoughts on accuracy: Another demonstration

 

Social Psychology

Looks at how the real or imagined presence of others (a.k.a., the social situation) influences individual behavior.

 

Conformity: The Bad and the Good

 

Conformity Defined

A change in behavior or belief as a result of real or imagined group pressure.

 

Sherif & Autokinetic Effect

Autokinetic Effect--The illusion that a stationary spot of light is moving when viewed in a darkened room.

 

Sherif and the Autokinetic Effect: Group Norms

Main Points:

The task is very ambiguous (estimates of movement ranged from 2 inches to 80 feet!)

Using an ambiguous stimulus, found that group norms quickly formed.

When tested privately, even a year later, subjects stick to group norm.