5.2 Encoding, Storage, and Retrieval Processes

Memory is like a complex filing system in your brain. Encoding, storage, and retrieval are the key processes that make it work. They determine how we take in info, keep it, and find it later when we need it.

Understanding these processes helps us learn better. We'll look at how to encode info deeply, store it securely, and retrieve it easily. These skills are crucial for effective learning and remembering important stuff.

Encoding and Rehearsal

Encoding Processes

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• Encoding converts sensory information into a form that can be stored in memory
• Involves processing and organizing information to create a mental representation
• Influenced by attention, prior knowledge, and the way information is presented (visual, auditory, or semantic)
• Elaborative rehearsal strengthens encoding by connecting new information to existing knowledge (creating a story or mnemonic device to remember a list of items)

Types of Rehearsal

• Maintenance rehearsal involves repeating information over and over to keep it active in short-term memory (repeating a phone number until it can be written down)
• Does not lead to long-term retention because it lacks deeper processing and meaningful connections
• Elaborative rehearsal involves actively processing and connecting new information to existing knowledge
  • Creates stronger, more durable memories by establishing associations and meaning
  • Techniques include summarizing, paraphrasing, and relating information to personal experiences or prior knowledge

Levels of Processing Theory

• Proposed by Craik and Lockhart (1972)
• Suggests that the depth of processing during encoding determines the strength and durability of memory
• Shallow processing focuses on superficial characteristics (appearance or sound of words)
• Deep processing involves semantic analysis and extracting meaning (understanding the concept and relating it to prior knowledge)
• Deeper levels of processing lead to better retention and easier retrieval of information

Storage and Consolidation

Memory Storage Systems

• Sensory memory briefly holds raw sensory information (iconic memory for visual stimuli, echoic memory for auditory stimuli)
• Short-term memory (working memory) holds a limited amount of information for a short period (7 ± 2 items for 15-30 seconds)
• Long-term memory stores vast amounts of information for an extended period (potentially indefinitely)
• Information is transferred from short-term to long-term memory through rehearsal and consolidation

Consolidation and Interference

• Consolidation is the process of stabilizing memory traces over time
  • Involves physical changes in the brain, such as strengthening neural connections
  • Occurs during periods of rest or sleep, particularly during REM sleep
• Interference occurs when information in memory competes or conflicts with other information
  • Proactive interference happens when prior learning interferes with the acquisition of new information (difficulty learning Spanish after studying French)
  • Retroactive interference occurs when new learning interferes with the retrieval of previously learned information (forgetting high school math after taking advanced college courses)

Retrieval and Context

Retrieval Processes

• Retrieval is the process of accessing stored information from memory
• Involves searching for and locating the desired information
• Can be influenced by retrieval cues, context, and emotional state
• Retrieval cues are stimuli that help trigger memory recall (a song that reminds you of a specific event)

Context and State-Dependent Memory

• Context-dependent memory refers to the improved recall of information when the context during retrieval matches the context during encoding
  • Studying in the same location where an exam will take place can enhance performance
  • Revisiting a childhood home may trigger memories from that time period
• State-dependent memory refers to the improved recall of information when the individual's physiological or emotional state during retrieval matches the state during encoding
  • Information learned while under the influence of a substance (alcohol or medication) may be easier to recall when in a similar state
  • Memories associated with a specific mood (happiness or sadness) may be more accessible when experiencing that same mood