Ch 7 Memory

Our memory is very complex. Before reading this chapter I thought that memory was just one’s ability to recall information. However, I have now learned that there is much more to it. Memory is the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain skills and knowledge for alter retrieval. Two people’s memories of the same event can differ greatly, because each person stores and retrieves memories of the event differently. There are three phases of information processing in memory. The first is encoding, which is changing information into a neural code the brain can use. The second is storage, which is maintaining information for some time. The third is retrieval, which is re-accessing the information for use. Psychologists have theories for understanding memory because there are many different ways someone’s memory works, some better than others. One is the filter theory. This theory explains how we selectively attend to the most important information. For example, if a participant receives a different auditory message in each ear and must repeat, or “shadow,” just one of the messages. Typically, the person has no memory of the other message. This result shows that attention is limited and that we remember only what we pay attention to. Another theory is change blindness. This is when an individual fails to notice large visual changes in the environment. This is because we are not able to attend to everything in the vast array of visual information available.
Psychologist cannot simply describe what memory is and move on because we also maintain memories overtime. There is a three-part memory storage system. Sensory storage is where unattended information is lost. Short-term storage is where information that is not manipulated is lost. Then also long-term storage where some information may be forgotten. One way to actively maintain information in short-term storage is the process of working memory. Working memory is an active processing system that allows manipulation of different types of information to keep it available for current use. Theories do multiple things to help our understanding of memory processes. One is prospective memory and how it lets us remember to do something. People use several tools to assist prospective memories. Some use sticky notes to remind us to do things. Others use a device, such as a smartphone, to remember appointments and deadlines.
One of the most memorable things I learned about was how our memories can be distorted or flawed. Research has shown clearly that human memory provides less than accurate portrayals of past events. Distortion occurs in memory in four ways; memory bias, flashbulb memories, misattribution, and suggestibility. Memory bias was the most surprising because it is the changing of memories over time so that they become consistent with our current beliefs or attitudes.
I found this chapter to be very interesting because our memory goes through all these steps every day and we don’t even notice it. After reading this chapter I now realize how complex our memory is and how psychologist need theories to explain memory because our memory often is reflected by our behavior. I also learned how there are ways to improve your memory, which can help me with my studies.

Psychological Terms: memory, nervous system, encoding, storage, retrieval, filter theory, change blindness, sensory storage, short-term storage, long-term storage, prospective memory, working memory, memory bias, flashbulb memories, misattribution, suggestibility

Reading chapter seven, I have learned that I did not know a lot about memory; I barely knew anything that was discussed in the book. The only thing that I really knew about memory was that our brains can remember information that we receive, and we have the ability to choose whether it is important enough to remember or to just forget it as fast as we heard it. Memory is a lot more than just remembering information; it’s not that simple. The definition of memory is as follows: The nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain information and skills. No two people have the same recollection of the same event. Every person has their own interpretation of an even due to their brain’s capacity to retain the information that they received during the event.
To go in to more detail, there are actually three phases of processing information in memory. The first phase of the process is encoding. Encoding is the changing of information in to neural code that the brain can use. Phase two, storage, is maintaining information for a certain amount of time due to the importance of the information. Retrieval is the third and final phase, which is re-accessing the information to be used. Many psychologists have their own opinions and theories in understanding memory due to the different ways people’s memory works. Filter theory is one of the more popular theories in memory. It explains and discusses how people selectively choose what information is the most important. Another popular theory is change blindness. This occurs when a person does not notice large visual changes to the environment. This occurs because we, as humans, are not able to concentrate on everything that happens in the large number of information available.
With the phases of learning, there are also different phases of storing the memory that we have just acquired. This process comes in three parts. The first part is sensory storage, where unused information is lost. Part two is short-term storage. In short-term storage is where information that is not manipulated is lost. Long-term storage, the final part in storing memory, is where some information can be forgotten. Short-term has ways of retaining the information that is placed in to it. This part of memory storage can be assisted by the process of working memory, giving the opportunity to manipulate different types of information to keep it available for present use.
Long-term memory has two types of memory that are stored within. Implicit memory, one of the two, is memory that does not require conscious thought and cannot be verbally described. An example would be walking or jogging. Explicit, the other type of memory, requires conscious effort and can be verbally described, the opposite of implicit memory.
The chapter was entirely interesting. I enjoyed learning about how we retain memory and the different forms of memory that we can retain. This helped me understand that when my mom asks me to do something and I don’t really want to do it, I forget about it very quickly because my brain did not want to retain the information was not important enough. It was really informative on how we did not know a lot about memory until an experiment was performed, removing part of a person’s brain. This chapter definitely taught me more than what I started off knowing.
Terminology: memory, encoding, nervous system, storage, retrieval, filter theory, change blindness, sensory storage, short-term storage, long-term storage, working memory, implicit memory, explicit memory

After reading this chapter about memory, it has really changed my idea about it. I thought that memory was simply how we remembered things from our everyday activities. But it is a lot more complex than that. Memory is the nervous system’s capacity to retain and acquire skills and knowledge. Psychologists have many theories for understanding memory because no two people have the same memories as each other, which makes it hard to contain and even describe what memory really is, since we have new memories each and everyday. It makes it hard and so complex because there is a three part processing phase of memory. The first part is called encoding. Encoding is the processing of information so that it can be stored. The next part is storage, which is how you maintain the coded representation in a network of neurons in the brain. The final part is retrieval, which is where you re-access the information for use. Scientists all have their own different theories on how memory really works. It would be kind of hard for them to have the same theories since memory works in so many different ways, and is different for each person. But I think that the most common theory that scientists use is the Filter Theory. This is how we explain how we selectively attend to the most important information that we comprehend. Theories do many things to understand our memory processes. They simply help us and our brains to understand things and where they came from, and how we can take away the things that are not as important to us as other things.
I thought that the most surprising thing that I read in this chapter was just the many different ways that we remember things, and how we retain our memories. Like how we only remember/ want to remember things that seem more important to us. So if we don’t really care about something and it’s not very important to us, then we will forget about it a lot quicker than something that is actually important to us. So I thought that was really interesting how we retain the information coming in to make memories.
Psychological Terms: nervous system, encoding, storage, retrieval, theories, psychologists

This chapter has to deal with memory. We acquire memories by processing information. Our brain starts this process by encoding. Encoding is when your brain changes information. An example of this is when you are reading words on a page and your brain changes it into a neural code. The next phase of processing information is called the storage phase. We use this phase to maintain the coded representation in a network of neurons in the brain. The last process is called retrieval. In this phase we re-access the information for use when it is needed. The first thing that I thought was interesting in this chapter was when it talked about the filter theory. In 1958, the psychologist Donald Broadbent developed this theory to explain how we selectively attend to the most important information. This means that important information is allowed through the filter, but irrelevant information is prevented from getting through the filter. I thought this was interesting because it talked about peoples faces and how we can look at someone and see if they are a potential mate or not. Our sensory storage is a brief maintenance system that holds a vast amount of information from the five senses in close to their original formats. The duration of the storage is up to a few seconds depending on which sense. The next part of the chapter that was very memorable for me was that our memory is processed by several parts of the brain. The process of consolidation is when neural connections become stronger, and new synapses are being constructed and through this process your experiences become your lasting memories. The part that is responsible for this process are the medial temporal lobes. A part that I was surprised about was that our prospective memory allows us to remember to do something. Prospective memory is remembering to do something at some future time. It said in the reading that some people use sticky notes to remind us to do things or some people use a device like our smart phone. This surprised me because I didn't know that I was actually using my prospective memory because I thought I was just doing what I was supposed to do to remember. All of the different tricks that I use to remember something has to do with this chapter and I never realized it. We access our memories by a retrieval code which is anything that helps a person access information in long-term storage. We can forget things, or there can be an interference, sometimes our memories can be blocked, or our memories can be distorted. Theories are important for memory because the brain is so complex that there are many things that cannot even be explained yet about the brain, these theories can help us explain some of the situations that occur with our brain and out memory. Memory is so complex that there are many different things that can block our memory whether it be simply forgetting or even getting a concussion. These theories are important to help explain why things happen the way they do and why we are able to use tricks to remember things. I thought of studying strategies and they all come learning about how our memory works.

Some psychological terms that I used were memory, encoding, storage, neural, retrieval, filter theory, medial temporal lobes, consolidation, forgetting, long-term storage, retrieval code, blocked, distorted, interference, theories

Psychologists have developed theories about understanding memory because it is such a complex topic that it needs to be broken in pieces in to get a better understanding of it as a whole. These theories help people understand why things are the way they are and the process by which things came to become that way. Theories regarding memory make it more understandable because by compartmentalizing it we are able study this complex topic in pieces. One theory suggests that we filter the most important information out of everything that we encounter. This theory is known as the filter theory, and states that people filter all of the information that they encounter and only allow the most important information through into their memories. Because we encounter so many things and have so experiences during the course of everyday, it would be virtually impossible to remember everything. This theory goes on to maintain that faces are one thing that are allowed through our filter and are retained in our memories. Faces are important to be remembered because retaining the memory of faces helps us understand what is going on around us and whether or not we should feel threatened in situations.
Memories are much more complex than just the information that people retain from the past, they also include the process of how and why people do so. Every person processes events differently. Even if two people experience the same exact event, they will have two different memories of what happened. This is because what people remember is determined by how they perceive an event and people perceive things differently based upon their prior experiences.
From the reading we learn that memory is the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain skills and knowledge. Before reading this chapter I believed that memory just had to do with what we remembered, I did not understand that it was a lot more complex than that. The most surprising thing to me was how long both short-term and long-term memories can last. Short-term memory was originally just thought to be a holding place for only a few seconds. An example of this is trying to remember a phone number a you type it in your phone. However, now it is understood that short-term memory play a key role in the working-memory. This means that when we hold onto a short-term memory our brain is constantly working to determine whether it is to keep the memory long-term or not. Long-term memory is different because long term memory plays a key role in survival. In order for something to be in our long-term memory it must be deeply encoded in the brain. This discussion on memory was interesting to me because I had not understood how complex a memory is and that there was a process to learn things that can determine whether it becomes a long or short term memory.
Key terms: Long-term memory, short-term memory working-memory, Filter theory, memory

After reading Chapter 7 on memory I have learned a lot about memory and what memory actually has to do with just instead of me thinking memory is remembering things. Memory is much more in depth than just remembering things. It's actually a cycle. Psychologists have theories about memory because they know that there are many different types of memory and that its not just one thing like many people think of it as. Psychologists believe that there are many different interacting systems. This was brought about when doing a research on a man named H.M. This was a man who had to have surgery to remove part of his brain due to epilepsy. Due to that he lost his ability to form new memory which was due to anterograde amnesia but still had the ability to remember other memories from the past and people and personal information. This experiment showed psychologists that having brain damage can affect a certain type of memory. Its hard for psychologist to simply describe memory and move on because its not that simple. There are many different types of memory phases and storages.
The most surprising and memorable thing I learned about this reading was about the memory as a whole. I knew nothing about memory obviously after reading this chapter. It has taught me many things that are useful.When given information first we encode it which is the encoding phase of memory, then we store the memory that we think is important. That is the storage phase, and then we retrieve the information given to us which is the third phase called the retrieval phase. It would be cool if we could do this about every single piece of information that we have ever read, heard, seen etc. but that's not how it works. There is sensory storage, short-term storage, and long-term storage. Sensory storage is what allows us to remember a brief piece of information that is given to us from one of our five senses. short term storage is where we hold information that is given to us but only for a little while. Long-term storage on the other hand has unlimited amount of space that we can hold information in. As I was reading this section before it go to the section I was wondering how information is organized in our brains. Well I came across the answer. Schemas is what helps us to organize things in the brain so that we can use and process them better.

Terms: Memory, encoding phase, storage phase, retrieval phase, sensory storage, short-term storage, long-term storage, schemas, anterograde amnesia,

Memory seems to be a simple thing because it is the nervous system’s capacity to retain information and skills. Memory involves three processes that make it what it is. First is encoding, encoding is the changing information into a neural code that the brain can use. Second is storage which is maintaining information in the brain. Third is retrieval which is the re-accessing of information that has been stored in the brain. These processes cannot be used all the time and work perfectly, the brain ha to focus its mental resources on the information to allow more perception and response to the material. This is called attention. There are two types of attention too, they are visual and auditory attention. The names are pretty self-explanatory but to make sure everything is clear, visual attention is attention where the stimuli goes through your eyes and auditory is attention where the stimuli goes into your ears. Your memory is stored two ways, long term and short term. The long term memory is a way the body stores information for long periods of time, sometimes may be permanently stored. Short term is a system that briefly stores information in awareness. Psychologists assume this is what happens in the brain because they can see what parts of the brain are being used but they cannot be one hundred percent sure that what they get off of readings is correct. It is impossible to know why people hold certain memories. Different people take in and hold different memories. Stimuli are perceived different ways so it is impossible to tell how certain stimuli are stored. Theories give us a general idea of how memories can be stored and used later on. It is surprising to me that there are so many different ways our mind uses memory. I just assumed what I saw and heard was put in my brain and if I could think of it right away, I was just smart and if I couldn’t think of it right away, I was dumb.
Memory, encoding, storage, retrieval, attention, long term memory, short term memory

Memory is the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain information and skills for later retrieval. There are three phases of memory; the encoding phase, where your brain changes information into something useful and something you can understand. The storage phase is how you maintain representation in the brain, and the retrieval phase is the re-accessing of information. Before I read chapter 7 I just thought of something big in my life happening and me being able to remember it because it had a big effect on my life; now I know there is much more to it than that. There is long term storage and short term storage for our memories. Long-term storage is a memory storage system that allows relatively permanent storage, probably an unlimited amount of information. Long term storage has unlimited space for information; if you think about everything you have learned and really remembered and everything you will learn in the future there is A LOT so there has to be a lot of space in our brains for this. On the other hand short-term storage has much less space to store information in our brain. So when you are going to five classes a day and just barely paying attention in them all, the likelihood that you will retain any of that information is low. By just paying attention in a class or just in general stores the information retained in the short-term storage. There are two ways to store information more permanently, in long-term storage. Maintenance rehearsal is using working memory processes to repeat information based on how it sounds; provides only shallow encoding of information and less successful long-term storage. Elaborative rehearsal is using working memory processes to think abut how new information relates to ourselves or our prior knowledge; provides deeper encoding of information for more successful long-term storage. There are two different types of long-term storage; explicit memory and implicit memory. Implicit memory is the system for long-term storage of unconscious memories that cannot be verbally described, and explicit memory is the system for long-term storage of conscious memories that can be verbally described. There are many different forms of memory but these are just two main ones. I really enjoyed learning about the types of memories because it explains many things about life why certain things happen.

Psychologists have many different theories to memory because there are so many different aspects and differences in ones memory. It’s impossible for them to do so because we have our own impact on our memories, they are not fact so it is hard for psychologists to interpret everyone’s memories, especially when there are so many and they go so far back in our life time. The three phases really have an effect on all of the theories that psychologists have because they make them differ greatly.

The most memorable thing I learned in chapter seven was about persistence. Persistence is the continual recurrence of unwanted memories from long-term storage. It made me understand why we can’t just forget something we don’t want to remember anymore and a disorder like PTSD. In PSTD someone experience extremely stressful episodes after having a traumatic experience. During an episode they relive the traumatic experience. This person really just wants to forget this episode completely, but that is impossible because of persistence. I think this was interesting to me because I have a family member that was in the war and it changed him greatly, but he won’t talk about it at all. With him not wanting to talk about it, it can make it very hard to understand, but there is something he just can’t forget because of persistence.

Terms used: Persistence, implicit memory, explicit memory, long-term storage, short-term storage, maintenance rehearsal, elaborative rehearsal, memory, encoding, storage

Psychologist have theories for understanding memory because memory is such an important and complex part of each human beings genetic makeup. We have multiple memory systems and each system. Two peoples memories of the same event can differ greatly because each person stores and retrieve memories in a different manner. How we retrieve memories and filter them is extremely complex and to understand these complexities, psychologists need to form theories and study them. The three processing phases of memory, encoding, storage and retrieval are a part of everyone's memory mechanism. However, we tend to remember information and filter this information through our own perceptions and knowledge of related events. Therefore, memories cannot be consider the truth but only a perception of what has occurred. This perception is altered during the processes of acquiring, maintaining and re~accessing the memory. Along with this, an important aspect of the memory process is selective attention. Selective attention allows one to focus on what is important in a situation and to ignore what is irrelevant. Studies show that human beings have three different types of memory stores: sensory storage, short term storage and long term storage. Each of these memory stores have the capacity to attain a certain amount of information for a certain length of time. To maintain memories over a long period of time, we use methods such as chunking and schemas to structure our memories and help us perceive, organize and process the information. Another way that the meaning of information is organized in long-term storage is based on what is termed networks of associations. This means that each item's distinctive features are linked in a way that identifies the item. Each unit of information in the network is a node. Each node is connected to many other nodes. If a node is activated, other closely associated nodes in the same category will also be activated. This idea is called spreading activation models of memory and it increases the ease of access of stored information to linked material. All of the theories and studies concerning memory and how it is processed in our brains is important to understanding the various components of memory. Memory is an integral part of each person's makeup and we need to study and understand how it works in order to better understand our own personal experiences with our memories.

The most interesting and memorable part of this chapter, for me, was the section on suggestibility. As a study showed, using a specific term can suggest an idea that may be false or biased in the retrieval in long-term storage. This is especially relevant to our justice system and the use of eyewitness accounts. Innocent people have been wrongfully convicted of crimes they did not commit because of faulty eyewitness testimony. Memory can be shaped and generated by police officers and prosecutors both unintentionally and intentionally.

Terms: Suggestibility, memory bias, encoding, storage, retrieval, long term memory, short term memory

Psychologists cannot prove their understanding of memories yet because they do not have the technology required. It is not possible to see every neuron in real time doing what it does in close detail at all. However there is strong evidence to show what they believe to be happening in the brain so they develop theories. One example of a strong theory is how all humans’ store and process memories in the brain. According to psychologists, we have 3 types of storage or memory. The list includes short-term memory and long-term memory, and sensory storage. These processes are intangible, for now, and can’t be seen or viewed directly. That being said there is still lots of data to back up their existence. Also, every person is different. You can’t just apply one type or theory to every person in the world and expect it to be accurate. Memory by nature is extremely complex, which makes understanding of it incredibly hard. During stage of encoding, perceptions, audio attention, and visual attention are all changed into neural code that can be understood by the central nervous system. When psychologist talk about memory recollection they have to take into consideration what is happening when you’re brain doesn’t recall. Questions arise that ponder why something did not stick into memory and how things were forgotten. The results of such thinking is well studied theories like as forgetting, absentmindedness, and blocking. If these processes are part of memory, which they are, it is easy to see why it is not easy to give a simple universal definition of memory. So much defines how were code, store, and recall information that it is nearly impossible.
These various theories can help us to improve our working memory. By understanding how memory works, we can do exercises and various other things to improve our memory. On the first page of the chapter Scott Hagwood is introduced. Scott is a Grand Master of memory. One of only 122 in the world. He and all of these other masters of memory have specific techniques for remembering. They use mnemonic devices, correlate pictures with words, and placing images in specific places in a real world settings to remember all sorts of things. The book it talks about maintenance rehearsal and elaborative rehearsal, and how they are both good for different types of memory storage. Maintenance rehearsal is repeating information based on how it sounds. This only helps people to develop a shallow sense of the word, and is not as successful in helping people put information into long term storage. Elaborative rehearsal is how we relate new information to ourselves or how we connect it to our prior knowledge. This type of rehearsal provides deeper encoding of information for more successful long-term storage. From this theory we can make ourselves better test takers and improve our memory. All we have to do is relate what we are learning to something in our lives rather than just look at it or hear about it, and we will remember it better!
My favorite part of the text was the page on how to do better on exams. As a college student memory is an integral part to my academic success. There were tips and tricks in this session to help anyone learn for a test. One of the tips was to spread out your study time. It stated that a six hour all night long cram session is not nearly as effective as six one hour sessions throughout the week. That may seem obvious to some but it wasn’t to me. In high school I never had to study so I have had some learning experiences already hear at UNI. I had a huge lab practical in my Organismal Diversity lab. I thought I could cram all of the needed material into my brain in one all nighter with the help of some red bull, but it turns out that I was poorly mistaken. My grade wasn’t the best. Now after reading and the experience I have a better working knowledge of how to study, and will use the tactics in the future.

Psychologists have theories for understanding memory because us humans have multiple memory systems, and each memory system has its own rules. Also because our memories are often incomplete, biased, and distorted. Psychologists also have theories because memory is different to everyone. The theories that they do have make memory more understandable. Before reading this chapter, I just thought memory was something that just happened to everyone so they could remember things in their lives that happened, but memory is actually defined as the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain information and skills. The book states that this capacity allows us to take information from experiences and store it for retrieval later. The most surprising thing from this reading for me was that memory is processed by several regions of our brains. I also learned that not all brain areas are equally involved in memory. Different brain regions are responsible for storing different aspects of information. I was also surprised by was the different types of amnesia that someone can get if they get a brain injury in their life. The most memorable thing I learned from this lesson was the section about how we actually forget some of our memories! The book used the example of ten minutes after you see a movie, you probably remember plenty of details, but the next week you might only remember the plot and main characters and than years later you might only remember the gist of the story. Forgetting is the inability to access memory from long-term storage. This is a normal, everyday experience. Forgetting is a desirable and useful aspect of human memory; it can even be necessary for survival. Forgetting helps us remember and use important information. The three main ways in which we can forget are interference, blocking, and absentmindedness. There are two types of interference; type number one is retroactive interference. In retroactive interference, access to older memories is impaired by newer memories. The second type is proactive interference, which is access to newer memories is impaired by older memories. Blocking often occurs because of interference from words that are similar in some way. The last type, absentmindedness, is the inattentive or shallow encoding of events. The psychological terms that I used were psychologists, memory systems, theories, memory, nervous system, brain, brain regions, amnesia, forgetting, interference, blocking and absentmindedness.

Psychologists have theories for understanding memories because there isn’t just one clear cut way to understand them. Memories are very intricate and it is hard to study because of the mysteries behind the human brain. We cannot simply describe a memory and move on because there are many things that create memories and a memory is more than just a “memory”. A memory is something that we can’t quite put our finger on because the memories are stored in different parts of the brain and sometimes in multiple parts of the brain. Another thing that throws scientists for spins about memories is that they are not facts. Memories are often influenced by how we perceived the event that we remember. If you are biased then you memories will also show that biasness. While we know the three steps of making a memory; encoding, storage, and retrieval; how a memory is stored is still a blurry science. Theories help clear up the blurriness by stating something that may or may not be true but gives us an idea of what happens. This helps us be able to understand something but yet we know that that may not be completely correct. I found it interesting how our brain has gaps in its subconscious actions. I have watched Brain Games on television and have seen the trick where they change the person who someone is talking to without them even noticing, this is called change blindness. Obviously there are some restrictions to this but I just find it amusing how our brains, as sophisticated as they are, can make such a huge slip up. Change blindness happens because our brain isn’t really breaking down the whole situation so the persons characteristics aren’t fully absorbed by the brain so when the person is switched; the brain can’t compare what it wasn’t paying attention to. Another thing that I found interesting was how to help with memorizing things. I used similar techniques last year in biology class to remember domains, kingdoms, species, etc. for the class. I would make up a crazy sentence out of the beginning of the letters and this was actually extremely effective for me. However, the most memorable thing out of the whole chapter to me was about the types and cases of amnesia. Retrograde amnesia is when a person loses their memories but can still make new memories. Anterograde amnesia is when a person loses the ability to make new memories. These types of amnesia were studied by psychologists who studied H.M. (a man who had brain surgery and lost ability to make new memories). They also found out about implicit memories which are memories we are not aware that we make. This was shown when he had to draw the star with a mirror and gradually got better over time even though he thought he had never drawn the star before.
The psychological terms I used were: memory, encoding, storage, retrieval, change blindness, retrograde amnesia, anterograde amnesia, implicit memory

Cassandra Rutledge
Memory
10/6/2014

Psychologists create theories for understanding memory because it is not totally clear on how memory works completely. There are different branches of memory that can not just be explained in one sentence and be done with it. Memory has different parts to it, and not every brain has the exact same way of creating a memory. The theories give people the outline of what is happening in the brain during the processes of memory.
Attention really took ahold of me, by making me focus on what the different ways to "pay attention". Attention ins the focusing on meneal resources on information; allows further processing for perception, memory, and response. There are two types of attention, visual and auditory attention. First off, visual attention, is paying attention to color, shape, size, orientation, and movement of an environmental object. The next one is auditory attention, which is involved with your hearing.
The experiments that were tested to prove the ways that we pay attention. The one for visual was counting different colored shape. The first part of the task was easy just counting the black shape was a breeze, but the second part they added only seeing the the green squares. This made it more difficult because you had to slow down and see the green square.
Terms: memory, pay attention, attention, visual attention, auditory attention, hearing, and vision

When certain information is encode, stored and retrieved, that process is called memory. Encoding is the first phase of memory, when information from the outside world reaches our senses. Storage is the second phase, when we keep information over a long period of time. Retrieved is the third phase of memory, recalling when the stored information is needed. . For example as I read this chapter I allowed information from the outside world to come in which is encoding. I kept what I learned, store]age and than to write this blog I retrieved that information.

The reason why psychologist study memory is because memory is very complex. We all use it in our day to day activity. It is different for everyone. Some people are able to recall information very quickly and some has a short term memory, have to sit and think about it. Everyone has a different way of storing, retrieving and encoding information. When students have the trouble retrieving information that was taught in class, it is not their brain, it is that they do not pay attention in class. There are two types of attention auditory attention and visual attention. For example when I meet someone new I remember their face than that persons name. When a topic about that person comes up I can picture their face but can not remember their name. Filter theory explains how we let in important information in and block out other information. For example if I am studying in my room, and someone is talking out in the hallway, my brain will block out that information, due to the fact that I should not be focusing on that subject. My brain will not filter that information.

Psychologist are unable to just describe memory and move on because we keep memory overtime. There are three part of memory storage sensory storage, short-term storage and long-term storage. In the sensory storage information is retained for a very short period of time. All five senses are being used. In short-term storage it maintains information for immediate use. It involves auditory, visual and semantic senses. In the third part long-term storage it stores information for a later time. It involves semantic, visual and auditory senses.

Theories explains the understanding of how our memory processes. They define where things came from, and only necessary information reaches our brain. It also helps our brain organize information. It is impossible for psychologist to explain everyone's memory. Memories can go so far back in our life. It is different for everyone, it is a very broad and complex topic.

The most memorable thing that I learned in this chapter was the, four processes that affect access of memories in long-term storage. The first one is the retrieval cues things that helps a person access a memory in long-term storage that can include context- dependent memory, state-dependent memory and mnemonics. The second process is the forgetting, the inability to retrieve a memory from long-term storage that can include interference, blocking and absentmindedness. The third process is the persistence continual recurrence of unwanted memories from long-term storage. The last process is the distortion memory is flawed in several ways that includes memory bias, flashbulb memories, misattribution and suggestibility.

Psychological terms- encode, stored, retrieved, memory, filter theory, sensory storage, short-term storage and long-term storage, auditory, visual, semantic, attention, auditory attention, visual attention, retrieval cues

Before the reading, I did not really think too much about what memory was considering most of us are just used to it happening. We don’t really think about what our brain is actually doing to recall those memories, knowledge, etc. To understand memory the way it is portrayed in the book we have to first know exactly what memory is. Memory is defined, according to the book, as the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain information and skills. That allows us us to store information for later use. We acquire that memories by processing information. The way that happens is that the information we want to store is changed into a neural code the can use.
With that being said psychologists have theories for understanding memory due to the fact that different things make up how memory works. This includes parts of the brain, as well as neurons, our eyes, etc. Everything works as a whole to help you process that information in order to create a memory of it. Their theories help us get an even better understanding of how memory works, or how it is affected. As well as receiving information on how certain illnesses can affect ones memory.
The most memorable thing I learned in the reading was on the paragraph talking about how people are convicted for faulty testimonies. In addition, it was interesting to read that police officers and prosecutors influence memory, both unintentionally and intentionally. They can shape and generate an eyewitness testimony since memory is pretty flexible.
Terms: neural code, Memory, Nervous System, Neurons, Capacity, Illnesses, Faulty Testimony, Retain, Knowledge.

Memory is the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain skills and knowledge for later retrieval. There is a three processing phase of memory. The first is encoding, the processing of information so that it can be stored. The second part is storage, which is the retention of encoded representations over time. And the last part is retrieval; the act of recalling or remembering stored information when it is needed. Psychologists have theories for understanding memory because memory is different to everyone, not two people have the same memory. Which makes it hard to describe what memory really is. One theory is that we filter the most important information out of everything that we encounter, known as the filter theory. This theory suggests that we only allow the most important information that we encounter though the day stay in our memory. Faces are important to be remembered because the memory of faces helps us understand what is going on around us and whether we feel threatened in a situation or not.
The most interesting thing to me was about change blindness. You would think after talking to someone, then them changing into another person, you would notice. The experiment they talked about in the book was surprising, the fact that half the people didn’t notice that the person changed and kept giving directions. When they explained in the book that we process those features very little in the first place it made sense why we wouldn’t notice. And because we didn’t process those features, they were never in our memory.
Terms: memory, encoding phase, storage phase, retrieval phase, filter theory, change blindness

We have some understanding of our memory and how it works, but we cannot prove for sure that this is how it works. Why do we have theories for understanding memory? We have theories so that we can explain why or how we remember things. The brain is very complex and we can’t for sure that everybody remembers things a certain way or that we all remember the same amount of information. We use theories because there is no way to make our memory explained with fact as the experiments that we are able to conduct don’t allow for that. If we conduct an experiment like George Miller did on the capacity of short term storage we will be able to get an idea of how much people can remember. They discovered that on average a person will be able to remember eight letters in 20 seconds, but they had to conduct this experiment with several people and it is not a guaranteed thing that they will get that answer with every person. That is why this is called a theory and not a fact. Theories really are just used so that we can get a better understanding of our memory so we can figure out how to create memories or how to store a long-term memory for the average person.
There was a lot of very interesting information in this chapter, but the most memorable thing to me was when they discussed how people mess up eyewitness accounts fairly often. This occurs when people are given suggestibility were an officer might feed them information on purpose or not that will change their memories and possibly identify the wrong person. Another reason why this might occur is change blindness. People don’t always retain enough of the details about a person to know if the person they were just talking to was replaced by another person let alone be able to tell the exact characteristics of a criminal over a longer period of time. The eyewitness has to be paying attention to the details while the event is happening instead of after it happens or it could cause some error. Another reason why someone might cause an error is because in less they really encode this memory by elaborative rehearsal they will likely not remember the details of the event. People also may forget a lot of the details because in less they are working memory processes to actively maintain information, which is not likely during a criminal event, they will most likely only be able to remember certain details for about 20 seconds. This is proven with the investigation of the duration of short-term storage.
Key terms: theories, capacity of short-term memory, long-term memory, suggestibility, change blindness, encode, elaborative rehearsal, memory processes, duration of short-term storage.

When I think of memory, I think of the most basic form of it; remembering stuff. Memory is much more complex than that. It has many different parts and functions that allow us to remember different things. There’s long term and short term memory. Long term allows you to remember things over a long period of time (example: how to ride your bike). Short term memory allows you to remember things for a brief period of time (example: what you at for breakfast). When short term memory is being used then, so is our working memory.
In three simple steps we are able to remember something. Those three steps are encoding, storage and retrieval. When we are in the process of remembering something, we are showing attention. Attention allows us to focus on the topic of interest in order to process it for perception, memory and response. After we have the attention, the information is stored. Retrieval is necessary to be able to recall what your attention was brought to.
Our brains capability to hold this much information is amazing. It does have a capacity limit for our short –term storage thinking though. In order to be able to store more information, our memory systems have created a function that allows you to be able to remember more. The function is called chunking. Chunking takes place when it starts working with the working memory and organizes information into meaningful units that are easier to remember. Another storage system in the brain is called sensory storage. Sensory storage holds bits of information gathered from your five senses for a brief period of time.
The reason why psychologists have many different theories for understanding memory is because everyone has different memories. Some have great ones and some have terrible ones. It’s the fact that they all can’t be placed in to one category. These theories help us understand the memory process by showing us the different steps and stages and by showing us that there are many different ways that someone could learn.
What I thought was interesting was about how we forget memories. I forget things all the time so I thought it was interesting to read why I do. I learned about retroactive interference (when old memories fade because new memories are made) and also about proactive interference (when new memories cannot be accessed due to old memories). I also learned that we can actually block memories from recurring.
Blocking, proactive interference, retroactive interference, forgetting, memory, short term memory, long term memory, chunking, sensory storage, encoding, storage, retrieval, attention, perception, response and working memory.

Psychologists have developed theories to aid in the understanding of memory because it is a very complex topic and in order for us to comprehend memory as a whole we must break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces (theories). One of the main reasons the concept of memory is so complex is that it is incredibly subjective. Each person has a collection of multiple memory systems and each system has its own unique function and because memory is subjective it can often be incomplete, biased, and distorted. There is a vast array of ways in which people remember certain things and because of it psychologists cannot simply define and describe what memory is. These theories that help break down this complex topic, which in return, makes it easier for us to understand it and for psychologists to test and research memory.
Something I learned from this chapter was the process in which we acquire our memories. Memory occurs in three processing phases. First, encoding where we take in information from our senses and transfer them into neural codes for the brain to use. Next our brains store that information, this phase is particularly subjective because we can store and retain information for a fraction of a second or as long as we live. Last is retrieval which is exactly how it sounds, it’s the ability for our brains to re-access previously processed information and apply it to current situations. These last two phases tie into forgetting, which is when our brain is unable to retrieve information.
What I found to be particularly memorable from the reading was the topic of memory bias. I find it intriguing that our minds will alter our memories over time to conform to our current beliefs, understanding, and attitudes as though our memories are stories that we can revise. We often tend to remember events casting ourselves in a favorable light and in prominent roles of situations and most people remember successes over failures. I found this section interesting because I have recently discovered that I often indulge myself in memories from my past I exaggerate my memories in both positive and negative ways. I have found that I remember sad or bad events as much worse than they actually were and I think the reason I have the tendency to do this is to come up with reasoning for why I may behave in a particular way (usually social) – I use my memories as a crutch (excuses). Something else I feel is incredibly intriguing is the concept of memory blocking, but in particular, repressed memories. It wasn’t really brought up in the text, but I’m immensely curious about how it works. I knew a girl in high school who discovered a quite unpleasant event that had been blocked from her memory for years and ever since then I’ve been interested in this topic
Psychological terms: subjective, memory, retention, encoding, memory retrieval, forgetting, neural codes, memory bias, memory blocking, repressed memories

I begin to think what memory is when I read the chapter title. Memory is the nervous system’s capacity and retain information and skills. In other words, the capacity allows us to store experience for retrieval later. However, memories are often incomplete, biased, and distorted. For example, two different people’s memories of one event can be different. Psychologists explain that we tend to remember personal relevant information and filter our memories through our own perceptions and knowledge. And the perception is altered through the processes of encoding, storage and retrieval.
The most interesting topic in this chapter to me was how we maintain our memory through three phrases. Just like any other parts of our body, there are three part to memory storage system. First, we have sensory storage. For the memory process to begin, we must first encounter stimulus which goes into sensory storage. The name "sensory storage" implies that something perceptual occurs. In fact, what enters into sensory storage are images (in the case of vision), or more precisely, after-images. Although the actual stimulus may have disappeared, we may still perceive it for a second or so. Second we got short-term storage in which maintaining information for immediate use. Mostly short-term storage stores a small amount of information based on auditory and visual. Genuinely, it only holds up to eight items for twenty seconds For example, we can remember a phone number for a few seconds and then we forgot. Last but not least, Long-term storage which stores information for re-access and use at a later time. This type of storage has limitless capacity and duration. In terms of complexity, there are different ways for people to access memories in long-term storage. For long-term storage, retrieval cues help us access information in long-term storage by providing information about the context of the encoded information. Some people are having a difficult time with long term storage mostly because of interference, blocking or absentmindedness which makes it unable to access information. Long-term storage helps both human and animal to adapt to environment in term of production and survival.
Psychologists had studied memory very closely because memory is a complex component of life. It is very important to understand memory in smaller pieces rather than a whole. Also because that memory has a lot of smaller parts and stages to it. As I mentioned above, memory can be different from person to person so it is very hard to exactly describe it. Therefore, psychologist tried to come up with theories so we can have better understanding of memory in general and how to improve it.

Terms: Memory, nervous system, sensory storage, encoding storage, retrieval, perceptual, short-term storage, long-term storage, auditory, interference, absentmindedness, capacity, retrieval cues.

Psychologists only have theories for understanding memory because everyone is different when it comes to their memories. Memories vary from person to person which causes research results to be wide and varied which is why they can’t simply describe memories. People’s memories are different because everyone experiences things differently. The way we acquire memories is by processing information, which can cause different outcomes resulting in different memories. The first step in the process of acquiring memories is encoding. During this phase, information is changed into a neutral code that the brain can use. The second phase is called storage. This is when information is maintained and stored in the brain. The last phase is retrieval. This is when the stored information is reaccessed for personal use. Recalling and using memory to our fullest potential requires us to have our full attention. By paying attention, we are focusing on certain aspects of information. The book showed a great example of visual attention on figure 7.3. The figure was a set of pictures. In the first picture, a woman was wearing a red blazer while surrounded by people in dark clothing. She obviously stands out and is the first thing you notice when looking at the picture. In the second picture, the woman is wearing the same red blazer by so are others around her, causing her to blend in with the group instead of sticking out.
It’s hard for psychologists to understand memory also because of everyone’s different sensory storage. Sensory storage is very brief memories that are only stored for short periods of time. Everyone remembers different things about their day. There’s also different types of storage. The first is short-term storage. An example could be two people could be walking through the park on a chilly fall day and remember different things about it. One person may remember the sound of the leaves crunching underneath their shoes as they walked while the other person might only remember the sounds of children playing in the distance. These two different memories may only be remembered for a few hours after they occur. The other form of storage is long-term storage, which is memories that are remembered for a longer period of time or are never forgotten. An example could be someone’s first kiss or their wedding day.
The most memorable things I learned while reading this chapter is the idea of change blindness. Change blindness is an individual’s failure to notice large visual changes in the environment. The book told of an experiment done by some people that demonstrated this idea of change blindness. A stranger went up to a man asking for directions. As the stranger talked to the man, he was momentarily blocked by a large object. While he was blocked, the stranger switched with someone else who was of the same race and sex. This switch up wasn't noticed by the participants all of the time. Half of the participants never noticed that they were taking to a different man than before, which just blows me away! How can someone not notice a change like that? I hope that if I were tested like that, I would notice the change in the stranger. I was shocked to see that some people’s visual awareness and memory was so distorted that they would notice the switch in people.

The psychological terms I used were memory, encoding, storage, retrieval, attention, change blindness, sensory storage, short-term storage, long-term storage, forgetting and distortion.

Chapter 7 focused on memory, the nervous system’s ability to acquire and retain skills and knowledge for late retrieval. The chapter delved into the importance of memory for functioning in everyday life. For each individual, however, memory is different. Different surrounding, perceptions, and influences can affect how a memory is formed and preserved. For example, two people who go on a date to a restaurant, then later a movie, will have very different memories of the event. The parts that seemed the most important to them will be ingrained in their minds while other details easily forgotten. They will also remember the personal feelings they experienced, such as nervousness, butterflies, or boredom. For this reason, phycologists have studied ways memory is formed to better understand how it works and is retained. One theory states that we automatically pay attention to and recognize basic visual features in an environment, such as color, shape, size, orientation, and movement. This behavior helps one to focus on a specific feature while blocking out other distractions. These are called visual and auditory attention and they are carefully selected through the filter theory. They create theories like this to help describe and understand why people cannot recall simple things, like what the stranger they just started talking to looked like (this is known as change blindness). By being able to figure out how people forget things or truly alter their memory, we can come to understand how to improve our memories and judge the credibility of others’ stories, such as witnesses in court. With this information, they developed methods one can use to remember something better, such as chunking and maintenance and elaborate rehearsal. They can also learn about how much the brain can store and process at one time. Going back to the filter theory, if the brain was not able to focus on one thing it would become exhausted and lose energy because it’s too busy processing all the senses and turning them into memories.

The most memorable thing I learned in this reading was the section on amnesia. I also knew amnesia meant being unable to remember things, but I did not realize there was something called anterograde amnesia. Anterograde amnesia is a condition is which people lose the ability to form new memories after a brain injury. The amnesia affects explicit, where one creates long-term storage that can be verbally described, and implicit memory, where one stores long-term memories they cannot verbally describe. In the book, H.M. was a man who had anterograde amnesia. H.M. could not create new explicit memories, but he could create implicit. He was able to learn how to perform certain tasks and then be able perform them the next day. He forgot personal memories but was able to subconsciously remember new abilities he learned. A life like this would be horrible. Every day would feel the same and you could never move forward with your life. You could try writing down everything you experience then reread it the next day, but this would eventually become mundane and depressing. It would be a very sad fate.

Memory, nervous system, attention, visual attention, auditory attention, filter theory, change blindness, chunking, maintenance rehearsal, elaborate rehearsal, anterograde amnesia, explicit memory, implicit memory

Prior to reading the chapter, I always thought of memory as just remembering past experiences and information throughout your life. Chapter 7 was all about memory. I learned so many new things that I had not known prior to reading the chapter. Memory is the nervous system’s capacity and acquire while holding onto information. Memories differ from person to person. You could have some of the same favorite memories, but there will be different details that a person will remember that are different from your own. These are why memories mean so much to each and every one of us. That is why psychologists have these theories, because memory is different to every single person. Memory is all about our perception of the things that have happened in our lives, or the events. We encode these events and put them into a neural code, and that is than put into the storage phase which can last anywhere from a second to your whole life. The last stage is retrieval, which you re-access the information that you stored. They can’t simply make a definition for memory and move on because memory is different for every single person. You would need to make a definition for each individual’s memory, which you just can’t. Psychologists have many theories to try and explain and understand memory and have it works. One of those theories is filter theory. Filter theory was developed by Donald Broadbent in 1958 to explain how we attend selectively are most important information. The filter lets in the important information but blocks out the not need, less important information. Another theory would be evolutionary theory, which helps explain how humans decide to what information will be useful and what won’t be useful.
The most memorable thing I took away from chapter 7 would be the long-term storage, which is everything you know and everything you are likely to know in your lifetime. This has nearly limitless capacity and it enables you to remember the things from your childhood such as your go to phrases, rhymes and so on. Seeing what goes into our long-term storage would be the things that help us adapt and change to our environment. The things we need to know to get past the day and survive. The other term would be short-term storage. These are just things that we don’t need to remember. We try to remember such as a number for something, but it has no mechanism to transport or encode the information in the short-term storage. Something that helps us store more is the working memory. The working memory is a system that allows different types of information to keep it available for current use. Without working memory we would only be able to hold only a certain amount of information.

Terms: Memory, Psychologists, Encode, Storage, Retrieval, Filter Theory, Long-Term Storage, Evolutionary Theory, Working Memory, Short-Term Memory

Psychologists have theories for understanding memory because everyone’s memoires are different. Some people have amazing memories, like a photogenic memory other do not remember things as easily. Psychologists also cannot just cut open someone’s brain and see all their memories and how they are processed.
We cannot simply describe memory and move on because there are so many different parts to memory. Memory is the nervous systems capacity to acquire and retain information and skills. People acquire memories by processing them in a phase called encoding. Encoding is when your brain changes information. Then there is a phase called the storage phase. In this phase is how you maintain the coded representation in a network of neurons in your brain. The third phase of memory is retrieval. In this phase you are able to re-access your memories. There are also different ways we remember things through seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and touching. Also different types of memories, which include short-term memory and long-term memory. There are many things that can happen to our memory. People can get retrograde amnesia, which is when people lose memories from the past event, facts, people, and even their own personal information. Another type of amnesia is anterograde amnesia; this type of amnesia is when people cannot form new memories. There are many different things that go into memory that is why they cannot simply describe memory and be done with it.
Different theories of memory help us understand memory because it is how physiologist believes we remember things. The theories that have to do with memory help us see how we are thought to process memory. No one can cut open our brain and watch us process memories, so people come up with a solid theory to show people the basic understanding of memory.
The most memorable thing I read was about different types of amnesia. Amnesia is a sad thing. I could not image having retrograde amnesia and not remember facts, event, people and even personal information or having anterograde amnesia and not being able to make new memories with new people in your life. Also all the different types of memories explicit memory when you can intentionally retrieve and describe information. Episodic memory, which involves your personal experiences and within your episodic memory comes your semantic memory, which is the knowledge of facts and personal experiences. Another type of memory is implicit memory, which are memories we are not conscious of. Procedural memory involves motor skills, habits, and behaviors that lead to achieving goals. The last type of memory is prospective memory this type of memory is future oriented.
Memory, long-term memory, short-term memory, encoding, processing, retrieving, amnesia, retrograde amnesia, anterograde amnesia, procedural memory prospective memory, explicit memory, episodic memory, semantic memory, implicit memory

Before studying this chapter, I simply thought memory is information that we can remember from our everyday activities. However, memory is very complex process than I think. Memory is the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain information skills. Psychologists have developed various theories to understand about memory better because our memories are often incomplete, biased and various. That is, even though some people experience same something at same place and same time, their memory can be different greatly because they have different perception, thought and characteristics. In other words, memories are not “truth,” but our perception of what occurred. For instance, I have a good memory about my first boyfriend, but some people don’t have. For this reason, psychologists also can’t simply describe what memory is and move in. One sentence can’t be explained what memory is and move in. To understand about memory exactly, we should consider three processing phases of memory. In the process, in the encoding, our brain changes information from our senses into a neural code the brain can use. And storage phase is how we maintain the coded representation in a network of neurons in the brain. In this phase, there are three storage systems such as sensory storage, short-term storage, and long-term storage. Finally, retrieval phase of memory is that we re-access the information for use.
The most memorable thing I learned was about two kinds of amnesia that the ability to store most types of new information in long-term storage. In the amnesia, retrograde amnesia is that people lose memories for past events, facts, and people and anterograde amnesia is that people lose the ability to form new memories. When I watched a Korea drama before, character of the drama had retrograde amnesia by car accident so he couldn’t remember his girlfriend at all and the story was progressed how he find his memory and girlfriend gradually. I can understand circumstance of the hero well through this chapter.

Memory is described as the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain information and skills. Although there seems to be a pinpoint definition, memory is a very complex thing. Memory can be broken down in many different aspects; just processing information involves three phases. The encoding phase, where your brain changes the information into neural code, the storage phase involves maintaining the coded neurons and retrieval phase, is when you re-access the information for everyday use. The memory is stored in the memory storage system, which is also three parts. Sensory storage is where the information from the five senses is briefly stored. Then moves to short-term storage, which briefly holds a limited amount of storage. For example, it is stored by repeating information or chunking, where the information is grouped into meaningful sections. Lastly, long term storage where almost permanent information is stored at an unlimited amount in two types of memory: explicit or implicit. Explicit memory refers to a memory we can retrieve and describe easily where as implicit memory to memories we are not aware of. After learning about all of different aspects of memory there is no way to have a simple black and white description of what memory is and what it involves.
To me, I feel like there would be an overwhelming amount of information, memories, facts, dates, etc., located in the long term storage, so it was interesting to learn about all of it is organized based on the meaning. It organizes all of the information using schemas and association networks. Schemas are involved with the term I mentioned earlier, chunking, by developing how to chunk the certain pieces of information in a memorable way. The book used the example of books in a library; if the librarians did not place the books in order by the author’s last name, people would have to search for books for hours. Which would be how we would store our memories and information and would make it much harder for us to recall these things.
Another thing that was interesting was from the chapter were the two different types of amnesia, which are retrograde and anterograde amnesia. I thought it was interesting how an injury or surgery could cause long-term affects like in Henry Molaison’s (H.M.) case of long-term amnesia. The fact that he cannot retain any new information about explicit memories, but can still use his implicit memory to perform activities is amazing to me. Also the fact that depending upon the where the injury is located affects the type of memory that is disrupted and the type of amnesia the patient has. Then the chapter also goes on to explain the severity of H.M.’s anterograde amnesia and how he can hold a conversation for as long as he wants, but then he would forget the conversation in less than a minute.
The list of psychological terms I used were: memory, encoding phase, storage phase, retrieval phase, memory storage system, sensory storage, short-term storage, long-term storage, chunking, explicit/implicit memory, schemas, association networks, amnesia, retrograde/anterograde

Memory is a complicated thing. They are created by encoding information from any sensory stimuli. There are many regions in the brain that process information. Memories can be changed or altered, like when it comes to bias, misread signs, or suggestibility. There is sensory memory, in which a large amount of information is stored for a little while to ensure constant experiences to senses. There is short-term memory, in which active processing in working memory increases the capacity and duration of the process. There is also long-term storage in which memories are permanent and limitless for encoded information. There are so many processes, stages, and theories developed through memory because memory is so complex. It is like a subjective experience for every person. That is why psychologists have theories for understanding memory-it is because there are so many factors when it comes to understanding it. It is very difficult to simply describe what a memory is and move on because there is so much to it. For example, memory comes with three stages: encoding, storage, and retrieval. Encoding involves information being changed into a code for the brain to use, like a reader encoding the visual input. Storage is when information is maintained, like when a reader stores information from the book they have been reading. Retrieval is coming back to that information for further use, like when the reader recalls a piece of information for an exam, for example. These three stages are just examples of why it is so difficult to put an exact definition on memory. Theories give us an understanding of the memory process. They help us understand what goes on in the brain when it works with memory. The most memorable thing that I learned in this chapter was about the specific regions in the brain and their function with memory. The prefrontal cortex is the working memory, and it is located near the front of the brain. The temporal lobe works with explicit memory, and it is a smaller section underneath the prefrontal cortex. The amygdala and the cerebellum both work with implicit memory, and they are down at the bottom of the brain. Each region has a complex function with memory, and that is really interesting to me.
Psychological terms: Encoding, sensory memory, short-term memory, long-term memory, storage, retrieval, prefrontal cortex, temporal lobe, explicit memory, amygdala, cerebellum, implicit memory.

Morgan Sowers

Psychologists have theories for understanding memory because memory is a complex thing and theories help to explain the way memory works. Theories help us to understand the memory process by explaining things such as the filter theory which explains why we notice important and/or relevant information and why we sometimes don’t notice non-relevant information. Another way theories help to understand memory is in the case of change blindness. The example in the book where people are switched around when blocked by a large object is a popular theory that has been tested by psychologists as well as many every day people with video cameras. While I was reading about change blindness I recalled watching the aforementioned YouTube videos while in my high school psych class. It used to be thought that all memories were of the same type but it is now known that there are many forms of memory that use different parts of the brain. A few examples of different types of memories are as follows: an explicit memory can be recalled at a whim and described in detail, an episodic memory pertains to the time and location of our own experiences, a semantic memory is what we know about things even though we don’t remember learning it, implicit memories regard memories that we aren’t aware of, procedural memory are remembering how to do things, such as driving or riding a bike, without thinking about it, and prospective memory pertains to what we need to remember to do in the future. The most memorable thing I read in the chapter was about the Russian newspaper reporter that had so much trouble forgetting information that he was actually institutionalized. I think it’s crazy that something so many people wish they could do (remember everything) actually made someone “crazy”. It puts things into perspective. The two most surprising things I read in the chapter was that people have numerous memory systems, each with their own sets of rules, and also that people don’t really remember information as it is. I thought it was pretty incredible that our brain encodes what we learn and puts the code into storage and can later retrieve it when it is needed. The psychological terms that I used were: Memory, Encoding, Storage, Retrieval, Explicit Memory, Episodic Memory, Semantic Memory, Implicit Memory, Procedural Memory, and Prospective Memory.

I was very interested in the chapter because I really struggle with memory. There are times where I’m in the middle of sentence, and I can’t remember what I was going to say. I know this happens once in a while to most people, but it seems to happen to me a lot. I also lose my stuff a lot. My mom will say, “Well, try to think back to where you left it,” and the hard part is that I draw an absolute blank. Sometimes, when I find whatever I was searching for, I have no memory of putting it there or even being in that room.” I know that there was something going on in my brain, but I was really cool to learn why I can’t remember things or how I make memories.
Even though the book defines memory as, “The nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain skills and knowledge for later retrieval,” it is not a simple as it seems. There are many things that go into memory, such as encoding, storage and retrieval, yet that isn’t as simple as it gets. There are different processes for remembering something for ten seconds versus ten years. Then there are the questions, “what was remembered,” or “what wasn’t remembered.” Is there any bias, misattribution or suggestibility? There are multiple brain regions that process memory information, which is a sign of how complex it really is. Psychologists have theories to try to explain what this complex system of memory is. There is no way to describe it in just one sentence or even one paragraph. Some of the theories in the book included: context-dependent memory effect, the forgetting curve, flashbulb memories, misattribution, persistence, absentmindedness, blocking or interference, just to name a few.
By combining all the theories about a memory, a large picture can start to form about how memory works. For example, context-dependent memory affects links to misattribution, which links to memory bias, and so on. All of the theories will form a working definition about memory that can be used to increase our understanding about the neural complexity it employs.
The most interesting part of the chapter was the section that applied to remembering things for exams. This section was like a dream come true for me. A lot of my classes involve remembering reagents for chemical reactions, chemical pathways and a bunch of big words that I find hard to understand. By reading this section, I learned that the area I struggled with was processing the information deeply. I usually read the information and called it good. I’m actually excited to try these tricks on my organic test next week. Bring it on Midterms!!

Psychological Terms: memory, encoding, storage, retrieval, distortion, persistence, interference, forgetting, absentmindedness, blocking, context-dependent memory, flashbulb memories, misattribution

After reading Chapter 7 on memory, I have learned a lot about how memories become engrained in our brains and different types of memories. From the moment we’re born we’re learning. Although we are always learning, there is no way for our brains to store all the information we take in, to access it later. This is the whole point to memories. Memory is defined as the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain information and skills. A memory is understood through three processing phases in the brain. We obtain all information from the world, to process into memories, through our senses. Through sight, touch, taste, sound, and feeling the environment for information to remember, the brain is in the encoding phase. The encoding phase is when the brain changes the information brought in from the senses, and changes it into neural codes the brain can understand. This phase can only be done through the use of attention, being alert and focused on certain information. Once the brain changes this information, there is the storage phase. The storage phase is how the codes and networks are maintained in the brain. In other words, how the information is stored in the brain. The last phase is the retrieval phase, which is when you can re-access the stored information to use at another time.
The way we pay attention to certain information, store information, and other aspects of memories has led to the formation of theories. Psychologists have to have theories for understanding memory because there are different types of memories, ways they are stored, and amount of time a memory is kept in the brain. A memory is not a simple aspect, but a complex network within the brain. A Psychologist can’t say, “A memory is just something you remember”. It’s not that simple; there is no way the brain can retain every aspect of the world through the senses. With that being said, how does the brain decide what information to remember or how long the information will need to be stored in case you need it. Theories are needed to better understand and try to answer these questions. One theory having to do with attention is the filter theory. The filter theory was developed to explain how we pay attention to, and selectively concentrate on, the most important information. Attention is like a filter; the most important information goes through the filter, while irrelevant stuff is pulled out and not focused on. Another theory proposed on memory was dealing with memory storage. The theory states that there are three different types of stores, sensory, short-term, and long-term storage. Each store retains different encoded input and has a definite amount of information it can hold, for a certain length of time. The Three-Part Memory Storage System illustrates how memories are stored. Sensory storage is used to create a perceptional continuity for the world. Short-term storage is when the information retained will need to be accessed immediately, while long-term storage is used for information that will not be needed for a long time. These theories help me better understand how information is kept in my brain. I didn’t think about how my memories were stored in my head and that I control what my memories can or cannot be, depending on the information’s importance.
I think one of the most interesting parts of the chapter was the part about change blindness. Change blindness when we do not notice changes in our environment, due to the fact that we cannot focus on every detail of the visual information being taken in. The example the book gave was interesting. The example was if a random person walked up to you asking for directions, and a large object blocked your view of them for a couple of seconds, and the person was switched out with another of same race and gender, you would not notice the difference. After thinking about this, I would like to think that I would notice if I started talking to a completely different person. The experiment shows that in an example such as this, we are not paying attention to what the person looks like, or what they are wearing, rather, on giving accurate directions. We don’t process their features, and so the information was never encoded into a memory. It’s interesting to understand how not paying a certain amount of attention to something, can make it not become a memory. It’s strange to think how many things happen on a day-to-day basis that won’t become a memory because I paid no attention to it.

Psych Terms: memory, encoding phase, Three-Part Memory Storage System, storage phase, retrieval phase, attention, filter theory, change blindness

Psychologists have theories for understanding memory because it is a complex process that can be different for everyone. There are also different forms of memory such as short-term storage, long-term storage, explicit memories, implicit memories, procedural memories, and prospective memories to name some. Memories are created by the brain encoding information from sensory inputs. This information is then held in storage and is retrieved by accessing the previously encoded and stored information. This process can be different and more complex very each individual, and so it’s difficult to simply state what memory is exactly. Different people are better at specific forms of memory than others and at different times. Memories, therefore, are not “truth” but actually our perception of what occurred, which may be altered. The theories that psychologists have for memories help with our understanding of memory processes greatly, however, because even if each theory doesn’t apply to every person specifically, they can be roughly applicable to the understanding of the basic processes of memory, and they can be used to learn new information about specific types of memory by comparing their information with the information they may get from another person. Each different theory can aid in the understanding of different memory processes and problems such as retrograde and anterograde amnesia and also how processes such as distortion works.
I think that the most memorable thing that I learned while reading chapter 7 was how our memories can actually be distorted realities conjured by our mind. We may think that we remember a specific event, but it is shown that our memories are usually less than accurate. Memory bias, flashbulb memories, misattribution, and suggestibility are all examples of distortion. Memory bias is interesting to me specifically because it is the changing of memories over a period of time to be consistent with your current beliefs. We may revise our memories when they contradict with what we now believe and we even may change them to show us in a more favorable light. This really shows how unreliable our own memories can really be because we very well could unconsciously be changing them to make ourselves look better or to create a more suitable outcome that we had wanted to see.
Overall, I learned a lot about memory from reading this chapter, and even things that I will be able to use to remember things better in the future.

terms: memory, short-term storage, long-term storage, explicit memories, implicit memories, procedural memories, prospective memories, encoding, storage, retrograde amnesia, anterograde amnesia, distortion

Learning is something we all do. How does it work? Why does it work? Some questions like this are reasons why learning is only a theory. We are not able to prove the things we know are exactly factual and we are always finding out new things about how we learn. Memory is something that is confusing because everyone does it but we aren’t sure of how it is processed in the brain. There are many things we do know about learning and types of learning.
Learning works by processing information, encoding, then it is moved to storage where the information is stored over time. We have two types of memory and they are short term and long term memory. We are able to use these for specific things. Retrieving information can be difficult if we do not pay attention to the information being presented to us. One way information can be impaired is change blindness where things in large actions are changed in the environment. Another way memory can be impaired or altered is amnesia. There is retrograde amnesia which is where people lose memories before the injury. The opposite of that would be anterograde amnesia.
Something I found really interesting about this chapter was the long term memory. I just thought that long term memory was something that we kept information for a long time. While it is information that we keep long periods of time, it is more complicated than that. Explicit memory is one of the things that I found interesting to read about because this is something we can describe to someone. While implicit memory is something that can’t be told because it is unconscious information stored in long term memory. I find myself using episodic memory a lot now that I know what it means. This type of memory helps me relate things to my personal experiences and develop long term memory. Consolidation is something that interested me about long term memory. It sparked my interest because it is weird how we remember something right away, and that is what consolidation is, and others we can’t remember for our test the next day.
Key Terms: consolidation, episodic memory, implicit memory, explicit memory, long term memory, short term memory, anterograde amnesia, retrograde amnesia, attention, encoding, change blindness, memory

Memory is the nervous systems capacity to acquire and retain skills and knowledge for later retrieval. We acquire memories by processing information. There are three processing phases of memory, Encoding, Storage, and Retrieval. during the encoding process your brain changes information into a meaningful neurocode that you can use. The storage phase is the stage where you maintain the code in a network of neurons located in the brain. In the retrieval stage, you re-asses the information that you previously stored.
Psychologists have theories for understanding memory so that they can understand it better. They want to know why we remember the things we do and how we remember them. Donald Broadbent developed the filter theory in 1958 to explain how we selectively attend to and remember important information over non important information. When attempting the activity in the book its pretty obvious how true the theory seems to be.
Psychologists cant just explain memory and move on because everything needs some kind of proof. If scientists just said we can recall things that we see and hear because of a process that occurs in our brain then we would need more explanation. When theories are made they need to find some kind of evidence to back it up.
The theories that psychologists do come up with can help our understanding of memory processes. When reading about the theories about how memory works it makes me feel as if I can recall the process as it happens. The theories can help us improve our memories as well. If we know how memories are made, we can take that extra step to make a memory when we know we want to remember. A lot of people may refer to that process as taking a mental note.
The most memorable thing I took from this chapter was the portion on short term and long term storage. I think it is crazy how we can only remember certain things for a certain amount of time. Short term storage includes the working memory. The working memory allows things to be kept in short term storage. Short term storage can only remember approximately seven things for approximately 18 seconds. However, more items can be crammed into short term storage by using a trick called chunking. When using chunking, you can group items and then remember all of the items as groups instead of individually. This way you can put a lot more in your short term storage. Long term storage can remember a lot more in formation over a longer period of time. This is what stores the stuff seen as more important, such as the alphabet. It is much easier for things to be put in long term storage when they are often repeated. It is also easier to recall things from long term storage than from short term storage.
These are the things I found most important from the chapter. The brain just continues to amaze me with everything it is capable of doing.

Terms Used: Memory, Encoding, Storage, Retrieval, Short Term Storage, Long Term Storage, Working Memory, Chunking

When it comes to psychologists proving their understanding of memories, it can’t be done. The reason is because the technology simply is not yet available. However, there is strong evidence to show what they believe to be happening in the brain. This is where they develop their theories. An example of one of their theories is how all humans store, as well as process memories in their brain. There are three types of memory storage according to this theory. These are long-term memory, short-term memory, and sensory storage. Despite the fact that they can’t be physically seen, there is a great deal of data that backs up that they do indeed, exist. Another thing is that every person is different. When it comes to applying theories, it’s impossible to apply the same theory to every individual in the world and have it be accurate. This just goes to show how complex and hard understanding memory storage is. When it comes to the stage of encoding, things that come into play are audio attention, visual attention, and perceptions by changing into neural code, which is then understood by the central nervous system. Also, when psychologists talk about memory recollection, they must take into consideration what’s happening when your brain doesn’t recall the necessary information. The results of such thinking is theories such as forgetting, blocking, and absent mindedness, which have all been well studied. These processes are a part of memory, and is easy to see why it is not easy to give the term, memory, a simple definition. Storing, coding, and retrieving information are phases by the human brain that are truly remarkable and interesting, and they tie into memory as well. There is so much more out there to be explored when it comes to memory as well. As technology gets more advanced, I’m sure new studies and theories will be made regarding memory.
There are many things in this chapter that I found interesting. One thing was filter theory. Bottomline, you can’t pay attention to every single little thing that is going on around you in your environment. This is where filter theory comes in. You filter out the things that aren’t important to you and have no relevance. Other terms that tie along with this is auditory attention, as well the attended input and ignored input. When I talk to two people at once and they are both saying something to me, I can’t process what each person is saying at once. I’m only human. I end up tuning one person out and focus my attention on the other, which is selective listening. Another thing I found interesting was that every time you access or recall a memory, you are actually recalling the last time you thought about the memory. When each time the memory is slightly different, its known as reconsolidation. One thing that intrigued me was change blindness, which is the failure to notice large visual changes in the environment. You would think that people would notice such a change, but many actually do not recall any change whatsoever. One more thing that stood out to me was memory bias, which is the changing of memories over time so that they become consistent with our current beliefs or attitudes. Most people tend to remember events in a way that shines on them favorably. People revise their memories so they match their current beliefs. Finally, the Scott Hagwood story grabbed my attention right away. The story is about Scott who found out that he had thyroid cancer, and how he taught himself to use his memory skills to the best of his abilities. He wanted to greatly improve his memory before the effects of the cancer took place. He told himself that things mean more than they actually do, and this resulted in him remembering things. He also put things into sentences, and this allowed him to remember things easily for him. Overall, this chapter was a great read, and I learned new and interesting things regarding memory that I didn’t know before.
Terms: short-term memory, long-term memory, sensory storage, neuron, encoding, storing, retrieving, theories, disease, audio attention, visual attention, central nervous system, filter theory, attended input, ignored input, reconsolidation, memory bias

Chapter seven consisted of an in-depth analysis of the topic memory. From the books definition, memory is the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain information and skills. In this chapter I learned several things about memory. I learned we acquire memories by processing information. There are three phases of memory: encoding, storage, and retrieval. After reading about how these processes work, I learned that I have been identifying memory as learning. It was good to see the examples, definitions, and take mental note of contrasts between the two topics. Another topic from the book is attention. Attention is being alert and focused to something specific. Luckily, we have limited attention. This helps us block out irrelevant information, and focus on the important things. This is exactly what the example in class represents. If a professor doesn’t have limited attention, he or she wouldn’t be able to give a lecture because they would be so focused on every person’s movement in the room. Instead, their attention is drawn to big, sudden movements like a student when raising their hand.
Psychologists have theories for understanding memory because the topic is immense. If everything related to memory would just be called “memory”, the definition of memory would be enormous. So many forms of memory are discussed in the book. Episodic, semantic, implicit, procedural, and prospective are just a few of the types of memory that the book gives a brief overview of. Some psychologists dedicate their lives to researching and learning more about just one of those topics. Theories have to be formed, because it helps psychologists, and everyone, better understand memory and how the brain functions in regard to memory. What is so interesting about psychologists studying different aspects of memory is how they see all different sorts of rare things or even things that are unbelievably common but we don’t notice them. Thankfully psychologists do have theories otherwise we would not understand these rare or common things. Memory isn’t a topic that can be discussed and moved on from because it applies to everyone in different ways. There isn’t an easy way to describe all of the aspects of memory; it is far too complex. Theories help us understand our memory process by giving us ways to improve memory and also to understand how those things work in relationship to the human brain.
The most memorable thing about this chapter, to me, was episodic memory. Endel Tulving observed these two types of explicit memory in 1972. Episodic memory refers to our personal experiences and includes information about the time and place each experience occurred. The book used a person’s sixteenth birthday as an example. Typically, because of episodic memory, they remember where they were and what they did. What made this topic so interesting to me was thinking back to my sixteenth birthday, I remember nearly everything about it. I even remember what the cupcakes I got from a friend looked like. This was very interesting and surprising to me because I can’t even remember what I had for breakfast yesterday. Even if episodic information is affected with something such as brain damage, one can still remember due to semantic memory. Semantic memory comes from long-term storage and is not connected to episodic memory. Researchers know this because of studies. Once again, another example of why theories are important. We now know that even if one’s episodic memory is destroyed, they still have a chance at remember through semantic memory. This chapter taught me a great deal about memory and why it is psychologically important to study.
Terms used: memory, limited attention, attention, episodic memory, semantic memory, implicit memory, procedural memory, prospective memory

Memory is a lot more complex than people give it credit for. Mostly anything dealing with the mind is very intricate, and not just a simple function. Most people feel like our memory works the same as a video camera, but that's not the case at all. Not all experiences are equally likely to be remembered. Some experiences in life leave no memory while others are remembered, but later forgotten. The process in which we store information in our memory is called encoding. I know about most of the basic terminology in psychology, but some (such as encoding) always slip passed me, and I continue to learn new things! Sometimes people render memories the way they want to remember them by putting bits and pieces together that they can remember. Some people are better able to put memories into their storage than others. Men are notorious for having bad listening skills when talking to women, and this is why they get into trouble with their significant other if they were not listening. We as men have trouble with retrieval due to the lack of paying attention to when women talk, we are not entirely sure why, but we do our best to listen. I am beginning to think it may have to do with the filter theory that Donald Broadbent developed. We filter out the irrelevant information, and pay attention to the important information, but when it comes to women, all their information is relevant to us, even when it's not. Memory plays a huge role when engaging women because they love when you remember the small details about them that they thought we would forget. Our five senses play a role in our memory, whether we know it or not. This type of memory storage is known as sensory storage, and an example of sensory storage would be a blind person remembering their surroundings. A lot of the theories that have sprung up over the years help give people a better understanding of how memory works by reflecting on their experience with memory. Some people have different classes of memory such as short-term memory and long-term memory. The type of memory that I use the most is elaborative rehearsal because I use new information to relate to my life a lot, and this seems to be the most effective way for me to remember new data. The new and interesting thing to me was the retrograde amnesia and anterograde amnesia. The reason that these to forms of memory loss are interesting to me is because I played the sport that is infamous for head injuries, football. I got hit hard a lot growing up in high school, and definitely felt like my brain got thrown around in my head. I actually experienced anterograde amnesia a while after one football practice. I had been wrecked really bad one day, and it was hard for me to do homework because the information would go in but just disappear the next day. The worst memory that I struggle with is prospective memory, I always forget something that I need to do in the future unless I write it down somewhere. A lot of my memories are distorted and at times I worried that there was something wrong, but according to research, it's actually normal for memories not to be 100% accurate. I am jealous of the people who have that special photographic memory, and barely have to study for tests. No one really knows why people have different levels of memory, but theories continue to assist us to understand the mind much better. Memory is crucial, without it there would be no reason to go to school. I would have failed my quiz if I didn't train my memory to be so accurate.

terms: memory, encoding, storage, attention, retrieval, sensory storage, short-term and long term storage, elaborative rehearsal, retro grade amnesia, anterograde amnesia, forgetting, distortion,

Psychologist cannot prove anything about our memories. Memory has a lot of things that goes with it. First there are different types of memory. There is information that we get from touching something, or using our sense and that is in our sensory memory. It will not last along time, but it will let you have a lot of information. Another kind is short-term memory. This is things that we hear or see. It does not have a lot of things that it can keep. It depends if you can make something mean something if you will remember it. If you can than you will remember it if you cannot you probably will not be able to remember. The book talks about people in the memory competition using this. The third is long-term memory. This will almost be there forever. You can hold a lot of things in it. The book talks about if there is something that will help you stay alive it will probably be in your long-term memory. Being able to remember something there are things you have to do. The first thing you do is encoding it. You change what you see so you can understand it. The next thing is you store it. The more you go over it the more you will be able to remember it. Then you retrieve the things you store. Theories can help us understand how we remember things.

The thing that I will remember is elaborative rehearsal. It makes sense. It wants you to be able to make a connection between something. This makes sense you make a connection between something and something you have seen you will remember it because it is more personal. It is more close you so you will remember it. The book uses the example of the people in the memory contest. The people need to remember something so they make a connection that is personal to them. This makes it close to them. Then they will be able to remember it. People could associate a combination with important numbers. These numbers could be a birthdate. A birthdate is personal and you will remember it so now you will remember the combination. They do this so they can remember it because that combination is important. The combination may open a locker or something else.

Theory, memory, sensory memory, short-term memory, long-term memory, encoding, storage, retrieval, elaborative rehearsal

Memory is defined as the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain skills and knowledge for later retrieval. Psychologists have theories behind memory, because they have to go through different phases in the memory process. The first stage that memory has to go through is encoding, which is defined as changing information into a neural code that the brain can use. The next phase is storage, which is defined as maintaining information for sometime. In the book the example is used that the boy is taking notes so it will help him remember the information for a certain test or quiz. Then the final phase is retrieval, which is defined as re-accessing the information for use. Again the book used the example of a boy studying for the exam. Which is he keeps studying for the exam, it is more likely that he will be able to retrieve the information when it is time for the exam. You can’t just simply define memory and move on, because like I explained above there are different phases that has to happen in memory to actually make it a memory. But even if a certain even goes through the three phases of memory, you can experience memory failure. The book used the example of video failure, the same thing can happen with your memory . I know we all have experienced that on an exam, where we see a certain question remember studying the material but can’t seem to remember the correct answer.
In 1958 Donald Broadbent developed the filter theory, which basically explains we choose what we want to remember. There are certain things we deem as important so they are stored in our memory. Some stimuli evoke emotions, which can really capture our attention. The book gave the example of faces. They provide important social information.
Something in this reading that I found most surprising was probably the filter theory. Just because when you learning something you always think, “oh I’ll remember that” and don’t really bother to look over your notes. Then when exam time rolls around you don’t remember and you are cramming for the exam. So this explains that we do have a selective memory, even if we don’t mean to we do. We remember what we want to remember. I really didn’t find this surprising but I did find it interesting. retrograde amnesia is a condition where people lose the ability to access memories they had before a brain injury. Which that one I’m not surprised about. The anterograde amnesia is a condition in which people lose the ability to form new memories after experiencing a brain injury. Which that one I did find quite surprising, just because if their grandchild is born they won't have that memory because of a certain brain injury that they had.
Terms: memory, encoding, retrieval, storage, filter theory, stimuli, theory

Psychologists have created theories for understanding memory because memories are not always accurate to what happened. Memory is the nervous system’s capacity to retain information and skills. For instance memories like the first time riding a bike, or how to make peanut butter cookies are memories. Memories cannot just be described because no one has the same memory of the same event. Everyone hears and sees different things and will remember different things as time passes. This is why police look for witnesses of a crime. Each witness tells the police what they remember and then the police try to piece together a story of what actually happened. The reason for this is because each person may have their attention towards a different object at the start of an incident. Attention is what we hear and see that directs us to remember things like a shiny red ball, or a very loud train. One of the main theories of memory is how we acquire the memories. We get our memories in three phases. The first is encoding where our mind tries to remember all of the important information like words and pictures. The next phase is storage where the information is either stored or forgotten because of its irrelevance. The third phase is retrieval where the brain tries to retrieve the information so it can be remembered. Another theory is the filter theory where the mind filters out the information that we do not need. The most important information is stored and the rest is determined to be not important and is not remembered. Theories like these help our understanding of memory because they help us decide what ways are better for remembering information. An example of this is writing down notes for a class instead of typing them because it has been proven that people remember the information better.
One of the most memorable parts of the chapter was about short and long term memory. When the brain encodes the information and is about to store it the information will either be stored as a short-term memory or a long-term memory. Short-term memory is very quick memory of things that the person needs to know right that moment like hearing a car horn while walking down the street and realizing you are in the middle of the road and are about to be hit. Short-term memory has a working memory where the encoded information is worked at quickly to understand what needs to happen. Short- term memory can hold on average seven items. Long-term memory is usually what people refer to as memory because it is what people remember for long periods of time. This memory is almost infinite in the amount it can hold stating from about the age of four to until we die. The best ways to remember items for the long term is through Maintenance rehearsal, where the item is repeated over and over until it is naturally remembered. The other way is through Elaborative rehearsal where the item is remembered based on what it means in a deeper context. The storage capacity of the mind is amazing and is hard for most people to imagine. The mind is a mysterious place and works in many different ways to make our lives unforgettable.
Psychological terms: memory, nervous system, attention, encoding, storage, retrieval, filter theory, short-term memory, long-term memory, working memory, Maintenance rehearsal, Elaborative rehearsal

Memory is the nervous system's capacity to acquire and retain information and skills. It is information that we are later able to retrieve without having to look up the answer. We remember things by processing information. First we encode--encoding is the process where our brain changes information from what you see or hear into a neural code. Then we store--the storage phase is how we store and maintain that processed neural code, which can last years or anything as short as a fraction of a second. There are three types of memory stores: sensory storage, which briefly lets us acquire a large amount of information from any or all of the five senses; short-term storage, which briefly holds a small amount of information in awareness, and long-term storage; which allows somewhat permanent storage. The third process of memory is retrieval, which is the remembering part of the stored information as needed. Attention, the act of listening and looking, allows us to encode a memory.

I think psychologists have theories for understanding memories because no one remembers or experiences the same thing in the same way. It is also complex and has many stages and many types. Memories are a very personal thing and can be hard to judge. Things associated with memory are also constantly developing and changing, with dementia, amnesia, alzheimer's, and other conditions.

I found absentmindedness the most memorable because I am the definition of it. Absentmindedness is the inattentive or shallow encoding of events. I always misplace my belongings because I'm thinking about something else. I also often forget what I was going to do when I go into another room because my mind was wandering. I know now when I put down something important, like my keys or wallet, to say to myself "This is where my keys are going!" so I remember for when I need them next.

This chapter overall was interesting, because I have such a hard time recalling information. I'm really hoping what I learned will help me in the future!

Terms used:
Memory, encoding, storage, sensory storage, short-term storage, long-term storage, retrieval, attention, absentmindedness

Memories are something that you have to look back on and remember what it was like in the good old days. What is a memory though? That is something that even psychologist can’t explain in just one theory. The reason that psychologist are unable to describe what memory is exactly is because there is not just one type of memory. Rather, there are several different types of memory that activate different parts of your brain. There is short term storage, long term storage, and sensory storage. These are all different, yet they are all part of the thing that we call memory. Instead the scientist come up with different theories to help explain our memory processes. In the case of the sensory storage is what happens when you experience something in the world around you for a very brief moment from one of your sense. While this will only last for a very brief time after the experience and may not seem like a memory at all it is still very important, because it helps to make the world around us more coherent and flow better. Next with Short term memory it is a memory that you are able to hold for a few second before it goes away. This can be something like remembering a phone number before you are able to write it down, or remembering what address your friend told you when ordering a pizza, these are things that are not important to be remembered later on so they are filtered out. While you may only be able to remember these things for a little bit you can make yourself remember them longer with the help of working memory. Working memory is what you do when you repeat the number or address over and over to yourself so that you don’t forget it. In long term storage there are the memories that you won’t ever forget. Your favorite family vacation, your first day of college, your sixth birthday party. They are things that are memorable and have meaning to you. The problem with this is that the memories are often very skewed because our memories are subject to our own perception of the experience at hand. This can lead to two people seeing the same event have two very different recollections of it later on. Another problem that scientist have with memory is that it is located in many different parts of the brain, and different memories access different areas. For example explicit memories which are memories that can be intentionally accessed are retrieved in the temporal lobe, while implicit memory which is memory that can be accessed unintentionally is processed in the cerebellum and the amygdala. This shows that memory can not be pinned down in one location. The thing that surprised me the most about this chapter is that the change blindness theory. I thought that it was very interesting that someone could have a conversation with a stranger and not even notice that the person that they were talking to after the momentary distraction is not the same as before.

Terms: Memories, short term storage, long term storage, sensory storage, working memory, explicit memory, temporal lobe, implicit memory, cerebellum, amygdala, change blindness theory

Psychologists have theories because our memory is so complex. Memory is explained in the book as the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and hold information and skills. Most of the time our memories are incomplete and are never the same as someone who also experienced the same event. There are three phases when a memory is being processed. The first is the encoding phase where the brain changes info in to a way it can use it. The second phase is storage and this is how the brain maintains the memory. The third phase is called retrieval and this is the phase where the information is re accessed. This shows just how complex our memory is. The process the brain goes through to store a memory is complex and takes some time.
They can’t simply describe what a memory is and move on because memories are very intriguing. Psychologists want to understand why we remember and have a better understanding of how we remember. The better we understand our ability to remember the better off and more easily we will be able to learn. When we develop theories about learning it is a way to develop a better understanding of how we develop memories.
The most memorable thing I learned from this reading is the story of Scott Hagwood. Scott is a normal person who was mediocre student in both college and high school. He ended up becoming a businessman. Scott though has an unbelievable memory. He has won the USA Memory Championship four times and is a Grand Master of memory. He wasn’t even born with this extraordinary memory. He had taught himself many memory tools in order to be able to memorize even better. I just found this awesome because he wasn’t that great in school but if he had the same memory tools he has while winning the Memory Championships then he would have been an incredible student.

Terms used: memory, encoding, storage, retrieval

Memory can be defined as the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain information and skills. Our brain creates memories in a three step process. Step one is the encoding phase. In this phase the brain changes the information being brought in into neural code. This way the brain can understand the information. The second phase is the storage phase. This is how the brain maintains the coded information in a network of neurons in the brain. The storage phase can last for just a fraction of a second, or it can last throughout a persons lifetime. The book gives an example of how we retain the information from the textbook until the test, and possibly even longer. The third and last phase of memory is retrieval. Retrieval is where we're re-accessing the information stored within the neurons. For us to create a memory however we must pay attention. Attention is simply defined as looking and listening to certain information. If we do not pay attention to something chances are we will not have a memory of it. There are three types of memory stores. These include sensory storage, short-term storage and long-term storage. Sensory storage allows us to experience the world as a continuous stream of information thanks to the fact that it only stores the information for a very brief period of time. The next is short-term storage. Short-term storage is basically a holding place, it only allows us to remember stuff for up to twenty seconds unless we apply working memory. If allowed to use working memory we can maintain the information for as long as we pay attention to it. The last type of memory is Long-Term storage. Long-Term storage has basically limitless capacity and duration thanks to the encoding that is done for it. This is through maintenance rehearsal and elaborative rehearsal. Maintenance rehearsal simply repeats the info over and over and provides shallow encoding. On the other hand, elaborative rehearsal encodes the info more deeply.
Psychologists only have theories on memory because memory is unique to each person individually. For example, two people may experience the exact same event but yet remember it quite differently. This is because we experience the event differently and so our brain encodes it differently. Due to the fact that everybody remembers stuff in different ways, it makes it nearly impossible to lay down a concrete explanation on how memory works. This is why psychologists are only able to have theories.
The most memorable thing to learn about in my opinion was learning about how our long-term memory has two separate areas of storage. One being explicit memories and one being implicit memories. Our explicit memories require conscious effort and can often be described, whereas implicit memories do not require conscious effort and often cannot be described. Both of these can be broken down even further. Explicit has two types of memory, one being episodic and one being semantic. Episodic is where we experienced something personally, for example an awesome vacation with our family. Semantic is just simple facts and knowledge, such as pumpkins are only around for halloween. Implicit I found to be a little more interesting, it is where we do not require conscious effort and often cannot be verbally discussed. This also has two types, one being classical conditioning and one being procedural memory. Classical conditioning is where we associate two stimuli, the book gives the example of going to the dentist and the dentist drilling into your teeth. You associate the pain with the dentist and therefore are afraid to go to the dentist again. Procedural is motor skills and habit, such as being able to type on a keyboard. The classical conditioning is what i found most interesting and memorable because it explains where some of our irrational fear comes from. We know that the dentist is a professional and that it must be done, and yet we are unconsciously afraid because of the pain. This goes for just about anything, whether it be getting hurt while tubing, or getting a shot at the doctor, or breaking a bone riding a bike. We know tubing and riding bikes is fun, but if we get hurt while doing the activity we may associate the two stimuli and then be afraid without consciously thinking about the incident that occurred. I find this very interesting.
Key Terms: Encoding Phase, Storage Phase, Retrieval, Attention, Sensory Storage, Short-Term Storage, Long-Term Storage, Explicit Memory, Implicit Memory, Episodic Memory, Semantic Memory, Classical Conditioning, Procedural Memory

There are theories about memory because it is still a very complex topic and it cannot be fully understood since we don’t know exactly how it works. We have a decent idea on how the memory works but there are still some things we cannot explain because the brain is so complex. We can explain what is observed and predict future ideas but there isn’t exactly a way to prove it. One theory is the filter theory which is a way to explain how we selectively attend to the most important information. This theory tells us that we filter the most important information but things that are irrelevant we tend to forget. There are many things that we see/hear everyday but not all of it is important or necessary to remember for future reference so we tend to just ignore it and it gets stored in another part of the brain where we will not need to recall that information. We basically choose the things that we need to encode which is the first phase of processing information and once we encode that we are able to store that information for as long as you need to which is known as the storage phase. Then depending on how we store that information we are able to retrieve it in the retrieval stage. For example if we need to know something for a lifetime or at least a long period of time it will be used as long-term storage. On the other hand if we only need that information for a short period of time then it would be known as short term storage.

The most memorable thing I learned reading this chapter was about how two people never remember thing exactly the same because it was all about their perspective or how they saw it. Our memory is biased and distorted because over time that memory will fade or other things such as what other people say about it will change how you remember. For example two people could see a tragic event happen such as a murder but both people could have two different stories on how they remember it happening. Their minds could choose to leave out a detail that they never want to remember again because it may have been so traumatic. Some different ways memories can be distorted is through memory bias which is the changing of memories over time so that they become consistent with our current beliefs or attitudes. This means we basically alter our memory based on our attitudes. Also misattribution is a reason that our memories can be distorted. This occurs when we misremember the time, place, person, or circumstance involved with a memory. We have a memory for the event but we don’t know where or how we retrieved this memory. Suggestibility is also a way that our memories can be altered. By hearing certain words it will change the way we thought we saw/remembered what happened.
Terms: Memory, filter theory, encode, storage, retrieval, memory bias, misattribution, suggestibility, long-term storage, short-term storage

The reason why psychologists have developed theories about understanding memory is because it is a fairly difficult topic that needs to be broken in pieces in order to get a better understanding of it as a whole. The theories that they’ve come up with, help people understand why things are the way they are and the process of how things became that way. Theories help us understand all the types of different memory processes.
After reading chapter seven, I now understand memory a lot more than before I read this chapter. I thought memory was just remembering things and being able to recall it but during the first section I realized how wrong I was. Memory is a lot more than just remembering information; it’s more complex than that. Memory is the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain information and skills. No one can have the same recollection of the same event. Every person has their own version of an event or experience because their brain tend to remember personally relevant information.
The most memorable thing about this chapter would have to be the memory process. There are three phases of memory. The first phase is encoding. Encoding is the changing of information in to neural code that the brain can use. Phase two, storage, is maintaining information for a certain amount of time due to the importance of the information. Retrieval is the third and final phase, which is re-accessing the information to be used.
There are 2 types of memory, explicit and implicit. Explicit memory requires a conscious effort. This involves remembering the day or your age. This memory is used when learning new things. Without explicit memory you cannot put any new information into long term storage, this is called amnesia. Implicit memory does not require conscious effort. This is like tying your shoe or brushing your teeth. We don’t think about each step in riding a bike, we just do it. This is because of our implicit memory. This indicates that memory is not designated to one part of the brain.
Key terms: Memory, Encoding, storage, Retrieval, Nervous system, Explicit memory, Implicit memory

After reading this chapter I realized that memory is a lot more complex than I thought it was. Memory is the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain skills and knowledge for later retrieval. The reason why psychologists have so many theories on memory is because no two peoples memories are a like. Every person has their own individual memory of a certain thing because we view things from different perspectives. Although we see things differently we all acquire memories by processing information. The first phase is encoding. Encoding is changing information into a neural code the brain can use. Everyone has the same textbook with the same exact words on it, but when reading it everyone has a different idea of what they get out of it. We each store this coded representation in a network of neurons in the brain. There are three different ways in which things may be stored they are sensory storage, short-term storage, and long-term storage, each of these being equally as important as the rest. The next phase is retrieval, which is the act of recalling or remembering stored information when it is needed. Retrieval is the phase where we most differ. Some of us have great memories, but others can’t remember what happened five minutes ago. The reason why this is so important to psychologists is because of the idea that if we had a memory that was like a video recorder we would never get anything wrong. And if we never got anything wrong we would never have anything to learn or develop from. That said everybody gets things wrong at some point in their life. This is because of the way we pay attention to the information we learn. If we look and listen we are referring back to directing certain mental processes or in other words were paying attention. Attention is hard to keep focused. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like not to be able to block out irrelevant information that comes at you all the time. According to research though attention selectively allows us to focus in what is important in a situation. An example of this would be the filter theory. A psychologist developed this to show how we attend to the information we hear that is most important to us. Researchers showed that they saw a situation with selective listening participants who heard their own name mentioned in an unattended message. In this situation this information leaked through the filter. But since we cannot attend to all information we become blind to large changes in our environment, which is called change blindness. The most surprising thing I learned about the reading was how much psychology relates to other classes I am currently taking. With this being my first semester at college I honestly didn’t know that each class would relate to each other in the way that this does. I have now gone over the word encoding in three different classes. When talking about this word in Oral Communication or Human Identity and Relationships it means the same thing but is put in a slightly different context. For example in Oral Comm we encoded or translated the thoughts or feelings into words, sounds, and physical expressions, which make up the actual message to be sent. So in this idea we went from the sender to encoding the message through the channel and noise and then it reaches the receiver where he or she decodes it. This relates back to psychology and how we understand the process. The psychological terms that I used were memory, retrieval, encoding, storage, sensory storage, short-term storage, long-term storage, attention, change blindness.

Psychologist have many different theories on memory because people may remember things differently and because its not easy to measure it in a person. They can’t just understand it because there are so many different types of memory and different ways people may remember things. Theories help us to understand some ways that memory process may work. That helps psychologist to understand our memories and our actions towards our memories. The most memorable thing to me is that there are many different ways to retrieve memory, such as encoding, storage, and retrieval. Attention allows us to encode our memory. If you pay attention to what you are reading, or what you may be looking at you will encode better than if you where to just skim or barely look at the pictures. There are two different types of attention, visual and auditory. Selective attention also helps us to filter out unwanted information.

Memory is the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain information and skills. Like a lot of psychology, the information we know about memory can’t be proven as a fact because it is a process that happens inside of our brains. Psychologists only have strong evidence to show what they believe to be happening in the brain so they develop theories. We can’t simply describe what memory is and move on because it is so complex. There are many different things make up how memory works including parts of our brain, our eyes, our ears and even different diseases. Everything works as a whole to help you process that information in order to create a memory of it.
One of the most surprising things I learned was about schemas. Schemas help us make sense of the world by guiding our attention to the relevant facts of situations. We maintain memories in long term storage by chunking. The more meaningful the chunks the better we will store and remember them. This is where schemas come into play. They help us perceive, organize, process and use information by guiding our attention to relevant information as information comes in. Schemas also allow us to construct new memories by filing in the holes of the memories we already have.
nervous system, schemas, chunking

It seems that psychologist have all these different theories is because no one person is alike. In the book it gave an example that if two people experience something at the same time it will be remembered very differently because we perceive things differently from everyone else. The theories help give people a guideline on our brain works and why we remember what we do. So many things can go wrong with a person’s brain which can damage there memory. Theories change with the new situation that is presented to them. If they just kept one theory for memory it be direct and wouldn't be able to explain anything else about it. How would they be able to explain forgetting where you parked your car if they just stuck to one theory?

The most memorable part of the chapter for me was about how we access our memory. That interests me because I feel like I don’t remember things as much as I should. I don’t retain information like others so it was interesting reading about it. If you encounter a certain stimuli that could trigger a memory. If you smelled vanilla and chocolate chip cookies it could trigger a memory about your grandparent’s house. It’s the familiarity of a song, odor, or a picture that makes us think of that certain memory. The chapter talked about context-dependent memory effect. It was an experiment done on scuba divers. They all learned a list of words but the difference was one group learned the set of words on land and the other in water. The ones in water remember majority of the words because they were in the environment that it was going to be practiced in. It’s crazy that just a simple location can trigger your memory.
Terms: Trigger, Stimuli, Memory, Context-Dependent Memory, Theories

Chapter 7
Before reading this chapter, I always thought that memory was a mysterious being that most people take for granted or abuses themselves mentally by drugs or other substances. Memory in the chapter’s definition is the nervous system that holds capacity to acquire and retain skills that society uses on a daily basis throughout their life. Two people’s memories of the same event can be totally different because of the way that they thought or retrieving the information in a variety of ways. Three phases of information process in memory: encoding, storage, and retrieval. Encoding is changing information into a neural code that transfers to the brain so it can become useful. The second is storage which is holding information inside your brain for an amount of time that can be long or short term. Retrieval is re-accessing the information for use. Psychologist over the years have become understanding by the theories they make to result in knowing that someone’s memory works better than others. Short-term memory is a holding place for information that it used for a limited amount of time, it will take effort to put it in the long-term memory by practicing. Sensory storage is a small amount of information that is remembered for a few short seconds or even longer. It depends on the people and how important it is for them to remember something. For example, writing something down can actually make you remember it better instead of “trying” to remember by memory. The last storage is the long-term that is organized on the meanings of the information. The types of memory that is stored in long-term is implicit and explicit memory.
Implicit memory is a memory that does not require conscious thought and cannot be verbally described. Example can be walking in the park or talking on the phone. Explicit requires conscious mind/effort and can be verbally described. The chapter taught me a lot about what the mind can do and what kinds of memory we have as humans. The most surprising was reading about the short-term and long-term storage we have and the ways of increasing information to become long-term. I took notes over the chapter very detailed notes by the examples that were provided to me. I was a might confused in the first section, but it became clear to me in the end as I was reading closer and paid more attention.

Terms: Memory, encoding, storage, retrieval, Short-term memory, long-term, implicit and explicit memory.

Throughout the chapter, I kept reading about theories that psychologists have come up with to help explain how memories are formed and how we keep and release them both. They have come up with theories to help explain to people why they have memory and what type of memory storages people have within their brains. Psychologists can’t just simply describe what memory is and then move on because the concept of memory is so complex that it needs to be explained to be able to be understood. There are memories that can be used for different types of things at different times in your life. Memory consists of three phases that helps explain how information is retrieved and kept. There is the encoding stage in which the brain changes information into code to where the brain can understand it. Then there is storage in which these codes are stored. How long codes are stored can range from just a couple of seconds to a lifetime. The last stage of the process is the retrieval stage. This is when your brain retrieves information that has been stored for a while that you need to remember.
There are a couple of theories that can help explain why things happen the way that they do. Psychologist Donald Broadbent came up with the filter theory that helps explain why people pay attention to the most important information. Information that is not important at the time is not filtered through to whatever the person is doing. Other information is let through like when someone sees a person that he or she knows. This allows them to be able to socialize with the person. Another psychologist named Frederic Bartlett conducted an experiment dealing with the concept of schemas. Schemas are ways in which the brain chunks and organizes information for it to be stored. Bartlett did an experiment where he asked people to listen to a story and then after the story he asked them to tell it back to him. The people vastly changed the story because of their own culture backgrounds that they were accustomed too.
A concept that I found kind of surprising was the consolidation of memories. When people are making memories, they are making their neural connections in their brain stronger and at the same time they are making new neural connections. This is surprising because I didn’t know that there are neural connections being made even during memory processes.

Terms: Memory, filter theory, schema, consolidation

Psychology
10/7/2014

In chapter 7 we learned a lot about memory. When I think of memory I think of the ability to recall information. There is way more to memory then just that. It is the capacity to acquire and retain the knowledge and skills. When two people try to recall the same event the outcome would be different because both memoires are different.
Psychologists have certain theories for understanding memory because each memory is different and has different points that a person remembers. Memory is an indivual perception of events and when they occur. Peoples refection of certain things and the way the information is encoded is different. Our brains can remember information we receive and turn them into memories we can recall back at any time.
The three phases of processing information in memory, the first phase is encoding. It’s the changing of information into a nural code that the brain can use. Phase two is storage. Its maintaining information information for a certain amount of time depending on its importance. And last stage three, Retrieval, is the phase which is reaccessing in information.
Terms: encoding, storage, and retrieval

There are theories because scientists want to know how memory works and by testing different subjects theories are formed that help them understand more about the human memorization process. Theories can also be useful in situations where people have impaired memory. The more we know about the human brain and how it works the better we can treat problems that some people suffer from. It is also handy to know how to encode information into long-term storage better. An example would be that a guy can increase his sematic memory by using elaborative rehearsal to transfer the information to long-term. If scientists were just to describe how memory works and not go deeper in experiments then there would be no way to use that information practically in real life. In Henry Molaison’s case, the doctors thought that the surgery would have no effect on his memory, but the theory of memory at the time was off and the theory messed up his life.
The most memorable thing that I read was about H.M. because his life seemed to have gone from bad to worse. He started out with severe epilepsy and then went into surgery which left him with anterograde amnesia. If I were him I would much rather have retrograde amnesia because life might begin with being confusing and frustrating but I can at least relearn all of the things I had forgotten and create new memories. H.M. had a type of amnesia where he would never be able to create new lasting memories. However, it is nice that some memory lasts like implicit memory some working memory. Except his working memory would not be able to last for long.
Something that I found interesting were implicit memories. It made me wonder what my implicit memories were and if I had any habits because of those memories. I like that these are some memories that cannot leave us without some traumatic event happening.

Terms used: Long-term storage, encode, sematic memory, elaborative rehearsal, anterograde amnesia, retrograde amnesia, implicit memory, working memory

Never have researchers only described what something is and moved on. That defeats the entire purpose of research. The reason that researchers have been looking into why and how memory works is because memory is an incredibly important piece of the human experience. Creating these theories that are based off on psychological research allows us to attempt to understand and piece together the memory puzzle. Theories allow us to understand how memory works and why it works, Some theories have less credibility than others but constantly creating and revising theories is the way in which we can understand memory based on new research and studies. Theorizing in the science community is something that is a necessity. If the only way to understand the world is through proven facts, then we wouldn't understand the world in any way. Theories are a step in the understanding of the human experience.
I thought the most interesting piece of this chapter was the bit on Henry Molaison and amnesia. Due to his seizures, doctors decided it be best for him to have surgery. This surgery consisted of removing the part of his brain that the seizures were coming from. One side effect of the surgery, however, was amnesia. The doctors had no idea that he would be affected by amnesia. H.M. was able to recall past events of his life, such as who is family were meaning he did not have retrograde amnesia. Soon I twas evident that he was afflicted with anterograde amnesia in which new experiences can not be remembered but for a few seconds, Although this terrible affliction was great for researchers understanding memory, I can't help but feel sorry for this man. I could not imagine a life without being able to remember new experiences. Experiences are what give us our own personal story. Without that, where is the quality of life? What is the point of life if you cannot remember the experiences you lived through? In the end, the research that came from H.M.'s story has given researchers a lot of insight on how explicit memories, memories that we intentionally retrieve, are stored in the brain. His case also showed how implicit memories, memories learned through behavior, may not be affected by brain damage when explicit memories are.

Terms: psychological theory, amnesia, seizures, anterograde, retrograde, explicit memories, implicit memories, experiences, memory

Before I read the chapter I thought memory was just something that was important that suck out and able to recall. I learned that there is much more to memory, than that. Memory is the nervous systems capacity to acquire and retain skills and knowledge for alter retrieval. They cant just say what memory is because it not that easy. There are many different parts to memory and many processes to go through. There are three phases to processing information in memory. The first phase is encoding. Encoding is the changing information in to a neural code that the brain can use. The second stage is storage, is to maintaine information for a certain amount of time due to the importance of the information. The final phase is retrieval. This phase is re-accessing the information to be used. Theories help us understand where things come from. Psychologists developed different theories, made variety of researches to understand and scientifically prove it. The most used theory, the filter theory explains how we selectively attend to the most important information. How a person's life would be look like if he paid attention for everything that happens around him and could not filter it. Psychologist developed theories for understanding memory because it is so complex that it needs to be broken into parts, to get a more full understanding of it as a whole.
The most memorable thing to me in this chapter was when the book talked about context and state aid retrieval. The two groups of scuba divers learned a list of words. Some learned them on land and some under the water. They saw that later on both groups recalled the words better, in the same environment where they had learned them. The study confirmed that when the person is in the same context where information was learned, the environment where the learning took place provides a cue that aids access to the information.
Terms: Memory, Nervous System, Encoding, Neural, Brain, Retrieval, Theory, Filter Theory, Context

Chapter Seven dealt with all things dealing with memory. Before reading the chapter, I thought that memory was kind of black or white. Either you remembered, or you did not. After reading chapter seven, I realized that memory is much more complex thing. The definition of memory is, “the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain information and skills. Memory is like most other aspects in psychology are unique to each person as everyone interprets things differently and decides whether or not it is important to remember an event or skill as well as if an individual’s brain has the capacity to retain certain information.

There are three stages of memory. The first stage is known as the encoding phase. In the encoding phase, our brain is changing information into a neural code. This information could be anything from a formula in math or science class or a fact you learned from a textbook. The brain then takes the neural codes and stores them in the storage phase. The third phase and arguably the most important stage is the retrieval phase. In this phase, an individual is attempting to retrieve information that the brain has taken and stored. This information cannot be retrieved for everyday life if it is in stored in short term memory which has a limited space.

Psychologists only have theories for understanding memory because there are no facts in memory. Each person has an impact on their own memory so there is no direct facts in the process of memory. Theories help us understand memory in a sense that it gives us a possible explanation of why things are the way they are.

The most surprising thing in the chapter was about memory loss. I personally do not play sports, but my brother plays football. He has had a concussion or two that I can remember, and it really does make me worry for his memory and health! Maybe the stereotype of dumb jocks is not because they are actually dumb, but because they’ve gotten their bell’s rung one time too many.

Psychological terms: memory, encoding phase, storage phase, retrieval phase.

Memory is an important cognitive process, which helps us to record the past so that we can refer to it later, as and when required. Without memory, there would be no past, but only the present. We would not be able to execute all the psychological processes that depend on our past experiences. We would be perpetual beginners for every activity that we perform everyday. If we do not retain information over time, and retrieve it for present use, we would not be able to recall names, recognize faces, and understand the concept of time. Even the present would not be our own, because there would be no concept of self-identity. An individual would wake up every morning, and doubt that he is, and would have to rediscover his identity every day, every hour, every second, and even every millisecond. The identity of the individual would be lost, and the whole world including himself would appear to him as a booming buzzing confusion. The feeling of personal identity is based on a continuous stream of memories that link our yesterdays to today. Since memory is an important cognitive phenomenon, psychologists have devoted considerable time and effort to understand the process of memory, and the strategies to improve memory. Memory is the retention of information over time. It has to be retrieved from its store for present use. Psychologists and philosophers have opined differently at different times on the concept of memory. But the contemporary cognitive psychologists are of the belief that the raw physical energy that impinges upon the sense organs is transformed, and passes through various stages consisting of sensory memory, short-term memory and long-term memory. Here the basic or initial information is successfully modified and reduced. The most surprising part of this reading is how we access our memories. A retrieval cue is anything that helps us access a memory. When you smell something and it brings back the familiar feeling or sensation is what I find the most fascinating. Terms: Memory, Sensory memory, Cognitive, Short-term memory, Long-term memory, Retrieval cue.

Memory is defined as the nervous system capacity to acquire and retain information and skills. This capacity allows us to take information from experiences and store it for later retrieval. Before reading this chapter I didn’t know much about memory at all. All that I knew was that I have a terrible memory. I tend to forget simple things easily. I now know that memory has many different processes that all have their own stages. There is sensory storage which is a memory storage that very briefly holds a vast amount of information from the five senses in close to their original sensory formats. There is also short-term storage which is a memory storage system that briefly holds a limited amount of information in awareness. Long-term storage is a memory storage system that allows relatively permanent storage, probably of an unlimited amount of information. There is also the process of working memory which is an active processing system that allows manipulation of different types of information to keep it available for current use. There are also many different types of memory such as implicit memory, episodic memory, semantic memory, procedural memory, and prospective memory.

Psychologists have many different theories about memory because it is a complex and difficult topics. Psychologists have theories because memory is intangible. Memory has multiple processes each with its own function and limitation. Memories tend to be incomplete, biased, and distorted. Measuring such a complex topic is extremely difficult and scientists do not yet have the technology required to measure memory. Two people who witness the same situation may recall the situation differently. This is due to each persons own brain stores and recalls information differently.

One of the most interesting and memorable (no pun intended) things about this chapter was about forgetting. I found this interesting because I am a forgetful person. It drives my family and friends crazy. Forgetting is defined as the inability to access memory from long-term storage. Section 7.4 talked about a Russian newspaper reporter who never forgot anything. Although this sounds nice for most people he found it to be a burden. His memory was cluttered and it was difficult to sort through the information to recall the small piece of information he was looking for. Until reading this section I would have never thought forgetting could be useful. Never forgetting made living in regular society extremely difficult and eventually forced this poor man to be institutionalized. Along with this is the concept of persistence. This is the continual recurrence of unwanted memories from long-term storage. Everyone has experienced this after an awful situation and can make the ability to overcome a hardship much more difficult. One of the best examples of this is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. This is a very stressful experience that is common in soldiers who have come home from a war. I was in a car accident when I was ten. It wasn’t a terrible accident and no one of hurt but for weeks afterwards I kept having recurring accounts of what happened. It was extremely stressful for me as a child. It gave me nightmares for a few weeks. I was able to overcome it with time but people who have experienced much more traumatic events aren’t as lucky.

Memory, nervous system, sensory storage, short-term storage, awareness, working memory, theories, Forgetting, long-term storage, implicit memory, episodic memory, semantic memory, procedural memory, prospective memory, PTSD, persistance

Memory is the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain information and skills. Psychologists have theories for understanding memory because people remember things differently and it is hard to describe memory as a whole.. As the saying goes,there are three sides to a story; mine, yours, and then the truth. This is true is understanding memory, encoding is the process of information so that it can be stored in your brain. It changes information into a neural code the brain can use. Storage is the next phase and is how we maintain the coded information, whether it last for just a few minutes or a lifetime. Retrieval is the is when we re-access the information we stored.

Memory is different in everyone and we remember things in certain ways and there are so many different types of memory that there isn’t one main definition. We remember school things differently than we remember traumatic things that have happened in our lives and we have implicit memories that we might not even notice in our lives. It is because some of these dramatic differences that we cannot make a set in stone description of memory. These theories help us understand the different ways we remember things. When talking about a memory that includes a person's personal experience then we are talking about episodic memory, our childhood memories would fall under this category. We use prospective memory to remember to do our homework, go to the store, and bring the DVD to movie night. The brain has different regions responsible for storing different aspects of memory, which also makes it hard because there is no specific place memory is in the brain like how vision is in the occipital part of the brain.

I was really surprised by the term change blindness. The study that they did about asking a stranger for directions and then switching people by using a large object to block their view was interesting. I remember seeing a video of a guy talking to strangers and he would take things off of the people he was talking too, and the people didn’t even realize it. One woman got her glasses taken off her face and she had no idea. It just goes to show how blind we are to things in our environment, and maybe even more now than ever because of how much we rely on technology.

Memory, Encoding, Storage, Retrieval, PTSD, Implicit Memory, Episodic Memory, Prospective Memory, Change Blindness

I learned a lot about memory after reading this chapter. I thought memory was just remembering past experiences and things from your everyday life. Memory is a process by which the products or results of learning are stored for future use. Psychologists believe there are many different learning types. After reading the “explore” article about a study they did about memory and forgetting I learned there is a protein called musashi. Musashi is critical for time-dependent memory loss. Worms without musashi had the same learning ability as worms that had it, but over time they would forget more since they didn’t have musashi. The most interesting thing to me about this chapter is phases of memory. One theory of memory is called Information Processing, and it has three phases. The Encoding phase is the first phase and that is when information is transferred into a form that can be stored. The storage phase is where information is placed and the information can be either brief or long-term storage of memory. The third and final phase is the retrieval phase. In this phase the stored information is brought into consciousness. Terms used: memory, encoding phase, storage phase, retrieval phase.

This chapter, titled Memory, caught my attention and I became very interested in the chapter. I became interested after another class that I am taking and we talked about how athletes remember the skills that they practice. As I continued to read through the chapter I found a section about SCHEMAS. This section wasn’t necessarily surprising to me, but more of me being interested in wanting to know more about SCHEMAS. We talked very briefly about SCHEMAS in my other class. As I read through the section I obtained a better understanding about what SCHEMA is. I learned that SCHEMA is a way that the brain organizes, perceives, and process information or memories. The book talks about how the SCHEMAS can make a person biased. The book also shows how a person can become biased. They tell how they told a Native American folktale to non Native Americans. The people in this group were asked to retell the story. When they retold the story they changed it dramatically. They told it in their culture and not in the culture of the Native Americans. They forgot to tell about what was important in the story to the Native Americans because it did not make sense to them. The reason for this is the SCHEMA. The way their SCHEMA organized the details and perceived them was in the way of the culture the people were used to and not of the culture of the Native Americans.
What was surprising about this section was the paragraph provided towards the end of section. I was reading the paragraph and thought of it to be a bunch of nonsense, but then I found out how our SCHEMAS work. Once told the paragraph was about laundry, and going back and reading it again, it made sense to me. It showed me how our SCHEMAS work. I had a better understanding about how we organize and retrieve information depending on the situation and the information given before and after we do something.
I have learned that it is hard for psychologists to describe memory. Memory is acquired through the nervous system. We gather information and skills this way. There are different memory systems and each have their own ways of remembering different events. There is memory for retrieving information in a matter of seconds and there is memory that we will need to get years down the road. These different ways of retrieving memories that we have makes it very difficult for psychologists to describe memory.

Terms: SCHEMA, memory, brain, psychologists

Psychologists have theories for understanding memory because memory is a very complex part of our brain. Memory is our nervous system’s capacity to gather and retain information so that we can save it for a time when we might need it. The reason that they can’t simply describe memory and move on is because no two people have the same memories, even if they are memories of the exact same circumstance. For this reason, there are theories to help us better understand how memory works, and why it is important. The way that memories are gathered is through processing information. There are three phases to this processing: encoding, storage, and retrieval. During the encoding phase, your brain changes the information that you process into information that you can use later in life. The next phase, storage, is how you sustain the information. In other words, it is where your brain puts the information so that you are able to remember it when needed. The tricky part about this phase is that you can either lock information away for a second, a year, or a lifetime. This depends on the information that you obtain. For example, if during a lecture your teacher tells you that the information you are learning is on the quiz, but not on the test, you might only store the information for a week or so, until the quiz, and then kick that information out of your storage because you don’t feel that you need it. More important things will remain in your storage longer. The last phase, retrieval, is when your brain decides that it needs the information that you obtained and stored away, and goes back for it when needed. While reading this chapter I learned how important all of your senses are when it comes to memory. Attention plays a very large role in all of the phases of memory. A person’s visional attention and auditory attention are two very important aspects of obtaining information, and storing it into their memory. This has to do with how much attention you are paying to the information that you are being taught. I thought this was interesting because my mom has always told me that when she tells me something, it goes in one ear and out the other, and that is exactly what this section on attention was about. Another thing my mom always told me was that I have “selective hearing.” Which means that I only hear things that I want to hear. This was also in this section. Another part of this chapter that caught my attention was the part about change blindness. This was about whether or not someone would notice if the person that they were talking to, changed appearances. I was surprised to learn that most people didn’t even notice when a large object got in the way, replacing them with an entirely different person. The most memorable thing from this chapter I would say was the section about persistence. This section talks about memories that you would rather not keep, and how they can often stick around anyway. These types of memories are most often unwanted memories that are extremely traumatic, and could potentially destroy the life of the person who suffers from them.
Terms: theories, memory, brain, nervous system, information, encoding, storage, retrieval, senses, attention, visual attention, auditory attention, change blindness, persistence

I think it’s kind of crazy that we do all this research on brains, the brain is literally learning about itself. There are many things that make up a memory, many processes are involved and it makes it incredibly difficult to research due to the lack of proper technology and such. One of the processes would be visual attention. The basis of this is that we don’t have to consciously notice some things; our brain will do it for us. Some examples of this would be size, shape, color, and movement. It lets us focus on the more important things around us, and not use as much energy on the less important. Auditory attention is another theory mentioned in the reading, it’s a limited process. The way it was mentioned in the book was through the example that if you go to a party and are in a deep conversation and someone other than the person you’re talking to says your name; you’ll instantly change attention over to the person who said your name, without even thinking of it. Selective attention comes into play often during the memory process, you won’t remember every face you see while walking down a hallway, but if you see a total 10/10 walking down the hall (male or female) you’re likely to remember them because your body totally wants to get down and create more people with them. When it comes to memory, what perks my interest the most is how we sometimes will forget memories. Each morning before class I usually forget where I put the damn keys the night before, and as easy of a task remembering them is, I always forget. Forgetting memories is an important and common part of memory. I once read about a man who had autism and could remember anything he saw just once, and after a flyover of New York (may have been Chicago, ironically I can’t remember) he was able to accurately draw a sky view of everything. Personally, I’m glad I forget like, every other thing I hear. It takes a lot of stress out of the day in most cases. My forgetfulness makes me a much happier, and less stressed person over all.
Words Used: Forgetting, Visual Attention, Selective Attention, Auditory Attention, Memory, Autism, and learning

The reason that there are so many theories related to memory is because it is such a complex subject. Memory is defined to us as the nervous systems capacity to acquire and retain skills and knowledge for later retrieval. But how do we acquire and retain these things? Before reading chapter 7 I would have just answered this question saying that was what our brain was supposed to do. Now I know that there are three phases in processing these memories, and many other aspects that play big roles in the study of memory. The filter theory explains to us we remember what is important, or how we filter things to keep only the things we need. For example, things that evoke emotions will catch our attention, making us listen, and eventually pass through the filter, and likely will become a memory to us.
The psychologists Atkinson and Shiffrin proposed that we have 3 different types of memory stores. This theory plays a big role in our understanding of memory. Differentiating between sensory storage, short-term storage, and long-term storage is important in our overall knowledge of memory. I hadn’t heard of sensory storage before this chapter, but the example in the book about the sparkler cleared it up for me a lot. I also thought it was really interesting that our brain knows to maintain the visual input for a split second so we can put together a word of image. When talking about short-term storage, I was really intrigued by the process of working memory that helped us with the process of chunking. Chunking is the grouping of information into meaningful units to make it easier to remember with the help of our working memory. Most people use this process of chunking subconsciously, and it helps significantly when trying to remember things. How our brain just automatically knows to do this is honestly amazing to me.
I also thought the section about retrieval cues and forgetting was really interesting. Both are terms we can all relate to, but to have it broken down and further explained to us was cool. I did not know that being in the environment where some learning took place would provide as a cue to access that information, as retrieval cues explained. Then they elaborated on the blocking type of forgetting. I do this all the time, and it drives me crazy. I didn’t know it was usually caused by interference from words that are similar in either sounds of meaning.
The most memorable thing I read about in this chapter was the example of movies to help us understand sensory storage. It says that a movie is a serious of still pictures that follow each other very quickly, and our sensory storage retains the information from the image before just long enough to connect it with the image that comes next. Again, it is so amazing to me that our brains automatically put can do this.

Terms: memory, attention, sensory storage, short-term storage, long-term storage, working memory, chunking, retrieval cues, forgetting,

Memory is important to know and understand because it helps people process why things are the way they are, and why things came to be that way. Psychologist have been able to developed many complex theories to help understand and comprehend memory better because it is such a important topic that need to be broken down to get a better understanding of it as a whole unit.
We cant simply describe what memory is and move on because there are a bunch of little parts that make it up, and influence it. For example how we acquire it, how we maintain it and how we process are very detailed and they have many parts to them. Just to acquire information for a memory it has to encode it, which is when your brain changes the information to meaningful neural code that it can use, than it has to store it in a network of neurons in the brain. That storage has to 'choose' what three parts of the memory storage system it will go to. The sensory storage, short term storage or long term, each of these have a certain task that goes after it to keep it in our brains memory or to hid it away. Memory has a many parts and thats why you cant just simply describe it and call it good.
Psycho logiest have many different theories to help us and them understand memory because everyone’s is different. Theories help us understand all different types of memory process because each person remembers completely differently for multiple reasons that that cant be explained by just one theory. But when psychologist put all these theories together they try to make sense of how we remember and when doing that they can attempt to define memory and how it works
The most surprising thing I learned about had to be long the storage, the explicit memory and implicit. I thought that long term was just long term, I wasn't aware that there were smaller parts to it and then it went into even smaller sections. It help layout how the long term memory works a lot more for me and I really enjoyed trying to figure out and follow how it actually works.

Acquire, Storage, Memory, encoding, short term storage, long term, sensory storage, long term memory, implicit, explicit.

Memory can be something interesting but then again pretty complicated to understand just because there’s so much to it. It’s such a complex thing, like there are many theories that help out to explain it and how it works. Memory is such a big thing for us, I mean if we didn’t have it we wouldn’t be able to do many things that we can currently just because it sort of ties into the memory. There are a lot of different types of memory for example there’s long term memory, short term memory, procedural, prospective, implicit and explicit which are useful to us every day. We are all different so of course we all think different and do things differently same with memory we all have a different kind of memory. As in some people forget things easier than others do, others can remember something for a long time, etc. We all pick up memories by just processing information and basically just gathering it up in our mind. I think the most interesting and or memorable thing that stuck the most to me in this chapter would be the section about memory bias and how it changes memories over periods of time so that they become more consistent with our current beliefs and or attitudes. Memory bias is also a kind of distortion for our memory. Which can make it more difficult to remember a memory or maybe a little easier to remember a memory. I think this was pretty interesting just because we can just change our memory by just our attitude and how our current belief. It kind of interferes with our memory and how we remember things as they were to now as in currently, but then again it could also be something that alters your memory. I think this chapter has made me understand a lot more about memory then just the simple thing being remembering something we did a while ago. But that there’s more to it than just that and also how there’s so many different things incorporated in it, combined, or just related to memory.
Terms: Long-term memory, short-term memory, procedural memory, prospective memory, implicit memory, explicit memory, memory bias,

What was the most surprising or memorable thing you learned about in this reading?
In the broad view of the subject memory, it is defined as the nervous system’s capacity to acquire and retain information and skills. Psychologists need to have theories for understanding memory because without a way to analyze the workings of memory, we would just assume it is simply the ability to recall certain information that is relevant at the time. In short, yes, this is what memory does as a whole, but the real question is “what exactly is the process of memory?” The theories psychologists have developed show us the several kinds of memory, as well as the aspects of each one. For example short-term memory, is the memory we have for the previous 10 seconds of “focused stimulus”. These things are readily accessible to us with in that time frame. However after that period of time has passed, our brains fade the information until it is forgotten because it has no actual meaningful relevancy to our life. This is called the Filter Theory. If in the case that the incoming information is in fact meaningful, we use our working memory to keep hold of whatever has been presented to us. The working memory allows us to remember a piece of information for as long as we can repeat it and think about it. During this process if it becomes meaningful enough, it will be transferred to long-term memory in the brain, where we can access it later on after we have stopped consciously thinking about it. There are also many ways that events can be coded into long-term storage. Schemas are one aspect that help us make something new relevant to our lives, but can also change make the memory biased and not entirely true. Network Association is another way we can store things for the long term. One reason why psychologists feel the need to create theories for memory is because of experience with different cases that altered how we perceive the brain. The hippocampus is located in the medial temporal lobe, and now is known to be vital to the creation of new memories. Because of this, we have learned that there are many different kinds of memories, and multiple places in the brain that store them all in different ways. Through this knowledge it is one good reason why theories about memories should be studied. These theories help us understand this kind of thing because they put into perspective how many different situations and kinds of information can be stored and retrieved in our brains. Knowing this for example helps students better understand how to study, and how to effectively add information to our long term storage. I found this chapter to be very interesting and I took a lot away from it. I never knew how complex memory could be, but it has helped me to realize how I can study differently to perform well in all of my college courses.
Terms: Filter Theory, Working Memory, Network Association, Schemas, Short-Term Memory, Long-Term Memory, Long-Term Storage, Hippocampus, Medial Temporal Lobe.