Instruction: Using what you’ve learned this semester, think about how you can use these psychological tools/information to become more self-aware in your path to success.

Memory Study Guide How do we form memories

- Encode o Getting info into the brain

- Store o Retain the specific encoded info

- retrieve o Getting that specific info back out of the storage to be used

Information processing model?

- Comparing brain to computer Constructing memories

- Sensory memories o Brief recording of infos,Memory associated to our senses, what we see, ear,

smell - Short term

o Remember info for a shorter period of time, holding items briefly before it’s forgotten or sent to the long term memory.

- Long term o Permanent storehouse that includes skills, knowledges and experiences

Working Memory

- Always actively processing new information – working to connect new info with past info

- How can we help working memory? o Limit distraction o Making new information meaningful as you learn it

Two Track Memory System

- Implicit VS. Explicit o Implicit Memories are unconscious skills previously learned but now done

everyday without having to think about it. o Explicit Memories are facts and personal events that are consciously retrieved.

- Conscious vs Unconscious - Different types of information stored

o Implicit memories allow us to do our everyday tasks such as driving or Speaking a language. Our implicit memory also allows us to process information about the space, time and frequency.

o Explicit memories § Episodic

• Past events - Different types of processing

o Effortful – Explicit o Automatic Implicit

Effortful processing strategies

- Mnemonics o They rely on imagery which are always better than words when it comes to

retrieving the info, more details can be provided if an image is already drawn in our memory.

- Chunking o Arranging new info into the appropriate categories to be able to recall it and

retrieve it easier. - Testing Effect

o Testing yourself to get ready for a test to train the involved muscle that would be needed during it.

- Spacing Effect o Allowing yourself more time when reviewing something instead of doing it in the

last minute to not overload the brain. Where are memories stored?

- Explicit vs. implicit memory locations - Frontal lobes/Hippocampus

o Why are these important? - Cerebellum/Basil Ganglia - Amygdala

*What happens when you have damage to your hippocampus? Having the hippocampus damaged would not allow any new info to be stored in the long-term memory. Basically, not being able to remember new stuff.

Types of retrieval

- Recall o Being able to retrieve information out of the storage

- Recognition o Being able to identify previously learned info

§ For example: Multipole choice questions - Relearning

o Learning again, going through something that has already been covered I. the past.

- Retrieval cues o Small bits of info and evidence that make us remember a specific main info. They

are created when encoding and rely on smell tastes and sights. How we forget

- Encoding failure o Not being fully engaged or being distracted when encoding.

- Storage decay o Memory fading over time due to lack of rehearsing or retrieving it. Having

memories that cannot be associated to your life anymore. - Retrieval failure

o Not being able to retrieve an info because the amount of cues in the memory is not enough to be able to retrieve it.

- Interference o Retroactive

§ New info interfering with the old similar info not allowing the old one to be memorized

• For example when listening to a remix song and not being able to remember what the original lyrics of the song used to be.

o Proactive § Old info interfering with new similar info not allowing the new one to be

memorized • For example: Having a new password but still having the habit of

typing the old one

- Memory construction errors How can you improve your memory?

- Sleep o Allowing ourselves more time for rest and sleep is good for the brain to reduce