Cognitive Psychology Spring 2005 -Discussion Section-

1. Ψ Cognitive Psychology Spring 2005 -Discussion Section-

2. Cognitive functions Perception Emotion Motivation Action Attention Memory Memory Imagery Categorization Decision-making Reasoning, problem-solving Language

3. Full plate • Finishing up memory issues • Memory for General knowledge • Intro to Categories • 7 sins • Rosch & Mervis • Nickerson & Adams • Exam Review

4. Repressed memories • A hot issue since the mid 90s. Number of Cases exloded.  Into the thousands. • People have been sued and convicted Of ghastly crimes (often involving relatives) Usually based on concept of repression (Introduced by Freud).

5. While it is impossible to tell in an invididual case, some things are very troubling... Repressed memories Scientific concept of Repression is extremely shaky. No evidence that it can happen. In fact, the opposite seems to be true (PTSD) It has been shown that very vivid memory can be implanted into the minds of both adults and children. The subjects can´t discriminate real vs. implanted memories. The process of recovery (recovery therapy) is very similar to the process used for artificial implantation. Evidently wrong „recovered“ memories seem to be progressive,  the reports of the abuse get more and more severe over time. People who solidly claim that they were abducted by space aliens and similarly outrageous stories usually have bad source memory.

6. Memory for general knowledge Basic distinction: Episodic vs. Semantic. Many differences Endel Tulving Intuitively clear: State, Chicago ;) ? Repetition with invariant core Knowing Facts, „Knowledge“ Ate, Breakfast? Recall of Personal experiences

7. Memory for general knowledge Semantic memory models: Hierarchical model Networks, Feature lists, etc. Very 70´s and 80´s style. Inspired by Computer science Feature comparison model ACT model Schemata Scripts Connectionist models, neural networks 90s, Neuroscience inspired Episodic memory models: ?

8. Memory for general knowledge Hierarchical model -Spread of activation -Nodes -Semantic priming -RT based studies -Typicality Semantic network Hierarchical Feature comparison model Memory as a linked feature list Every concept consists of a set of elements (features) There are defining and characteristic features The more defining features, the easier. Explains category size effect (abstractness)

9. Memory for general knowledge ACT theory A central psychological theory Combines working memory, declarative and procedural memory. Nodes, Production rules Conditions, actions Activated production rules create nodes John Anderson

10. Memory for general knowledge Schemata Organized information Contain fixed slots and variable content Questionnaire (template) model of memory Default values Scripts Schema for routine events Restaurant example Allows inferences, leaving things unsaid. Problem: Intrusions.

11. Memory for general knowledge Connectionist models • Parallel processing • Learning (unobserved) • Layers (Input, Processing, Output) • Nodes and Links • Weights • Increasingly popular, powerful • Hard do damage, robust  plausible James McClelland

12. Life without categories?

13.  Categories have tremendous utility for organisms.  Categories make cognition efficient, language possible.  Mistakes in Categorization have serious consequences.

14. The concept of a category

15. More realistically...

16. The seven sins of memory by Dan Schacter

17. What are the seven sins? Pride Envy Gluttony Lust Anger Greed Sloth Transience Absentmindedness Blocking Misattribution Suggestibility Bias Persistence

18. Take home from seven sins: A central paper. You should be able to: Transience Absentmindedness Blocking Misattribution Suggestibility Bias Persistence Name them Explain what they are Know empirical evidence of their reality Explain the adaptive system they derive from.

19. Nickerson & Adams

20. Nickerson & Adams 1 c

21. Nickerson & Adams 1 $ ?

22. Nickerson & Adams Basic points: Familiarity does not guarantee retention. Even if there were literally thousands of presentations of the information. Crucial are importance, which generally leads to the deployment of attention. In the absence of these, memory is poor. People are not necessarily aware of this. Introspection is a bad measure of memory for everyday objects.

23. Nickerson & Adams  Study tip: Try to think that the course material is important and pay attention. Try to care. That way, memory will naturally be much better than if you just read/hear the stuff.

24. Rosch & Mervis • Then: Typicality effects in categorization Rosch Mervis Louisville Berkeley Now: -Psychology of Meditation -Buddhist Psychology -Eastern Religions, Embodiment -Williams Syndrome -Genetic Neuropsychology

25. Review for midterm: 2nd midterm is on next Monday, as scheduled Topics are basically Memory and Categorization Try to study on the weekend. Email me for questions Material from Lecture, Book, Discussion section and papers. Look online for my slides. Don´t panic, it could be worse.

26. Concepts to know • Interference: Proactive vs. Retroactive 1 2 1 2 • Explicitness: Explicit vs. Implicit Bla

27. Modal model of memory: Sensory memory  Short term memory Long term memory Storage Retrieval Information Response Concepts to know Encoding specificity -Context effect -State dependent learning -Cues!

28. LTM Declarative Procedural ...123456789... ...987654321... Visuospatial sketchpad Phonological loop Episodic Semantic Concepts to know Working memory = structured STM Central executive Memory structure Knowing how to... Knowing that... Implicit Explicit Vivid Recall Knowing

29. Encoding Storage Retrieval 7 Concepts to know Basic memory processes Sins of memory

30. Topics to know

31. Short term memory Coding, Capacity, Retention duration, etc. Serial position effects (primacy, recency, use). Mnemonic strategies: Chunking, rehearsal. Working memory Inferference (Proactive, retroactive) Memory search (serial, exhaustive)

32. Long term memory Coding, Capacity, Retention duration, etc. Levels of processing theory Forgetting: Decay, Interference, Overwriting Encoding specificity: State-dependent learning, Context effects, spacing, cues, mood dependent learning.

33. Autobiographical memory -Flashbulb memory (Vivid, yet not more accurate) -Eyewitness testimony (Constructive, Post hoc) -Repressed memories (Controversial, doubtful) -Amnesia (Symptoms)

34. Network models Highly inspired by Computer Science, Linguistics • Dichotomies: Implicit vs. Explicit memory Declarative vs. Procedural memory Semantic vs. Episodic memory Memory for general knowledge • Models: Hierarchical model ACT model Connectionist model Feature comparison model Scripts Schemata

35. Problematic concepts Implicit memory vs. explicit memory • Main difference:Explicit memory is verbal, can be verbalized. Implicit memory is nonverbal, cannot be verbalized • To note:Strictly speaking, „implicit“ or „explicit“ are ways to probe memory, not necessarily properties of the system itself! Even if, the systems are not symmetric. Semantic memory is NOT implicit.

36. Problematic concepts Serial position effects = Primacy and Recency effect in recalling lists Usage: Evidence for difference between STM and LTM Primacy: LTM Recency: STM

37. Problematic concepts Declarative memory NOT a memory for specific events. Conceptually, it´s everything in memory that can be verbalized. A super-category including both episodic and semantic memory. It is EXPLICIT.

38. Problematic concepts Procedural memory NOT memory for routine activities like restaurant visits. Confusion with Scripts. Procedural memory cannot be verbalized! It contains information about actions and their sequences. „Know how (to)“

39. Good luck!