Cognitive Processes PSY 334

1. Cognitive ProcessesPSY 334 Chapter 7 – Human Memory: Retention and Retrieval

2. Retrieval and Inference • Much of memory is inference at the time of recall – not actual recall of facts. • Bransford et al. -- inference can lead to incorrect recall: • Turtles resting on or beneath log. • Subjects were most confused by sentences whose meaning was implied by the studied sentences.

3. Inference-Based Intrusions • Sulin & Dooling – subjects add details not present during learning: • Carol Harris vs Helen Keller • “She was deaf, dumb and blind.” • 5% Carol Harris but 50% Helen Keller subjects falsely recognized the sentence. • Inferences are made at test-time. • More inferential errors occur with delay.

4. Plausible Retrieval • Reder – much of recall is plausible inference not actual recall. • Darth Vader inferred to be evil, not remembered to be evil. • Heir to hamburger chain story – subjects asked to recall exact details and make plausible inferences. • After a delay, plausible inference is faster and does not decay as much as exact memory, with no fan effect.

5. Inference and Elaboration • Elaboration leads to more inferences. • Information added as a “theme” to a story results in better recall of studied material and more inferences. • Intruded inferences are not necessarily “errors” but help guide our thinking and behavior. • Listerine court case – false inferences, not just false statements, not permitted.

6. Memory Errors • When exact memory is needed, inferences and reconstructive processes can be misleading. • Loftus -- additional details and suggestion can change what is recalled. • John Dean’s recall vs what Nixon recorded – gist was right but not details. • False memory syndrome – memories that never happened can be “planted.”

7. Structure and Retrieval • Memory is helped by prompts that are closely associated with what is to be recalled. • We prompt ourselves when trying to recall. • Organized material is easier to learn because it provides a structure for prompting recall: • Trees for minerals, animals, clothing, transportation.

8. Mnemonics • Method of Loci – place items in a location, then take a mental walk. • Peg-word System – use peg words as a structure and associate a list of items with them using visualization. • Create acronyms for lists of items. • Convert nonsense syllables (DAX, GIB) into meaningful items by associating them with real words (e.g., DAD).