Memory

Group name : U turnM

Memory :
The ability of an organism to record
information about things or events
with the facility of recalling them
later at will.
Memory is a constructive process
through which we actively organize
and shape information.
Information Processing Model
suggests that memory is very similar
to a computer.

 The sociological concept of collective

memoryplays an essential role in the
establishment of human societies.
Every social group perpetuates itself
through the knowledge that it
transmits down the generations, either
through oral tradition or through
writing. The invention ofmemorymade
it possible for the first time for human
beings to preserve precise records of
their knowledge outside of their brains.

Memory Process :
The process of memory
formation has several natural
stages, from the initial
selection and retention of
information to recollection and,
sometimes, eventual change or
loss of the memory. Each stage
has particular characteristics.

Stage & What's Meant to Happen

:

Selection :

The brain is
designed to
store
information
that will be
useful at a
later date and
allow the rest
to pass by
unnoticed.

Lay Down :
Experience
selected for
memorizing is
stored so that it is
associated with
relevant preexisting memories
and retained for
an appropriate
period.

Recollection
:
Current
events should
stimulate the
recollection of
appropriate
memories i.e.
information
that can guide
future actions.

Change :
Each time a
memory is
recalled it is
altered slightly to
accommodate
new information .

Forgetting :
Items start to be forgotten as
soon as they have been
registered, unless they are
regularly refreshed. Unnecessary
information is deleted
Important or useful information is
forgotten. Alternatively,
unnecessary or even damaging
memories are not.

Next will be
presented by

Maria Aslam

Types of Memory :

Iconic Memory :
It is a visual icon of the original visual stimulus
Capacity: 4 +- 2 bits of info

Echoic Memory :
It is the auditory sensory memory.

Capacity: about 6 bits of info

Short Term Memory :

Primary or active memory
is the capacity for holding , but
not manipulating , a small amount
of information in mind in an active
, readily available state for a short
period of time .
Short term memory is dependent
on the regions of the Frontal &
Parietal Lobes.

Key Aspects :
Limited Capacity
:

o Only 7 items
can be stored
at a time.

Limited Duration
:

o Storage is very
fragile and
information can
be lost with
distraction or
passage of time
.

Encoding :
o Primary acoustic , even
translating visual
information into sound.

Implicit Memory :
o Implicit memory is the unconscious
memory of skills and how to do
things ,particularly the use of objects
and movements of the body, such as
playing a guitar or riding a bike.
Riding a bike
Driving a car
Buttoning a shirt
Dialing a phone
Brushing your teeth
Typing on a keyboard

Explicit Memory :
It is memory of facts and events
and refers to those memories
that can be consciously recalled.
It is also called declarative
memory , since it consist of
information that is explicitly
stored and retrieved , although it
is more properly a subset of
declarative memory.

Next will be
presented by
Usman Qamar

Continued
It is further divided into
two parts .
1.Semantic Memory
2. Episodic Memory

Semantic Memory :
On the other hand it is a more
structured record of facts , meanings
and concepts and knowledge about
external world that we have acquired. It
refers to general factual knowledge ,
shared with others and independent of
personal experience and of the
temporal context in which it was
required. Semantic memory is the
recollection of facts gathered from the
time we are young.

Examples :
1- Knowing that grass is green
2- Recalling that Washington, D.C., is
the U.S. capital and Washington is a
state.
3 - Knowing how to use scissors.
4 - Understanding how to put words
together to form a sentence.
5 - Recognizing the names of colors
6 - Knowing how to use the phone

Episodic Memory :
Episodic Memoryis
thememoryof autobiographical
events (times, places, associated
emotions, and other contextual
who, what, when, where, why
knowledge) that can be explicitly
stated. It is the collection of past
personal experiences that
occurred at a particular time and
place. It is believed that emotion

Examples :
- The first time you traveled
by airplane.
- Your roommate from your
first year in college.
- Your first day at a new job.
- Neighbors on the block
where you grew up.

Next will be
presented by

Nimra

Encoding :
Encodingis the crucial first step to
creating a new memory. It allows the
perceived item of interest to be converted
into aconstructthat can bestoredwithin
thebrain , and then recalled later from
short-termorlong-term memory.
People automatically encode some types
of information without being aware of it.
However, other types of information
become encoded only if people pay
attention to it.

Examples :
For example, most people
probably can recall where they ate
lunch yesterday, even though they
didnt try to remember this
information.
College students will probably not
remember all the material in their
textbooks unless they pay close
attention while theyre reading.

Types of Encoding :
Structural encoding:
Focuses on what words
look like. For instance, one might
note whether words are long or
short, in uppercase or lowercase, or
handwritten or typed.

Phonemic encoding:
Focuses on how words sound.

Continued ..
Semantic encoding:
Focuses on the
meaning of words. Semantic
encoding requires a deeper
level of processing than
structural or phonemic
encoding and usually results
in better memory.

Storage :
After information enters the
brain, it has to be stored or
maintained. To describe the
process of storage. We encode
each of our experiences within
the structures of the nervous
system, making new
impressions in the process
and each of those impressions

Next will be
presented by
Talha Abubakar

The context matter !!

Flashbulb Memories
Mood Congruent Memory
State Dependent Memory

Flashbulb Memories :
A flashbulb memory is a detailed and vivid
memory that is stored on one occasion and
retained for a lifetime. Usually, such
memories are associated with important
historical or autobiographical events.
These memories are vivid , detailed
memories of events associated with strong
emotions.
These flashbulb memories are not as
accurate or permanent as photographic
memories but the flashbulb memories
forgetting curve is far less affected by time
than is the case for other types of memories
studied in basic memory research.

Mood Congruent
Memory :
Mood-congruent memory occurs where
current mood helps recall of mood-congruent
material, regardless of our mood at the time
the material was stored. Thus when we are
happy, we are more likely to remember happy
events.
When we encode a memory, we not only
record the visual and other sensory data, we
also store our mood and emotional state. Our
present mood thus will affect the memories
that are most easily available to us, such that
when we are in a good mood we recall good
memories (and vice versa). The associative
nature of memory also means that we tend to

State dependent
memory :
State-dependent memory, orstatedependentlearning is the phenomenon through
whichmemoryretrieval is most efficient when an
individual is in the samestateof consciousness
as they were when the memorywas formed.
Information is better remembered when someone
is in the same state as they were in the memory.
Essentially, if you are angry, you will remember
angry memories better than if you are happy.
Alcohol-related state-dependent memory is
known to occur with humans. Heavy drinkers may
forget what they did while drunk, only to
remember again the next time they drink. This
phenomenon has been documented under
experimental conditions using word lists.

Constructive Memory :
Constructive memory can sometimes
add details to the recollection of an
event that didn't really occur.
This constructive nature of memory
allows us to extract new knowledge
beyond our direct experience
Such derived knowledge increases the
predictive power of our memories, but
may depend on our ability to fully
attend to our environment.

Distributed
Memories :

Our memories are distributed

throughout the brain, so even if one
part of an experience is lost, many
others will remain. One benefit of such
a distributed storage system is that it
makes long-term memories more or
less indestructible. If they were held in
a single brain area, damage to that
place for example, from a stroke or
head injury would eradicate the
memory completely. As it is, brain
trauma and degeneration may nibble

The Location of Memories :

long-term memories are stored throughout
the brain as groups of neurons that are
primed to fire together in the same pattern
that created the original experience. Whole
memories are divided into their components
(sensations, emotions, thoughts, and so on);
each component is stored in the brain area
that initiated it. Groups of neurons in the
visual cortex, for instance, will encode a sight,
and neurons in the amygdala will store an
emotion. The simultaneous firing of all these
groups constructs the memory in its entirety.

Next will be
presented by
Usama Bin Saeed

What are the causes of Memory

Loss :
There are further many causes of memory loss :

1- Smoking:
Harms memory by reducing
the amount of oxygen that gets to
the brain. Studies have shown that
people who smoke find it more
difficult to put faces with names
than do nonsmokers. Drugs can
change chemicals in thebrainthat
can make it hard to recall

Sleep deprivation :
Both quantity and quality
ofsleepare important to
memory. Getting too
littlesleepor waking frequently
in the night can lead tofatigue ,
which interferes with the ability
to consolidate and retrieve
information.

Medications :
Memory loss could be a sign that your
medication needs to be adjusted.
Several types of drugs can affect
memory, according to the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA),
including:
sleeping pills
antihistamines
anti-anxiety medications
antidepressants
certain painkillers

Depression and stress :

Being depressed can
make it difficult to pay
attention and focus, which
can affect memory. Stress
andanxietycan also get in
the way of concentration.
When you are tense and
your mind is overstimulated

Head injury :
A severe hit to the head -from a fall or automobile
accident, for example -- can
injure thebrainand cause
both short- and long-term
memory loss. Memory may
gradually improve over time.

Prevention of Memory :
Research shows that the following strategies may
help preserve yourmemory :

Exercise :
Physical fitness and mental fitness go together.
There are several ways in which exercise might
benefit your memory. First of all, its good for the
lungs, and people whose memories and mental
acuity remain strong in old age characteristically
have good lung function. Second, exercise helps
reduce the risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, high
blood pressure, and stroke - illnesses that can lead
to memory loss.Physical activity keeps both your
body and your mind inshape.

Maintain a healthydiet
:
A healthful diet rich in fruits and
vegetables as well as healthy fats from
fish, nuts, and whole grains is vital in
maintaining the health not just of your
body but of your brain as well.Eating a lot
of fruits and vegetables can be especially
beneficial because many are good sources
of antioxidants, nutrients that may protect
against diseases and age-related
throughout thebody. Nutritious foods such
as fruits, vegetables, and nuts are essential
for keeping your brainhealthy.

Reading
Regularly:

In an age when people spend so

much time passively watching
television, reading provides an
opportunity for active mental
engagement. And such habits as
making predictions about a story's
plot and recalling details from what
was read can further enhance the
benefits of reading on one's
memory.

Stay Social :
People who dont have social
contact with family and friends are
at higher risk for memory problems
than people who have strong social
ties. Social interaction helps brain
function in several ways: it often
involves activities that challenge
the mind, and it helps ward off
stress and depression.

The END