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The E volution of Cognition and Memory

The E volution of Cognition and Memory. Angela Swan. Evolution of Thought. Large brain size is physically disadvantageous, yet it still was naturally selected for, this means that this characteristic was evolutionarily selected for

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The E volution of Cognition and Memory

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  1. The Evolution of Cognition and Memory Angela Swan

  2. Evolution of Thought • Large brain size is physically disadvantageous, yet it still was naturally selected for, this means that this characteristic was evolutionarily selected for • We developed computational methods to effectively deal with the demands of the environment.

  3. Beginning of Memory Studies • Ebbinghaus: Studying memory of nonsense syllables. • Our memories did not evolve to remember nonsense syllables.

  4. Memory of Meaningful Symbols • Bartlett 1932: tested memory for meaningful materials. • Textual info and culturally specific info was still hard to memorize. • Semantic info was memorized

  5. Memory didn’t evolve just so we could simply store and retrieve useless information… Your memory is not a person on hoarders!

  6. Memory is like a library… • Anderson and Milson 1989: Retrieval retrieval speed is relative to the frequency of encounters in the word/item. • Proposed that this is evidence for adaptive design • Priming: With each exposure to a word, it will take less time to access it in the future.

  7. Decision Making • Klien et al. 2002: Evolved to support decision making processes. • For each type of memory, there is a memory system. OR?

  8. Types of memory processes • Tulving1972: Memory as a number of separate subsystems. • Episodic vs. semantic • Klien et al. 1996 • Inceptive vs. Derrived

  9. Stereotypes • Another attempt for the mind to retrieve information quicker. • Rosch 1973: proposed that stereotypes (prototypes) reflect frequently encountered members that fall into these categories.

  10. Stereotypes Continuted • Stereotypes might lead to prejudice. Even though it is socially unacceptable, it is evolutionarily adaptive, because it gives us survivally relevant info. • Lee et al. 1995: categories we make for each other summed up represent an average category member.

  11. Memory Fallacies • If it is a product of evolution why does it fail us so often? • Schacter (2001) seven sins of memory Transience Absent-mindedness Blocking Misattribution Suggestibility Bias Persistence

  12. Child Abuse and Forgetting • According to Freud, repressing memories is a survival mechanism for helping cope with harmful memories. • Study by Chu et al. on correlation between child abuse in females and amnesia. • 90 female participants ages 18-60 in special treatment for trauma. • Experimenters did structured interviews to decipher abuse and amnesia in the past.

  13. Is Memory Adaptive or did it Evolve? Anderson and Schacter: adaptive • Klein et al. not adaptive.

  14. What do you think? This could be you!

  15. Thank you! • Any questions? Opinions? Comments?

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