Human Learning & Memory

1. Human Learning & Memory Siena Heights University Chapters 7 & 8 Dr. S.Talbot

2. Cognitive Process • Def. – how people ______, ______, ______ and ______ about their environment. • Edward Tolman’s Purposive Behaviorism • Learning can be internal rather than external (latent). • Behavior is purposive (has a purpose). • Expectations affect behavior. • Learning results in an organized body of information. Chapter 7 & 8 –Cognitive Views of Learning

3. Gestalt Psychology – we experience our world beyond the simple sensations produced. • Perception is often ________ than reality. Chapter 7 & 8 –Cognitive Views of Learning

4. Gestalt Psychology – we experience our world beyond the simple sensations produced. • Perception is often different than reality. • The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. • An organism structures and organizes experience (911). • An organism is predisposed to organize information in certain ways. • Law of proximity • Law of similarity • Law of Pragnanz (kiss) • Law of closure • Problems solving involves insight. Chapter 7 & 8 –Cognitive Views of Learning

5. Verbal Learning • Serial Learning (days of the week) v. Paired Associate Learning (a new language). • Serial Learning • Primacy effect • Recency effect • Massed practice v. Distributed practice. • Characteristics of the materials affects the speed at which we learn and forget. • Hermann Ebbinghaus Chapter 7 & 8 –Cognitive Views of Learning

6. Nonsense syllables (and even pronunciation BPX v. DNK)

7. Meaning is important. • We search for meaning. Chapter 7 & 8 –Cognitive Views of Learning

8. People Organize what they learn. • People learn ideas faster than verbatim words. • People use encoding strategies (i.e. images, pneumonic, number sequences). Chapter 7 & 8 –Cognitive Views of Learning

9. Cognitive Theory Differences • Some learning is unique to ______(v. universal to all organisms). • People are ______ involved in learning (v. passive). • Some learning does not get reflected in external behaviors. Chapter 7 & 8 –Cognitive Views of Learning

10. Human Memory v. Learning • How is learning different than memory? • Memory is the ability to encode, store and retrieve information. • Learning is the acquisition of new information and skills. Chapter 7 & 8 –Cognitive Views of Learning

11. Dual – Store Model of Memory • Long and short - term memories are distinctly different. • Color changing card trick. Register Chapter 7 & 8 –Cognitive Views of Learning

12. Human Memory • Sensory Attention – Color changing cards Significance of info, emotion, incongruity, motion, intensity, novelty, social cues. Limitations to attention? • Short – term or working memory. • Digit Span: Test of attention and short-term memory; string of numbers is recalled forward or backward • Typically part of intelligence tests or MSE. • Magic Number 7 (Plus or Minus 2): STM is limited to holding seven (plus or minus two) information bits at once • Information Bits: Meaningful units of information • Information Chunks Meaning • Long - term • Capacity • Duration? • What we remember depends on what we find__________, what we regard as ___________ or what we find ___________ strong. • Debate. Chapter 7 & 8 –Cognitive Views of Learning

13. Engrams, Neurons and Brain Mapping • Priming • Constructive Processing Chapter 7 & 8 –Cognitive Views of Learning