Introduction to memory
Black box
Availability vs. Accessibility
Framework for memory experiments
Ebbinghaus
Learning
Forgetting


Info In
Info Out


Info In
Info Out
Encoding
Retrieval
Memory: “The processes involved in retaining,
retreiving, and using information about stimuli,
images, events, ideas, and skills, after the original
information is no longer present” (Goldstein, 2005,
p. 485)


Info In
Info Out
Encoding
Retrieval
What’s in the box?
Test
Important Distinction
Availability vs. Accessibility
(Tulving & Pearlstone, 1966)
Important Distinction
Availability vs. Accessibility
(Tulving & Pearlstone, 1966)
Available: What is in the box.
Accessible: What comes out of the box
(i.e., what is retrieved).
Important Distinction
Availability vs. Accessibility
(Tulving & Pearlstone, 1966)
Available: What is in the box.
Accessible: What comes out of the box
(i.e., what is retrieved).
If an item (e.g., a word) is accessible, then it must
be available.
If an item is available it is not necessarily accessible.
(It’s in the box, just hard to get it out.)
Important Distinction
Availability vs. Accessibility
(Tulving & Pearlstone, 1966)
Bottom line: It’s hard to know what is available
(i.e., what is in the box) if you have
trouble getting it out.
Can’t know everything that is available.
Jenkins Tetrahedral Model for Memory Experiments
Provides a framework to think about memory
research
What factors can be manipulated?
Materials
Encoding
Tasks
Retrieval
Tasks
Subjects/Participants
Materials
Encoding
Tasks
Retrieval
Tasks
Subjects/Participants
Nipher, Ebbinghaus
Ebbinghaus
Stimuli
Learning Procedure
Nipher, Ebbinghaus
Ebbinghaus
Stimuli – CVC trigrams (e.g., fep, gir, kol)
Learning Procedure
Nipher, Ebbinghaus
Ebbinghaus
Stimuli – CVC trigrams (e.g., fep)
Learning Procedure – multitrial free recall
Probability of Recall as Function of Trial Number
1.0
P(r)
0.0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Trial Number
Probability of Recall as Function of Trial Number
1.0
P(r)
0.0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Trial Number
Probability of Recall as Function of Trial Number
1.0
Learning
Curve
P(r)
0.0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Trial Number
When is a list learned (memorised)?
When is a list learned (memorised)?
need a criterion (a certain level of performance)
for example: recall the list perfectly twice in a row
Learn a list (i.e., the list is memorised)
Vary (manipulate) time between learning trials
(i.e., after a list has been learned) and a final test
-- called retention interval
Probability of Recall as Function of Trial Number
1.0
List is now
learned
P(r)
0.0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Trial Number
Probability of Recall as Function of Time
1.0
P(r)
0.0
Time
Probability of Recall as Function of Time
1.0
P(r)
0.0
Time
Probability of Recall as Function of Time
1.0
Forgetting
Curve
P(r)
0.0
Time
Probability of Recall as Function of Time
1.0
Forgetting
Curve
P(r)
0.0
Time
Probability of Recall as Function of Time
1.0
Forgetting
Curve
P(r)
0.0
Time
Savings
Learn list in 10 trials.
Wait some period of time (forgetting occurs).
Relearn list in 7 trials.
10 – 7 = 3 fewer trials than in original learning
savings = 3 trials
% Savings = Original # - relearning #
Original #
Savings = 30%
x 100
Materials
Encoding
Tasks
Retrieval
Tasks
Subjects/Participants
End
Have a good day!