Brunning – Chapter 3Brunning – Chapter 3

Long Term Memory: Structures Long Term Memory: Structures and Modelsand Models

Review: Constant rehearsal and repetition in the STM Review: Constant rehearsal and repetition in the STM is needed to send information to the LTMis needed to send information to the LTM

LTM•Implicit-non-conscious

•Explicit-conscious

A Framework for LTM

DeclarativeKnowledge

“What”

Procedural Knowledge

“How”

Conditional Knowledge

“When & Why”

Semantic Memory

Episodic Memory

Most Learning involves an interplayamong declarative, procedural andconditional knowledge

Semantic memory (facts, concepts andtheir relationship with each other)

Episodic memory (personally dated autobiographical experiences)

FMRIstored indifferent parts ofbrain

Implicit and Explicit MemoryImplicit and Explicit Memory

• Explicit Memory:– Voluntary– Conscious search for

information– Usually tested by

recall and recognition

• Implicit Memory:– Is an unintentional,

non-conscious form of retention

– In which our actions are influenced by previous events but without conscious awareness

Explicit and implicit memory tasks sometimes elicit functional dissociations…(they don’t jive) could these memories be stores in different parts of the brain?

Building Blocks of CognitionBuilding Blocks of Cognition

Memory

Declarative

Non-declarative

Facts

Events

Medial Temporal Lobe

Skills & Habits……………….StriatumPriming……………………….Neocortex

Classical Conditioning…....CerebellumNon-associative learning…Reflex

Pathways

Temporal lobe (Facts & events)

Neocortex (priming)

Classical conditioning

Striatum (Skills & habits)

Reflex PathwaysReflex Pathways

Non-associativeLearning

(i.e. habituation)

Building Blocks of CognitionBuilding Blocks of Cognition

• 1. Concepts (mental structures by which we represent meaningful categories)– Rule-governed theories of conceptual structures

(Bruner, 1956)• Concept identification (colors or shapes)…figures where

presented to the subjects till they were confident that they were able to identify the concept

• Strategies:– Conservative focusing strategiesfocus on one attribute

of a concept at a time

– Focus gamblingfocus on varied attributes of a concept at a time

– Scanning strategiestest several hypothesis at a time…tough on individuals

• When using strategies, S tend to look for the rules relating the concept attributes

Conjunctive rules(2 or more

attributes must be present)

“furniture with legs”

Disjunctive rules(when one or the otherattribute are present )

“furniture”

Depends On?

These rules are taught by presenting the positive & negative instances of the concept (a qualifying statement or hedge)

They are also taught by presenting a highly typical instance of concept = prototype

– Prototype theories of conceptual structure• This is taught by presenting an example known

that is already in the memory• This theory frequently uses hedging (qualifying

statements of the prototype)

– Probabilistic theories of conceptual structures

• The concept that is being learned involves weighting probabilities

• The learner searches for characteristics, but not defining attributes

• For example:– Furniture = articles that decorate a room and makes it

more comfortable

• 2. Propositions– Are the smallest units of meaning that can

stand as a separate assertion– “Dr. Gavilan is a wonderful teacher who loves

to teach Educational Psychology in FIU• Dr. Gavilan is a wonderful teacher• Dr. Gavilan loves to teach Educational Psychology • Dr. Gavilan teaches at FIU

– Each proposition consist of a predicate and one or more arguments

– Propositions sharing one or more elements = propositional networks

• 3. Schematamental framework used to organize declarative knowledge– It represents the knowledge stored in the memory– This knowledge is stored in different parts of the brain– Interpretation of what we learn is based on learner’s

schemata– Teacher must review information to bring to present

past knowledge (schemata)

• Productionsare condition-action rules• Scriptsmental framework of our procedural

knowledgeschema representation for events what to expect in terms of behavior

Script of a Restaurant Entergive reservation namebe seatedorder

drinks look at menu discuss menuorder meal talkeat first courseeat second course order dessertpay billleave tipexit restaurant

Schema of a House

Big/small

Brick/wood

No. of rooms Color Vegetation

Type of architecture

Neighborhood

LTM – Verbal and Imaginal LTM – Verbal and Imaginal RepresentationRepresentation

• Pavio, 1971 (Dual Encoding Theory)– Verbal encoding system

• Adapted for linguistically based information• Emphasizes verbal associations• i.e. words, sentences, content of conversations

and stories

– Imaginal encoding system• Nonverbal information • i.e. pictures, sensations and sounds

Implication for InstructionImplication for Instruction

• Starting point of learning is what the students already knowprior knowledge

• Help students activate their current knowledge

• Help students organize new information into meaningful chunks

• Aid students translate what to do with their knowledge (conditional knowledge)

• Provide opportunities for students to use verbal and imaginal coding