EncodingEncodingChapter 8, Lecture 2Chapter 8, Lecture 2

“To paraphrase Ebbinghaus, those who learnquickly also forget quickly.”

- David Myers

Questions for Your Notes

What have you had to eat today?

What have you talked with your friends abouttoday?

What have you learned about in one of yourother classes today?

At any point today did you think, “I have toremember these events because my psychologyinstructor might ask for my recall.”

Encoding: Getting Information In

How We Encode

1. Some information (route to your school) is automatically processed.

2. However, new or unusual information (friend’s new cell-phone number) requires attention and effort.

Automatic Processing

We process an enormous amount of information effortlessly, such as the

following: 1. Space: While reading a textbook, you

automatically encode the place of a picture on a page.

2. Time: We unintentionally note the events that take place in a day.

3. Frequency: You effortlessly keep track of things that happen to you.

Effortful Processing

Committing novel information to

memory requires effort just like

learning a concept from a textbook. Such processing

leads to durable and accessible memories.

Spencer Grant/ P

hoto Edit

© B

ananastock/ Alam

y

Rehearsal

Effortful learning usually requires

rehearsal or conscious

repetition.

Ebbinghaus studied rehearsal by using

nonsense syllables: TUV YOF

GEK XOZ Hermann Ebbinghaus(1850-1909)

http://ww

w.isbn3-540-21358-9.de

Rehearsal

The more times the nonsense syllables

were practiced on Day 1,

the fewer repetitions were required to

remember them on Day 2.

Memory Effects

1. Spacing Effect: We retain information better when we rehearse over time.

2. Serial Position Effect: When your recall is better for first (primacy effect) and last (recency effect) items on a list, but poor for middle items.In your notes, write down the names of as many

U.S. presidents as you can remember…

1. Washington 16. Lincoln 31. Hoover2. J. Adams 17. A. Johnson 32. F.D. Roosevelt3. Jefferson 18. Grant 33. Truman4. Madison 19. Hayes 34. Eisenhower5. Monroe 20. Garfield 35. Kennedy6. J.Q. Adams21. Arthur 36. L. Johnson7. Jackson 22. Cleveland 37. Nixon8. Van Buren 23. B. Harrison 38. Ford9. W.H. Harrison 24. Cleveland 39. Carter10. Tyler 25. McKinley 40. Reagan11. Polk 26. T. Roosevelt 41. George H.W. Bush12. Taylor 27. Taft 42. Clinton13. Fillmore 28. Wilson 43. George W. Bush14. Pierce 29. Harding 44. Obama15. Buchanan 30. Coolidge

What We Encode

1. Encoding by meaning2. Encoding by images3. Encoding by organization

For some examples, look at Handout 8-4…

Encoding Meaning

Processing the meaning of verbal information by associating it with

what we already know or imagine. Encoding meaning

(semantic encoding) results in better recognition later than visual or acoustic encoding.

Visual Encoding

Mental pictures (imagery) are a powerful aid to effortful processing, especially

when combined with semantic encoding.

Showing adverse effects of tanning and smoking in apicture may be more powerful than simply talking about it.

Both photos: H

o/AP Photo

Mnemonics

Imagery is at the heart of many memory aids. Mnemonic techniques use vivid imagery and organizational

devices in aiding memory.

Break down complex information into broad concepts and further subdivide

them into categories and subcategories.

Organizing Information for Encoding

1.Chunking2.Hierarchies

Chunking

Organizing items into a familiar, manageable unit. Try to remember the numbers below.

1-7-7-6-1-4-9-2-1-8-1-2-1-9-4-1

If you are well versed with American history, chunk the numbers together

and see if you can recall them better. 1776 1492 1812 1941.

Chunking

Acronyms are another way of chunking information to remember

it.

HOMES = Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior

ROY G. BIV = Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet

Hierarchy

Complex information broken down into broad concepts and further subdivided

into categories and subcategories.

Encoding Summarized in a Hierarchy

p.336

HomeworkRead p.337-345

“Asked later what we heard or read, we recallnot the literal text but what we encoded. Thus,studying for an exam, you may remember yourlecture notes rather than the lecture itself.”

- David Myers