Memory Failures: Transience, Absentmindedness, & Blocking

In this video I introduce 3 common memory failures from Daniel Schacter’s list of the “seven sins” of memory. Transience refers to forgetting due to the passage of time and follows a “forgetting curve” researched by Hermann Ebbinghaus. Absentmindedness refers to a failure to bring a memory to mind at the appropriate time. This relates to the idea of prospective … Read More

The Sensory Memory Store

In this video I cover the first box in the 3-box model, sensory memory, in greater detail. I explain how this store refers to information from all of the senses, though individual senses can be specified using terms like iconic memory or echoic memory. I also describe how the brief duration of sensory memory relates to managing the constant flow … Read More

The Rescorla-Wagner Model

In this video I explain the basic idea behind the Rescorla-Wagner model or contingency model of classical conditioning proposed by Robert Rescorla and Allan Wagner. This model suggests that the reason Pavlov’s dogs associated the bell (rather than some other stimulus) with food was that it was salient and served as a reliable predictor of food. Don’t forget to subscribe … Read More

Magic and Change Blindness

Here’s another example of change blindness featuring Magic Singh performing some close-up illusions, followed by Beau Lotto explaining why this type of blindness occurs. While the video refers to inattentional blindness, this is probably better referred to as change blindness, since these examples represent failures to notice changes, rather than failures to notice the introduction of unexpected items (which would … Read More

Test Your Awareness

Test your awareness with this clever Whodunnit! video demonstrating change blindness

Gradual Change Blindness

You can find several demonstrations of gradual change blindness from J. Kevin O’Regan’s site http://nivea.psycho.univ-paris5.fr/

“Flicker” Change Blindness Demos

You can find some great demonstrations of “flicker” change blindness at http://www.gocognitive.net/demo/change-blindness The demo allows you to adjust the duration of time for each image as well as the duration of the mask screen in between. Longer pauses will make detecting the change more difficult, while setting the delay to 0ms will reveal the answer. These provide a good example of … Read More