Levels of Processing Description

Levels of Processing Description

1. Memory is a consequence of how we process information, the deeper the process the easier it will be remembered

2. Information that is attended to on the basis of how it looks is not very durable

3. Most durable information is that which has been attended to semantically

4. The theory distinguishes between maintenance rehearsal and elaborative rehearsal

   • Maintenance rehearsal simply retains items for the time being
   • Elaborative rehearsal expands upon material and creates more lasting memories

5. Deep processing which is a form of elaborative rehearsal produces longer lasting memory traces

6. The 3 levels of processing are

   • Structural: What something looks like
   • Phonetic: what something sounds like
   • Semantic: what something means