Shoplifting Observation

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A time when I was an eyewitness to a non-violent crime was during a shoplifting case at a store. As I was finishing up at the checkout, I saw a group of teenagers grabbing snacks to put in their bags at the self-checkout, and exiting the store without paying for the items. This is when I realized I was witnessing a shoplifting attempt. At this moment, it was important for me to get a better view of what was happening, so I could have helpful information to share with the authorities. The information I knew I needed to store in my long-term memory included details about the shoplifters' physical appearance, clothing features, the sequence of events leading up to and during the crime, and the time and location of the incident. To encode the information …show more content…

In this case, I would use iconic and echoic inputs to activate my sensory memory. Iconic input represents the visual information coming in, and echoic input represents the auditory information coming in. Using iconic input allows me to focus on recalling the details of the crime and the shoplifters I witnessed. Using echoic input permits me to retain relevant information I heard being said during the crime. Then, actively thinking about the information would help reinforce it in my short-term memory, which helps get transferred to my long-term memory through elaborative rehearsal. Elaborative rehearsal is the ability to relate new information to previously stored knowledge or experiences. This plays an important role in long-term memory, as the more significant and relevant the details, the more likely the information will be encoded into long-term memory. Sensory memory has the briefest duration ranging from milliseconds to 3-4 seconds and has unlimited capacity. Short-term memory lasts around 20 seconds without rehearsal and has a capacity of 5-9 items, with about 7 items being the

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