models of memory (week 8)

Question 1

what is the law of repetition?

Answer 1

more rehearsal (maintenance) > better retention (but… not only rehearsal determines learning)

Question 2

what are the phases of memory in the multi-modal model?

Answer 2

1. acquisition/encoding - how new information is placed in memory
2. storage - how and where it is held in memory (‘memory trace’) - probably 2 steps: temporary memory in hippocampus, then integration in cortical information networks
3. retrieval - ‘remembering’, memory brought back into active use

Question 3

what is the atkinson and shiffrin (1968) model of memory storage?

Answer 3

1. sensory memory - unattended information is quickly lost (msec-secs)
2. short-term memory - unrehearsed information is quickly losts (secs- mins)
3. long-term memory - some information may be lost over time (days, years, indefinite)

Question 4

what is the sensory store?

Answer 4

the sensory store fills in the blanks when there is intermittent stimulation - its function is to keep sensory information so we can attend to it:
1. iconic memory – for vision
2. echoic memory – for hearing
3. haptic memory – for touch
4. olfactory memory – for smell
5. gustatory memory – for taste

Question 5

what were sperling’s conclusions about the capacity and duration of iconic memory?

Answer 5

capacity:
large amount held in iconic memory
duration:
information in iconic memory decays rapidly and anything left was transferred to STM before it was lost
all letters were held in sensory memory for a short time but decayed rapidly

Question 6

what is the function, capacity, and duration of short-term memory in the multi-modal model?

Answer 6

function - conscious processing of information, attention is key
limited capacity - magical number 7 plus/minus 2 (Miller, 1956)
chunking - grouping familiar stimuli for storage as a single unit, probably closer to 4
limited duration - if not rehearsed, info lost within 15-20 seconds, the longer the delay, the more was forgotten

Question 7

what is the difference between retroactive and proactive interference?

Answer 7

retroactive - new learning interferes with old memories
proactive - old learning interferes with new memories

Question 8

what are some criticisms for forgetting in STM due to time decay?

Answer 8

Interference is more likely the cause of forgetting:
when stimuli are similar, when learning large volumes of info, when learning about material close together in time, when learning in the same context etc.

Question 9

what are some criticisms of the STM component in the multi-store model?

Answer 9

1. information in STM does not need to be processed consciously
2. simple rehearsal does not ensure LTM storage
3. learning in STM affected by LTM
4. double dissociation found in patients supports STM-LTM distinction

Question 10

should we recast short-term memory as working memory?

Answer 10

1. a new model has been developed to address some criticisms of the multi-store model
2. loss of information is not only due to decay
3. different types of working memory: single short-term memory store is replaced by 4 working memory components