Short-term memory

Question 1

“chunking” strategy

Answer 1

The grouping of perceptual elements into meaningful chunks that allows you to recall the whole sequence. Eg. memorizing chunks of a phone number

Question 2

echoic memory

Answer 2

a type of short term sensory memory that stores recent auditory information.
Echoic memory allows you to repeat what someone has just said to you whether or not you were actively focusing on the auditory input or not.

Question 3

iconic memory

Answer 3

a type of short term sensory memory that stores information about recent visual stimuli.
An iconic memory lasts milliseconds before fading. Eg: the flag-staring exercise where the image of the flag lingers in your vision after disappearing

Question 4

Sensory Memory

Answer 4

the passive transient retention of sensory information.
- High capacity
- Rapid decay (ms)
- No active maintenance.

Eg. echoic and iconic memory

Question 5

short-term memory

Answer 5

• low capacity
• rapid decay (sec.-min.)
• fragile to interference
• active rehearsal possible.

Question 6

Working Memory
Attention and rehearsal…

Answer 6

• shield against interference
• transform its contents

Question 7

Oculomotor delayed response task (Goldman’Rakic)

Answer 7

Fixation on center target. Stimulus flashes somewhere in periphery. Subject must recall where the stimulus flashed. Decreasing accuracy in saccade location as delay time increases.

Question 8

The problem with the oculomotor delayed-response task?

Answer 8

Confuses short-term memory and motor preparation (to make the saccade)

Question 9

Visual working memory

Answer 9

slot model describes how visual working memory contents are encoded in an all-or-nothing manner

Question 10

Sperling’s sensory memory task

Answer 10

Subjects are shown listed of letters. Then asked to report as many letters as they remember. Increasing delay time= decreasing access to sensory memory. Showed that sensory memory decays very quickly (500ms)

Question 11

Slot models VS resource models

Answer 11

Imagine being shown 7 different colored squares. Then they disappear.
The slot model says that after some delay, a few of the stimuli will be preserved while others will be lost. i.e. you will remember three of the colored squares and not the rest.
The resource model says that the memory of all 7 squares will fade and decay evenly over time.

Question 12

lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC)

Answer 12

Extensively involved in working memory. Supports retention of information across short delays.