SENSORY STORE (MEMORY) / SENSORY REGISTERS / SHORT -TERM STORE (WORKING MEMORY) / LOSS OF INFO IN STM / REHEARSALS

Question 1

DEFINITION: SENSORY MEMORY

Answer 1

• Also known as the sensory store
• Not a part of our conscious awareness
• RECEIVES sensory information from the receptor sites (of the senses from the outside world)
• Not consciously aware of the information in sensory memory
• CAPACITY: Unlimited
• DURATION: Short

Question 2

SESNSORY REGISTERS (ICONIC AND ECHOIC)

Answer 2

• there are 5 sensory registers (Sight, Sound, Taste, Smell, Touch)
• 2 x Prominent Sensory Registers: SIGHT, SOUND

Sight = iconic MEMORY

• All VISUAL information goes into the visual sensory register (in its original SENSORY form)
• We are able to perceive movement
• CAPACITY: Unlimited
• DURATION: 0.3 -0.4 seconds

Sound = echoic MEMORY

• All auditory information goes into the HEARING sensory register (in its original SENSORY form)
• CAPACITY: Unlimited
• DURATION: 3-4 seconds

Question 3

DEFINITION: SHORT-TERM MEMORY

Answer 3

• Also known as the working memory
• Receives information from (2 x places) SENSORY MEMORY and LONG TERM MEMORY

Sensory memory (In order to be encoded)

Long term memory (To be TEMPORARILY manipulated or used)

• Short-tem memory is also our thoughts and concsciouness

Question 4

DEFINITION: CHUNKING

Answer 4

• A cognitive process
• Combining SMALL pieces of information into LARGER groups (Chunks). The groups/chunks are more meaningful.
• Chunking increases capacity (frees up space) in the STM storage system, thus increasing the amount of content STORED in STM at any one time.

EXAMPLE: Remembering a Mobile Phone Number (note: Remembering all the digits individually = Great difficulty)

Question 5

2 x REHEARSAL (How does info from STM get into LTM?)

Answer 5

MAINTENANCE REHEARSAL (Retaining information)

• Not in LTM
• It is the REPETITION of information over and over again
• Doesn’t add or add new things to the information
• Primarily used for STM

ELABORATIVE REHEARSAL

• the most EFFECTIVE process of transferring information into LTM
• Linking and organizing new information with existing information in a meaningful way.

Question 6

STM : CAPACITY AND DURATION

Answer 6

Capacity: Limited: 5-9 ITEMS
However, it can be manipulated using CHUNKING
(EXCESS = Lost or Forgotten)

Duration: Limited: 12-20, 12-30, 10-20 SEC (If the information is not attended to)
However, it can be manipulated using rehearsal.

Question 7

HOW IS INFORMATION LOST IN STM?

Answer 7

• Lost primarily through DECAY and DISPLACEMENT

Decay: Information is not maintained by rehearsal and simply FADES away over time.

Displacement: When the ‘working space’ in STM is used up. REACHES its Capacity (5-9 items). Unable to hold additional information in STM.