Chapter 5-Memory Pt.1

Question 1

Memory

Answer 1

Processes involved in retaining, retrieving and using information about stimuli after the original information is no longer present

Activated any time some past experience has an impact on how you think or behave now or in the future

Question 2

Modal model of memory

Answer 2

Atkinson and Shiffrin 1968

Three different types of memory:

1. Sensory memory
2. Short term memory
3. Long term memory

Question 3

Control processes

Answer 3

• Modal model of Memory
• active processes that can be controlled by the person

1. Rehearsal
2. Strategies used to make a stimulus more memorable
3. Strategies of attention that help you focus on specific stimuli

Question 4

Sensory memory

Answer 4

Modal model of memory

The retention, for brief periods of time, of the effects of sensory stimulation

Holds large amounts of information for a short period of time

Collects info-holds it for initial processing-fills in the blank

Question 5

Persistence of vision

Answer 5

Retention of the perception of light

Sparklers trail of light, frames in a film

Question 6

Sperling

Answer 6

1960

Measured the capacity and duration of sensory memory. He believed that the 4.5 item limit was not imposed by the capabilities of the perceptual system, but by the observers abilities to recall items that had been seen

• Array of letters flashed quickly on a screen
• participants asked to report as many as possible

1. Whole report method
2. Partial report method
3. Delayed partial report method

Question 7

Whole Report Method

Answer 7

Sperling (sensory memory)

Participants asked to report as many as they could see

-average of 4.5/12

Question 8

Partial Report Method

Answer 8

Sperling (sensory memory)

Participants heard tone that told them which row of letters to report

-Average 3.3/4

Question 9

Delayed partial report method

Answer 9

Sperling (sensory memory)

Presentation of tone delayed for a fraction of a second after the letters were extinguished

-performance decreased rapidly (dropped to 30-40%)

Question 10

Perceptual span

Answer 10

How much info you can gather in a single percept

Question 11

Iconic memory

Answer 11

Modal model of memory

Brief sensory memory of the things that we see

-responsible for persistence of vision

Question 12

Echoic memory

Answer 12

Modal model of memory

Brief sensory memory of the things that we hear

-responsible for persistence of sound

Question 13

Short term memory

Answer 13

Modal model of memory

• stores small amounts of information for a brief duration
• includes both new information received by sensory stores and information recalled from long term memory

Question 14

Measuring the duration of short term memory

Answer 14

Brown-Peterson

Read three letters (trigram) then a number

Start counting backwards by threes

After a set time (less than 20 s), recall the three letters. Recall was less likely if they worked on counting for longer durations

Question 15

Peterson-Peterson Results

Answer 15

• 1959 (all trials for one individual)
• after 3 seconds of counting, participants performed at 80%
• after 18 seconds of counting, participants performed at 10%

This reduction was thought to be because of the existence of decay: the vanishing of a memory trace due to the passage of time and exposure to competing stimuli

Question 16

What happens if instead of measuring all the trials for one individual, we measure the first trial for a bunch of people? (Peterson-Peterson)

Answer 16

If we only measure the first trail, even after 18 seconds, people still do it fairly accurately

Shows that it wasn’t a result of decay. Has to do with the fact that individuals were getting interference from previous trials: proactive interference

Question 17

Short term memory when rehearsal is prevented

Answer 17

15-20 seconds

Question 18

Proactive interference

Answer 18

Modal model of memory-short term memory

Occurs when information learned previously interferes with learning new information

Question 19

Retroactive interference

Answer 19

Modal model of memory (short term memory)

Occurs when new learning interferes with remembering old learning

Question 20

Capacity of short term memory

Answer 20

Typically 5-8 items

Question 21

Memory span coglab

Answer 21

Short term memory

List of items presented one at a time (different types of materials)

Asked to recall the items in same order they were presented

If you got a list right it increased by 1 or if you got it incorrect it decreased by 1

Suggest that the capacity of short term memory is controlled by verbal processes

Question 22

Chunking

Answer 22

Small units can be combined into larger meaningful units

A chunk is a collection of elements that are strongly associated with each other but weakly associated with elements in other chunks

Question 23

Ericsson et.al

Answer 23

1980

Trained college student to use chunking

• S.F. Had initial digit span of 7
• after 230 one hour training session he could remember up to 79 digits
• chunking them into meaningful units

Question 24

Luck and Vogal

Answer 24

1997

100 ms presentation of colourful squares
900 ms delay
2000 ms same or different?

Improves with less squares

A way to determine capacity of short term memory

Question 25

Alvarez and Cavanaugh

Answer 25

2004 measured capacity of short term memory

Used change detection procedure

Used coloured squares as well as complex objects (shaded cubes)

The more complex, the smaller the capacity of memory