Chapter 5 Flashcards
What is memory?
Set of processes that allow us to record and later retrieve experiences and information.
What do we use memory for?
Labelling objects, faces, conversations, appropriate behaviour, where things are, how you like your coffee, handwriting, typing, remembering to do things.
What are the 3 basic processes of memory?
1) Encoding- translate info into a neural code that our brain can understand (input processes)
2) Storage-Retaining info over some period of time
3) Retrieval- Pulling information out of storage (output process)
What was Atkinson and Shiffrin’s 3 component model?
Takes into account the 3 basic processes AND the fact that we seem to have different types of memory-short term, long term, and sensory. Functionally different, but don’t necessarily correspond to different brain areas.
What is sensory memory?
Allows a complete sensation to “linger” in memory for a very brief time after it’s ended (ex: perception of the aftr image of a sparkler, apparent motion) stores info VERY briefly (< 2 Seconds)
What was Sperling’s Experiment?
Presented an array of 12 letters for 1/20 of a second.
1st Condition: whole report-name all the letters you saw (average: 37.5%, 4.5/12)
2nd Condition: Partial report. After letters are displayed a tone is played corresponding to the row he wanted you to remember. If tone was immediate, 3.3/4 letters remembered. Delayed tone, worse performance- delay by 1 second, no better than whole report.
What did Sperling reason after his experiment?
Difference in results was due to how long sensory memory lasts-we remember all the letters BUT it takes too much time for us to say them.
What is the storage area called for visual info (sensory registers)
Iconic store, lasts about 1/2 a second.
What is the storage area called for auditory info?
Echoic store- everything we just heard lasts about 2 seconds.
What is short-term memory?
Some info from sensory memory passes to here-selective attention. Sensory memory is what we are currently focused on and thinking about. Includes information we are trying to learn/remember and info we’ve retrieved and are currently thinking about.
What is the duration of short term memory?
20 seconds without rehearsal (rehearsal resets the clock).
What is proactive interference?
When something old interferes with the ability to remember something new.
What causes worse memory performance? Interference or decay?
Interference.
What is maintenance rehearsal and is it effective?
Repeat something over and over-keeps info in STM-it is not great for memorization
What is elaborative rehearsal?
Focuses on the meaning of something or relate it to other things you already know-way more effective for longterm retention.
What is George Miller’s magic number? (capacity research)
7+ or - 2 things are remembered in STM-includes not only individual things but also chunks.
How many things do we remember based on what recent work says?
3-5 items.
What was Chase and Simon’s expertise study? (schemata)
Studied chess players memory-experts vs novice. Had .5 seconds to encode a chess board with 24 pieces on it.
What were the results of Chase and Simon’s study?
If the chess board was arranged randomly, the experts and novices were equally bad at memorization (3/24-both took forever to learn the board). However, if the board was arranged like it was in the middle of a game, the experts were much better than the novices (16 pieces on 1st try compared to 4)- only 4 attempts to get to 100%, novices took more than 7 tries.
What was the conclusion of Chase and Simon’s study?
Experts do not have better memory, used schemas and chunking to organize meaningful board into patterns to aid coding.
