Chapter 4: Working Memory

Question 1

Working memory

Answer 1

The brief immediate memory for the limited amount of material that you’re currently processing

Question 2

Long-term memory

Answer 2

Has a large capacity and contains your memory for experiences and information that have accumulated throughout your lifetime

Question 3

Chunk

Answer 3

A memory unit that consists of several components that are strongly associated with one another

Question 4

Brown/Peterson & Peterson Technique

Answer 4

Demonstrated that material held in memory for less than one minute is frequently forgotten.

Question 5

Rehearsal

Answer 5

Repeating items that you want to remember silently

Question 6

Serial position effect

Answer 6

Refers to the U-shaped relationship between a word’s position in a list and it’s probability of recall

Question 7

Recency effect

Answer 7

Better recall for items at the end of the list

Question 8

Primacy effect

Answer 8

Enhanced recall for items at the beginning of the list

Question 9

What did George Miller come up with?

Answer 9

The magic number 7: proposed that people can remember about 7 items (give or take 2)

Question 10

Semantics

Answer 10

The meaning of words in sentences

Question 11

Proactive interference (PI)

Answer 11

People have trouble learning new material because previously learned material keeps interfering with their new learning

Question 12

Release from proactive interference

Answer 12

If the experimenter shifts the category of the fourth item from letters to a simple geometric shape, your memory will improve; in fact, your performance on that new category of items will be almost as high as it had been on the first item

Question 13

Control processes

Answer 13

Intentional strategies that people may use to improve their memory (such as rehearsal)

Question 14

Working memory Approach (Baddeley)

Answer 14

Our immediate memory is a multipart system that temporarily holds and manipulates info while we perform cognitive tasks
(Includes the phonological loop, visuospacial sketchpad, central executive, and episodic buffer)

Question 15

Phonological loop

Answer 15

Processes language and other sounds that you hear for a short period of time

Question 16

Subvocalization

Answer 16

When you silently pronounce the words you are reading

Question 17

Acoustic confusion

Answer 17

Confusing similar sounding stimuli when rehearsing something

Question 18

Self-instruction

Answer 18

Silently reminding yourself about something you need to do in the future or how to use some complicated equipment

Question 19

List at least 4 of the 6 common uses for the phonological loop

Answer 19

1. Used in simple counting tasks
2. In working memory before reaching long-term memory
3. Used during self-instruction
4. When learning new words and when reading
5. When you produce language and when learning new language
6. In mathematical calculations and problem solving tasks

Question 20

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Answer 20

A neuroscience technique that uses a magnetic field to briefly stimulate a specific location on the cortex

Question 21

What did researchers discover by using TMS?

Answer 21

The left frontal and parietal lobe are normally responsible for rehearsing and storing complex, lengthy sentences

Question 22

Visuospacial Sketchpad

Answer 22

Processing both visual and spatial information

Question 23

Central executive

Answer 23

Integrate information from the phonological loop, the visuospacial sketchpad, the episodic buffer, and long-term memory

Question 24

Name the 5 characteristics of the central executive

Answer 24

1. Plans and coordinates
2. Decides which topics deserve attention
3. Selects strategies for tackling a problem
4. Knows not to continue an ineffective strategy
5. Has a limited ability to perform simultaneous tasks

Question 25

Episodic buffer

Answer 25

Serves as a temporary storehouse that can hold and combine information from your phonological loop, your visuospacial sketchpad, and long-term memory