Chapter 5: Working Memory and Cognitive Control Flashcards
(49 cards)
Working Memory
A brain system that provides temporary storage and manipulation of the information necessary for such complex cognitive tasks as language comprehension, learning, and reasoning
Who developed the most influential model of Working Memory?
Alan Baddeley
Working memory is essential for what?
everything you do with your mind
Storage
Maintains information after it is no longer available in perception
Storage is a form of what?
Internal attention
Working memory is where the mind _____ - performs operations on and transforms - information
manipulates
Working memory involves the ____ ______ and three subcomponents.
Central executive
What is the central executive?
The primary system for controlling attention and thinking - this is where information is manipulated - and it operates over information temporarily stored in two separate buffers
Phonological loop
stores and rehearses verbal and acoustic information
Visuospatial sketchpad
stores and manipulates visual information
Episodic buffer
A multimodal; it integrates information form multiple internal sources - such as the phonological loop, the visuospatial sketchpad, and long-term memory - into an episodic representation
A key feature of all these stores is their _____ ______
Limited capacity
The central executive is the ____ ____ for working memory
Command system
The brain recruits the _____ ______ to perform central executive functions such as dealing with response conflict, divided attention, task switching, working memory load, and problem solving
prefrontal cortex
What are the two mechanisms of phonological loop?
- Phonological store
- Articulatory rehearsal loop
Phonological store
Holds sound- or speech-based information for 1 to 2 seconds
Articulatory rehearsal loop
occurs through inner speech
Storage capacity is commonly tested with the ____-____ ____
digit-span task
Miller proposed that working memory capacity was ____ ____ or ____ ____ “_____”
seven plus or minus two “chunks”
Word-length effect
the working memory capacity for words or other phonological stimuli depends on the spoken duration or syllable length of the words
Acoustic similarity effect
the reduced capacity of working memory for items sillier in sound, compared with items that are dissimilar in sound; individuals find it harder to recall a series of similar words
Irrelevant speech effect
refers to the impairment of working memory by irrelevant spoken material; occurs even if the irrelevant spoken material involves nonsense words or words from a foreign language
Articulatory suppression
the disruption of working memory that occurs when uttering irrelevant sounds
Visual short-term memory
the function of the visuospatial sketchpad; retains visual information over time, especially when the perceptual image is no longer available, or has changed, most commonly whenever you move your eyes
