Cognition Flashcards
working memory is…
multifaceted
we temporarily hold information to work with
working memory model
2 slave systems -phonological loop -visual spatial sketchpad episodic buffer central executive - the director
working memory diagram
central executive
visuospatial sketchpad episodic buffer phonological loop
visual semantics episodic ltm language
key assumptions of working memory
limited capacity
central executive
visual spatial sketchpad and phonological loop function largely independently
implications of functioning independent systems
two tasks that use same component of working memory cannot be performed successfully together
if two tasks rely on different components of working memory they can be performed together or separately
what is the phonological loop
a component of working memory for holding speech-based information and subvocal rehearsal takes place
consists of two components - phonological store and articulatory system
what are the roles of the two components of the phonological loop
articulatory control system - verbal rehearsal system; time limited and called the inner voice
phonological store - speech based storage system; has rapid decay rate of 2 seconds; called inner ear
different brain areas associated with these two components
early views on the value of the phonological loop and evidence brief supporting this
important for memory as involves verbal rehearsal
- phonological similarity
- word-length effect
phonological similarity
phonologically similar set has poorer serial recall than the phonologically dissimilar set
3 things today we now see as the value to the phonological loop
useful for learning new vocab
useful for learning a new language
action control
what is the word length effect
memory span for longer words taking a shorter time to say than words taking a longer time to say
articulatory duration of words vs phonological complexity
what is the visual spatial sketch pad and its two components brief
a temporary spatial and visual information storage system
used for the manipulation of visual patterns and movement
components - visual cache and inner scribe
what does the visual cache do
stored information about visual form and colour
what does the inner scribe do
processes spatial and movement information
involved in rehersal of information in the visual cache
transfers information from visual cache to the central executive
evidence for visual / spatital distinction
2 tasks - spatial task = memory for dot locations and visual task = memory for Chinese ideographs
dual task paradigm with secondary tasks
1 movement discrimination (spatial interference)
2 colour discrimination (visual interference)
3 control condition (no secondary task)
hypothesis - spatial interference task should interfere more with spatial main task than visual main. visual interference task should disrupt main task more than spatial main task
result - true
neuroimaging and neurological evidence for visual / spatial distinctioN
ventral prefrontal cortex - activated more during visual working memory tasks as opposed to spatial
dorsal prefrontal cortex - activated during spatial working memory tasks than visual working memory tasks
evidence for independence of visuo-spatial sketchpad and phonological loop
dual task paradigm used
visual and verbal main tasks and secondary competing visual and verbal tasks
hypothesis - simultaneous visual task should show less interference with a verbal main verbal short-term task than a visual short-term task
simultaneously verbal task should show less interference with a main visual short-term memory task than a verbal short term memory task
result - performing two tasks simulataneously reduced performance
imagery secondary task as opposed to secondary arithmetic severely disrupted visual short-term memory task
converseley secondary arithmetic task disrupted verbal short term memory while secondary imagery task had no effect
two slave systems of phonological store are…
independent
the central executive is…
not unitary
it has multiple executive functions
define the central executive
the tern for processes that organize and coordinate the functioning of the cognitive systems to fulful current goals
employ the central executive when carrying out complex activities like reading, problem solving and multi-tasking
where is the central executive located in the brain
prefrontal cortex - part of brain most heavily involved
disruption of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex resulted in impaired performace on multiple complex cognitive tasks
processes comprising the central executive
initial conceptualization - the central executive is a unitary process
however now argued that central executive is comprised of different processes
Miyake et al 2000 view of processes of central executive
3 processes
inhibition - the ability to deliberately halt or stop automatic, dominant or prepotent responses when required (eg stroop)
shifting - the ability to move flexibly between multiple tasks, operations or mental sets. useful skill in everyday functioning
updating - keeping track of working memory operations, involves revising the information that you need to remeber
evidence for miyake’s framework
each executive process was found to have activation associated with a different region within the prefrontal cortex
right intraparietal sulcus is acitvated when there is selective attention to relevant stimuli and supresion of irrelevant information
left superior parietal sulcus is involved in switching and integration
lateral prefrontal cortex is involved in monitoring and updating