Distributed Memory

Question 1

Problems for Baddley’s Episodic Buffer?

Answer 1

• Word span = 5-6; words in a sentence = 16; content of a prose passage = 15-20 units
• Amnesic with word span of 1, can recall 5 in a sentence
• Digit span = 7, but without rehearsal = 5
• Where is additional capacity?

Question 2

Problems with the idea of schemas?

Answer 2

Too rigid or too narrow, too variable, difficult to measure, unclear how they develop.

Question 3

Distributed Memory Theory

Answer 3

• Memories are decomposed into features (or micro-features)
• Features represented by units
• Memory is a pattern of activation across units
• Memory could be everywhere ad no where in particular, thus it is implausible to view associations as connections between neurone

Question 4

Linear Associator

Answer 4

• Input layer & output layer of units different pattern on each, linear associator associates them
• Present one pattern on input, get another pattern on output
• Positive weights connect active inputs to active outputs
• Memory is stored in connections between units
• Recreates input pattern on output layer

Question 5

The linear associator tends to recreate an entire pattern (cue + response) from a _______.

Answer 5

fragment (cue only).

Question 6

T/F Under the concept of the linear associator, the same units and connections can retain multiple memories and associations.

Answer 6

T!

Question 7

The capacity in distributed memory is limited by

Answer 7

The number of units and connections (associations possible) and by the similarity of cues.

Question 8

Distributed memory performance increases/decreases as capacity is reached

Answer 8

decreases

Question 9

General cues produce…

Answer 9

a composite of specific experiences; general knowledge is what specific experiences have in common.

Question 10

Specific cues produce…

Answer 10

specific memory