Lecture 4 Flashcards
(49 cards)
Clive Wearing
Memory imperfectly erased blackboard (as opposed to blank slate)
-Importance of this case
—unrivaled importance of learning and memory
—many different kinds of memory (not a single cohesive process)
What is memory
Key aspect of what makes us human
—it’s the capacity to preserve and recover information
Primary memory
-Active and conscious
-rapidly accessed
-limited in capacity
-forgotten quickly
(Short term)
Secondary memory
-Not currently in consciousness
-accessed more slowly
-unlimited in capacity
-forgotten quickly quickly
(Long term)
Modal model of memory
3 interconnected memory systems
1. Sensory
2. Short term
3. Long term
-Atkinson and shiffrin
—input from environment-> sensory memory -> short term memory (recall and rehearsal loop) -> long term memory (rehearsal and retrieval)
Sensory memory
Buffer system for stimuli received through the senses
-decays quickly
-large amounts of info
2 empirical findings
1. Something that looks or sounds like a stimulus continues to be present for a short time after stimulus is presented
2. Info can be extracted for a short time after stimulus is removed
Iconic sensory memory
Visual
-decays rapidly if not transferred to short term
Simplest type of memory
—early stages are probable best regarded as aspects of perception
Echoed sensory memory
Auditory
-decays rapidly if not transfer to short term
-simplest type of memory
—will need to fully be integrated with a broader theory of speech perception
Short term memory
Temporary storage of small amounts of material over brief delays
-attended info is retained for a short time (<18 seconds)
-limited capacity
-receives both info from sensory and long term
Short term memory
Temporary storage of small amounts of material over brief delays
-attended info is retained for a short time (<18 seconds)
-limited capacity
-receives both info from sensory and long term
Testing short term memory
-asses amount of info an individual can store after a single exposure
—tested either immediately or with short term delay
—retention span
Digit span test
-start with 2 or 3 digits
-increase until participant cannot realest list without error
—normal range is 7 +/- 2
Rehearsal
Process of maintains info in short term memory
-if you get distracted by something else you are likely to forget some or all of the items
Rehearsal prevention task
Task that prevents participants from maintaining info in ST
Chunking
Strategy to increase capacity of short term memory by arranging elements in groups that can be more easily remembered
-STM can usually contain only about 7 items (even chunked)
Pronunciation time
Amount of time it would take to say aloud items being rehearsed
Word length effect
Longer words are more difficult to maintain in working memory than shorter words
Working memory
Stores and manipulates info as to allow people to perform complex tasks
-can be viewed as an alternate/more delayed/more dynamic version of STM
Cognitive control
Also known as executive control/function
-manipulation of info in working memory allows us to
-plan
-task switch
-attention
-inhibition of inappropriate behaviors
Phonological loop
Maintains auditory memories by internal (subvocal) speech rehearsal
Visuospatial sketchpad
Holds visual and spatial images for manipulation
Episodic buffer
Hold info integrated across phonological loop, VS sketchpad and long term memory for a brief period of time
Central executive
Monitors and manipulates both working memory and buffers
-the “working” component of working memory allows us
Abilities:
-adding/deleting items in buffers
-selecting among items in order to guide behavior
N-back task
Participants are read seemingly random list of items (ex. Numbers)
- a certain item is a target
-whenever target is read, participant is to respond with the number that was read N numbers ago
