Memory Flashcards
Coding
The format a memory is stored in (visually, acoustically or semantically)
Capacity
How much information can be stored
Duration
How long the information can be stored for
Multi-Store Model
Sensory register to short term memory to long term memory. Linear system.
Sensory Register
The automatic response to sensory information
Short Term Memory
Temporary store of information currently being thought about
Long Term Memory
Information stored for a long period of time, anything stored for more than 30 seconds
Coding Of Sensory Register
Stored the same way it is experienced - As a touch, taste, smell etc.
Capacity Of Sensory Register
Very large
Duration Of Sensory Register
Varies depending on the sense being experienced
Coding Of Short Term Memory
Acoustically (as sounds). This means similar sounding words may be confused.
Duration Of Short Term Memory
Max 30 seconds
Capacity Of Short Term Memory
7 plus/minus 2 (so between 5 and 9 things at once). Can be improved through information chunking (such as phone numbers being split into sections)
Coding Of Long Term Memory
Semantically (through associations). This means words with similar meanings may be confused.
Duration Of Long Term Memory
Can last a lifetime
Capacity Of Long Term Memory
Unlimited
Supporting Evidence For Multi Store Model
Clive Wearing. Brain damage patient. STM was damaged so Clive lost his LTM, supporting that memory is linear.
Contradicting Evidence For Multi Store Model
Patient KF. Brain damage patient. STM was damaged but LTM was intact, contradicting that memory is linear
Working Memory Model
Several sections of memory holding information. Including the central executive, phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, episodic buffer and long term memory
Central Excecutive
Monitors incoming data to transfer to the correct slave system. Can only focus on one thing at a time
Phonological Loop
Deals with auditory information. Phonological store can store the words you hear and the articulatory process can keep two second’s worth of speech in a loop to keep information in the working memory
Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad
Deals with visual and spatial information. The visual cache stores visual data and the inner scribe records the arrangement of objects. Has a capacity of 3/4 objects
Episodic Buffer
Temporary store for information. Uses information processed in the other slave systems to merge the data into an individual memory to send the LTM
Supporting Evidence For Working Memory Model
Patient KF. Brain damage patient. STM for verbal information (Phonological loop) was damaged but STM for visual information (Visuo-spatial sketchpad) was intact, supporting the idea that one system can be damaged while others remain intact.