Memory Flashcards
memory
an active system that receives information from the senses, puts that information into a usable form (encoding), organizes it as it stores it away (storage), and then retrieves the information from storage (retrieval)
encoding
first process in the memory system
gets sensory info into a form the brain can use
the set of mental operations that people perform on sensory information to convert the info into a form that is usable in the brain’s storage systems
transduction
when hear sound, ears turn vibrations in air into neural messages from the auditory nerve
storage
hold on to info for period of time
period of time different lengths depending on system of memory being used
retrieval
getting information person knows they have out of storage
information processing model
most comprehensive model, most influential over past few decades
focuses on way information handled or process through three different systems of memory
encoding, storage, and retrieval
memory is like a computer
parallel distributed processing (PDP) model
aka connectionism
memory is a simultaneous process with the creation and storage of memories taking place across a series of mental networks stretched across the brain
simultaneous processing allows people to retrieve different aspects of memory all at once, facilitating faster reactions and decisions
connectionism
the use of artificial neural networks to explain the mental abilities of humans
levels-of-processing model
memory’s duration depends on depth to which info processed/encoded
thinking about the meaning of something is a deeper level of processing and results in longer retention
sensory memory
first stage of memory
point at which memory enters nervous system through sensory systems
info encoded into sensory memory as neural messages in nervous system
allows for double takes
two kinds: iconic and echoic
iconic sensory memory
visual sensory memory
lasts for a fraction of a second
partial report method
sperling
showed grid of letters, sounded low medium or high tone after grid
report specific row corresponding to specific sound
subjects could report any row
if delayed tone, subjects can’t recall
masking
information that has just entered iconic memory will be pushed out very quickly by new information
eidetic imagery
ability to access a visual sensory memory over a long period of time
not quite photographic memory
echoic sensory memory
brief memory of something a person has heard
iconic memory capacity
everything that can be seen at one time
iconic memory duration
quarter of a second
iconic memory function
helps visual system to view surroundings as continuous and stable in spite of saccadic eye movements and allows brain stem to decide if info is important enough to be brought into consciousness
echoic memory capacity
limited to what can be heard at any one moment and is smaller than capacity of iconic memory, but lasts longer
echoic memory duration
2-4 seconds
echoic memory function
useful to have meaningful conversations with others, remember what people said to understand it, allows people to hold on to incoming auditory info long enough for lower brain centers to determine if processing by higher brain centers needed
short term memory
STM
stage of memory after sensory memory
held for up to 30 seconds or more (12-30 seconds without rehearsal)
encoded primarily in auditory form
selective attention
ability to focus on only one stimulus from among all sensory input
through selective attention that information enters our STM system
broadbent’s filter theory
bottleneck occurs between sensory memory and STM
only a stimulus important enough will be selected from all of the info in sensory memory to be consciously analyzed for meaning in STM
when is information conscious
when person thinking actively about information
cocktail party effect
in area with lots of noise but can notice when someone says your name
areas of brain involved in selective attention working
treisman’s theory of two stage selective attention
first stage: incoming stimuli in sensory memory filtered on basis of simple physical characteristics, but no move to STM or lost just lessening (attenuation) of signal strength of unselected memory
second stage: only stimuli that meet certain threshold of importance are processed
working memory
active system that processes information present in short term memory
made of central executive, visual sketchpad, and auditory action recorder
central executive
controls and coordinates other visual sketchpad and auditory recorder
interpreter for visual and auditory information
visual sketchpad
contains images of people and events of memory
auditory recorder
plays dialogue in person’s head
miller
wanted to know how much info humans can hold in STM at one time
digit span test
found magical number 7±2
digit span test
series of numbers read to subjects, have to recall numbers, each series longer until can’t recall numbers
found magical number 7±2
current research says younger adults 3-5 info if no strategy
when info more difficult can hold 4
chunking
recoding or reorganizing information
makes it easier to remember
maintenance rehearsal
repeat something in head over and over
continuing to pay attention to info to be held in memory
info stays in STM until rehearsal stops, then memory decays
could also not work bc of interference
aka rote learning
long term memory
LTM
system into which all the information is placed to be kept more or less permanently
capacity: unlimited
duration: relatively permanent physical change in brain when memory formed, many memories still there available but not accessible
elaborative rehearsal
a way of transferring information from STM to LTM by making that information meaningful in some way
easiest way is to connect new information with something that is already well known
deeper kind of processing than maintenance rehearsal and thus leads to better long term storage
two kinds of LTM
nondeclarative and declarative
