W5 - Lecture Flashcards
(77 cards)
What is the Information-Processing Approach to memory?
A model inspired by computers in the 1950s–60s, describing memory as a multi-stage system: sensory memory, working memory, and long-term memory.
Who proposed the classic memory model in 1968?
Atkinson & Shiffrin.
What is the Atkinson & Shiffrin (1968) model of memory?
A multi-store model where sensory input goes to sensory memory, then working memory, and finally long-term memory.
What is sensory memory in the Atkinson & Shiffrin model?
Very brief storage of sensory input (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, gustatory).
What is working memory in the Atkinson & Shiffrin model?
Temporary storage and processing system (~30 seconds, ~7 ± 2 items capacity in adults).
What is long-term memory in the Atkinson & Shiffrin model?
A storage system with vast (potentially unlimited) capacity and duration lasting a lifetime.
What is sensory memory?
The initial stage where sensory information enters the cognitive system before moving to working memory.
How long does sensory memory last for different senses?
Visual: ~1 second; Auditory: ~5 seconds.
What does sensory memory involve?
A short-lived persistence of sensory stimuli in the nervous system.
What did Blaser & Kaldy (2010) study?
Iconic memory (visual sensory store) in infants.
What age did Blaser & Kaldy find adult-like visual sensory memory in infants?
6 months.
Why was a language-free task necessary in Blaser & Kaldy’s study?
Because infants cannot talk or follow verbal instructions.
What task did Blaser & Kaldy (2010) use to study iconic memory in infants?
An eye-tracking task monitoring infants’ looking behavior after seeing brief visual stimuli.
What were the steps of the iconic memory task in infants?
1) Attention grabber shown, 2) Fixation cross appears briefly, 3) Array of colored patches shown, 4) Two patches disappear and reappear—either same or changed.
What were the experimental conditions in the Blaser & Kaldy study?
Arrays with 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 color patches; two patches disappear and reappear—either same or different.
What did the researchers measure in the iconic memory task?
Whether infants looked longer at changed patches compared to unchanged ones.
What were the results of the Blaser & Kaldy (2010) study?
Infants looked longer at changed patches for set sizes 2, 4, and 6; at chance level for 8 and 10 patches.
What do the results suggest about infant iconic memory capacity?
At 6 months, infants can store up to 5–6 items, similar to adults.
What is the key takeaway about sensory memory development?
Sensory memory is functional from early infancy and does not show much developmental change.
What is working memory?
A mental workspace for temporarily processing sensory information (Baddeley & Hitch, 1974).
What is the typical duration of working memory in adults?
Around 30 seconds.
What is the typical capacity of working memory in adults?
7 ± 2 elements.
What did Kaldy & Leslie (2005) study?
Working memory capacity in 6.5-month-old infants using a violation of expectation task.
What method did Kaldy & Leslie use to measure infant working memory?
A violation of expectation looking-time task.