WM Flashcards
Cowan, 2014
What is working memory?
Small amount of information held in mind/used in execution of cognitive tasks
“Small amount of information held in mind/used in execution of cognitive tasks”
Who gave this definition of WM?
Cowan, 2014
Information processing approach was developed in 1950s as an alternative to
Behaviourism
Information processing approach is based on
A computer metaphor
3 assumptions of the information processing approach
- Info moves through stores
- Info moves serially
- Cog. system has limited capacity
Information processing approach
Our cog system has a limited capacity, therefore tasks…
Can be placed on a continuum relative to the capacity they require
Who devised one of the first information processing models?
Atkinson + Shiffrin
Current model of Information Processing
What 3 things feed into WM
Attention
Executive control
Retrieval
Info processing approach
Cog. development involves changes in
Hardware
Software
4 Processing Limitations (Brainerd, 1983)
Encoding
Retrieval
Storage
Metacognitive
How might encoding limitations affect working memory? (2)
Lack of attention
Lack of encoding strategies
Ability to focus on part of something
Selective attention
Miller + Seier, 1994
Young children who need to remember locations of animals make task more difficult….
By also looking at location of task-irrelevant household items
Flavell et al., 1966
Initially, children under 10 were thought not
To use rehearsal
Ornstein et al., 1975
Originally, children <10 were thought not to rehearse. However, it is
Now recognised children DO rehearse, just in a less effective way
Hulme et al., 1984
With age, children can read or say…. and….
Say words at faster rate
Memory span increases
Further evidence that rehearsal helps encoding comes from
Bilingual studies
Ellis + Hennelly, 1980
Why do Welsh speaking children have better memory for numbers in English?
English number can be articulated quicker
Ellis + Hennelly, 1980
Welsh children have better memory for English numbers as they can be articulated quicker. This is evidence of
Rehearsal helping encoding
3 Encoding strategies
Rehearsal
Organistion
Elaboration
Moely., 1969
How do children <10 use organisation strategies?
They don’t
No categorisation of items into easily remembered groups
Children can remember PAIRS of words better if
There is an association between them
Children remember pairs of words better if there is an association. Young children (2)
- Seem to be unable to make associations
2. If they do, they’re less effective
Children may know the retrieval strategy needed, but fail to retrieve it. This may reflect
Lack of knowledge
Experience using retrieval strategies
