Chapter 5 (Galotti): Working Memory

Atkinson and Shiffron Modal Model

(SSTM, STM, LTM) Information goes in a straight line or goes through each box before it's stored. SSTM-->STM-->LTM. Rehearsal of information in STM sends it to LTM.

Sperling Task

A Matrix of letters appears and then is taken away quickly. After its taken away, you hear a tone that tells you which row to report; top, middle, or bottom. When asked for a full report of the matrix, there was only 33% accuracy. When asked for only one row of the matrix, or a partial report, there was 75% accuracy. CONCLUSION: It is not a perceptual problem, its decay, because you aren't reading off the paper but the icons in your mind, and the icons disappear quickly.

Short-Term Memory (STM)

Attended information is held there for 20-30 seconds.

Central Executive (WM)

Component of working memory. Makes decisions on how to store information and whether it should be stored (encoding, storage, retrieval). Decision Making, perception, attention, and other cognitive functions.

Phonological Loop (WM)

Component of working memory. Preserves Auditory information. Carries out subvocal rehearsal to maintain verbal material.

Visuospatial Sketch Pad (WM)

Component of working memory. Preserves visual information. Used to maintain visual information by visualization.

Repression (Forgetting)

Freud. Motivated forgetting. Wanting to push information/memories to the unconscious level. Only conceptual because we can not test it and there is no objective evidence.

Retrieval

Getting the information back out of its storage place in the brain. Use of mnemonic devices and method of loci (Imagining a commonly traveled path and remembering each topic as a location)

Long-Term Memory

Information needed for long periods of time is stored.

Decay (Forgetting)

Information that is not rehearsed breaks apart within 20 seconds.

Encoding

It registered or it got into the brain and was understood.

Baddley Model- Working Memory

Limited capacity temporary storage system that underpins complex human thought. Information goes in every which direction, not just a straight line. People who have great working memory have a better central executive and pay such good attention, the tend to miss things.

Reconsolidation (Forgetting)

Memory is changed everytime we think of it, continues to change.

STM- Chunking

Overcomes capacity by grouping individual units into larger units.

Storage

Putting and keeping it in the right place in your brain.

Serial position effect

Recall more information at either the beginning or end of a list.

Primary Effect (Serial Position Effect)

Recalling information at the beginning of the list.

Recency Effect (Serial Position Effect)

Recalling information at the end of the list.

Rehearsal

Repetition of information to help items be stored in long-term memory.

Iconic Memory (SSTM)

Sensory memory of visual information. Seeing icons in your brain. It is very brief.

Interference (Forgetting)

Some information can 'displace' other information, making the former hard to retrieve.

STM- Capacity (Miller's Magic Number)

The ability to hold 7 individual units in short-term memory (give or take two).

Retention Duration

The length of time, if not rehearsed, that information is lost from short-term memory.

STM- Coding

The way in which information is mentally represented, the form in which the information is held.

Sensory Memory (SSTM)

Unattended information that is shown quickly is only stored there briefly.

Forgetting

When information cannot be retrieved from its storage place.