5. Learning & Cognition: STM & working memory Flashcards
desc Atkinson & Shiffrins STM model incl capacity, duration & role of maintenance rehearsal in transfer to LTM (LO1)
- sensory > STM > LTM
- capacity: LIMITED duration (~15-30s)
- maintenance rehearsal: “inner voice” mentally rehearses info until its transferred to LTM
desc Atkinson & Shiffrins exp
digit span task
1. digits VERBALLY presented
2. must recall in EXACT order
3. seq length would ^ until upper limit reached
* avg adult span 7+/- 2 items
desc Brown & Peterson exp
AIM: measure decay of STM overtime
1. recall 3 consonants
2. memory probed @ 3s retention intervals (had to count backwards in 3s from a given # - distractor)
after 3 s interval - 50% recalled
after 9 s interval - 20%
after 12-18 s interval - 0%
how does serial position effects provide evidence for separate STM & LTM stores & transfer b/w them?
- more likely to recall the last & first items heard
- primacy & recency effect
- primacy = what made it to LTM
- recency = what is still in STM & sensory
what is the primacy effect?
- earlier items are rehearsed MORE, allowing them to be transferred into LTM
- if ppl have time to REHEARSE, can recall words even w/ delay
what is the recency effect?
- last few words STILL in STM at time of recall
- if recall is immediate, words are remembered WELL
- if recall is delayed, recency effect is gone as STM is brief
how to form LTM traces?
- need MEANINGFUL/INTENTIONAL & DEEP processing
- more durable as they’ll INTEGRATE w/ other things in LTM
- form connections w/ alr known things
- deeper encoding = ^ preservation, richer connections, ^ likelihood of retrieving info ltr
desc the components of Baddeley’s working memory model
STM components: central executive, visuo-spatial sketch pad, episodic buffer & phonological loop
LTM components: visual semantics, episodic LTM & lang
active, multi component system for reasoning & prob solv (NOT PASSIVE MAINTENANCE OF INFO)
explains dual-task performance
desc the Central Executive’s (CE) function & its role in cognition & neutral bias
- cognition: helps make decisions & pay attention
- directs attention to & retrieves info from PL & VSS for integration into EB
(control flow of info & allocates resources b/w components)
desc the Phonological Loop’s (PL) function & its role in cognition & neutral bias
- cognition: helps with learning lang & remembering words
- remembers things ppl say, lets you repeat them
- for auditory & verbal info
desc the Visuo-spatial sketchpad’s (VSS) function & its role in cognition & neutral bias
- cognition: processes visual images, helps w/ spatial navigation & mental imagery
- operates indp from PL
desc the Episodic Buffer’s (EB) function & its role in cognition & neutral bias
- cognition: helps you connect what you learn w/ what you alr know
- integrates sound & visual info into multi-sensory rep of present moment
- links working memory to LTM
(integrate info from LTM, STM, auditory, visual, spatial modalities)
