8&9. Memory Flashcards
what are the different types of memory?
sensory short term (working) long-term
how long does sensory memory last?
< 1s
How long does short-erm memory last?
1-10 s
how long does long-term memory last?
> 10 s
what is involved in sensory memory?
- Iconic (visual) memory
* Echoic (auditory) memory
what is involved in short-term memory?
- Central executive
- Visuospatial sketchpad
- Phonological loop
- Episodic buffer
what is involved in long-term memory?
- Declarative (explicit) memory
* Non-declarative (implicit) memory
what does the human memory system consist of?
• Human memory consists of multiple subsystems
• Each of them is supported by its own neural
mechanisms
what does sensory memory do?
Registers information about the environment and holds it for a very brief period of time
what did a study on sensory memory involve and what results were obtained?
• After brief exposure (e.g., 50 ms), observers are asked to recall the letters
• Observers are able to report 3–6 letters
• Observers are also aware that there were more
letters
– Because presentation was very brief, observers did
not have enough time to read and rehearse them
what do the findings of the study on sensory memory suggest?
– Many items are stored in memory initially
– While they are still in memory, observers can attend to some of the items and report them
– But they fade away quickly—that’s why observers can report only 3–6 items
what does sensory memory do?
Sensory memory doesn’t last long. This memory is modality-specific
– Masking effect
An intermediate system in which information has to reside on its journey from sensory memory to long-term memory
what is iconic memory in short term memory?
Visual sensory memory
what is echoic memory in short term memory?
Auditory sensory memory
What was Atkinson and Shiffrin’s (1968) theory of short term memory
Proposes that as information is rehearsed in a limited-capacity short-term memory, it is deposited in long-term memory
sensory memory -attention-> short term memory -rehearsal-> long-term memory
what is the capacity of short-term memory?
Short-term memory has a limited capacity to hold information
what is the memory span?
– The number of elements one can hold in short-term memory store
– It is usually around seven
which items in short term memory later remembered?
Items learned earlier and later tend to be better remembered (recency and primacy effect)
Is short-term memory distinct from long-term memory?
– Different capacity limits—the 7±2 limit does not apply to long-term memory
– Damage to the medial temporal lobe can cause severe impairment of long-term memory but it does not affect short-term memory
what is alan Baddeley’s theory of working memory and what does it benefit?
Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitch proposed a model of working memory in 1974, in an attempt to present a more accurate model of primary memory (often referred to as short-term memory). Working memory splits primary memory into multiple components, rather than considering it to be a single, unified construct. These elements are the central executive, visuospatial sketchpad and the phonological loop. Later the episodic buffer was added.
Alan Baddeley’s theory of working memory is a different way of characterizing short-term memory
• This model overcomes many of the limitations of the short-term memory model
– As a result, the working
memory model has replaced the short-term memory model
what is declarative memory?
– Memories for facts and events
– You can explicitly remember these memories
– Also called explicit memory
what is non-declarative memory?
– Memories that you cannot explicitly retrieve (e.g., motor skills)
– Also called implicit memory
what does the lack of agreement on terminology reflect in memory?
This lack of agreement on terminology reflects the complexity of memory research (and the fact that it is still work in progress)
what are the categories of declarative memory
episodic (events)
semantic (factss)
what is episodic memory?
specific personal experiences from a particular time and place