Ch 3 Working Memory Flashcards
Working Memory
The brain’s cognitive system that helps us hold limited information for a short period of time when consciously aware.
Short-term memory
Older term for working memory
Primary memory
An older term that was used for working memory
How long is information held in short term(working memory)?
15-30 seconds
Sensory Memory
A memory system that holds information for a fraction of a second.
Iconic memory
Visual memory system
Echoic Memory
Auditory sensory memory
Capacity
The amount of information that can be held in working memory.
The capacity of information that is stored in working memory
7 items
Digit span task
The list of numbers a participant must remember
Chunk
The basic unit of working memory that consists of related components.
Pronunciation time
The 1.5 seconds used to verbally rehearse items for working memory
Word length effect
Longer words are harder to retain in working memory than shorter words
Rehearsal
actively retaining the items in working memory by repeating them over and over: Maintenance Rehearsal
Maintenance Rehearsal
repeating the information over and over
Elaborative Rehearsal
Focus on the meaning of the information in working memory
Elaborative rehearsal process
associating the item in working memory to existing long-term memory structures
- requires focus
- creates retrieval cues
Duration of information in working memory
the length of time information will be retained in working memory when not rehearsed
Rehearsal prevention task
a task that prevents a participant from maintaining information in working memory
Interference
the new information that replaces old information from working memory
Serial position curve
an observation where participants remember the beginning and ending of a list and not the middle
Primacy effect
Memory recall is better for items in the beginning of the list. Usually encoded into long term memory.
Recency effect
Memory recall is better for the last studied items on a list due to retention in working memory.
Alan Baddeley
change from short to working memory
actual multiple working memory systems
