Ch 4: Short-term & Working Memory

Question 1

memory span

Answer 1

the number of items (ex: digits; words) that an individual can recall immediately in the correct order; it is used as a measure of the capacity of short-term memory

Question 2

chunks

Answer 2

stored units formed from integrating smaller pieces of information

Question 3

rehearsal

Answer 3

subvocal reiteration of verbal material; often used in the attempt to increase the amount of information that can be remembered

Question 4

recall

Answer 4

retrieving information from long-term memory in the presence or absence of cues

Question 5

recency effect

Answer 5

the tendency in free recall for the last few items (typically two or three) to be much more likely to be recalled than those from the middle of the list; this effect has been used to measure the capacity of short-term memory

Question 6

working memory

Answer 6

a system that can store information briefly while other information is processed

Question 7

central executive

Answer 7

the most important component of working memory; it is involved in planning and the control of attention and has limited capacity (task setting, monitoring, energization)

Question 8

phonological loop

Answer 8

a component of working memory in which speech-based information is processed and stored and subvocal articulation occurs

Question 9

visuo-spatial sketchpad

Answer 9

a component of working memory that is used to process visual and spatial information and to store this information briefly

Question 10

episodic buffer

Answer 10

a component of working memory that is used to integrate and to store briefly information from the phonological loop, the visuo-spatial sketchpad, and long-term memory

Question 11

phonological similarity effect

Answer 11

the finding that immediate recall of word lists in the correct order is impaired when the words sound similar to each other

Question 12

word-length effect

Answer 12

fewer long words than short ones can be recalled immediately after presentation in the correct order

Question 13

dysexecutive syndrome

Answer 13

a condition in which damage to the frontal lobes causes impaired functioning of the central executive involving deficits in organizing and planning behavior

Question 14

reading span

Answer 14

the greatest number of sentences read for comprehension for which an individual can recall all the final words more than 50% of the time

Question 15

operation span

Answer 15

the maximum number of items (arithmetical questions and words) for which an individual can recall all the last words

Question 16

dual component model

Answer 16

theory that attentional control and long-term memory are the two components of working-memory capacity