Chapter 4 Flashcards
What is Atkinson & Shiffrin’s Modal model?
- Assumes that info from the environment–> processed by sensory memory systems (iconic & echoic)–> flows into ST store (where working memory resides)–>feeds info in & out of the long-term store
- Assumes that holding items in STM long enough will guarantee learning & that STM plays a crucial role in transferring info to LTM.
- Assumptions challenged by evidence that patients with impaired STM did not have their working memory or LTM disrupted.
What is Craik & Lockhart’s Levels of processing principle?
-Assumes that when items are more deeply processed they will be better remembered & learning depends on how material is processed as opposed to time in STM
What was Baddley’s experiment to confirm role of working memory in STM?
- Participants had to rehearse a series of digits in order while verifying statements about orders of two letters.
- They managed to do this up to 8 digits, with average statement verification time increasing as # of digits to memorize increased
- Error rate remained constant at 5%–> indicates that regardless of # of digits to remember, the cognitive task could be carried out
Interpretation: Working memory is not entirely dependent on STM
Describe the Baddley & Hitch Working memory model
- A multicomponent model with 3 parts:
a) A phonological loop that holds acoustic/speech-based items
b) A visuospatial sketchpad that holds visual/spatial items
c) Central executive system that selects & manipulates info from these subsystems
-Example: Think of house windows, you visualize the house, count the windows verbally, and come up with this plan
What is the role of the phonological loop in language acquisition?
P.V (patient with impaired verbal STM) had no problem learning paired words in her native language (semantic memory), but could not learn Russsian equivalents to Italian words (native language).
Subsequent tests showed that when the similarity effect & word length effect varied, the impaired performance was more substantial when trying to learn a foreign language
Results: Foreign language learning in adults acquiring a 2nd language relies on the phonological loop
What experiment used the nonword repetition test?
Gathereole & Baddley’s test on 8-year old children with language impairments equivalent to 6-year olds.
- Told to repeat back pseudo words of increasing length
- Non-impaired 6-year olds & 8-year olds did better than 8-year olds with language impairment who performed like a normal 4-year old
To what extent is vocabulary development related to intelligence & to nonverbal repetition?
- There is a correlation between the capacity to hear & repeat words & level of vocabulary development
- 4-5-year-olds given 3 tests (nonword repetition test, measure of vocab & nonverbal intelligence test)
- Showed 4 pictures, said one out loud & they had to point to corresponding picture until performance broke down because they didn’t know any of the words
Aside from Verbal STM, what else is phonological loop correlated with?
--attentional capacity language learning -grammar & reading acquisition -speech perception -phonological awareness (capacity to reflect on spoken stimuli, report on its aspects & manipulate incoming items)
Native language skills are likely to heavily depend on what two factors?
Family background & parental influence
Nonword repetition is used to diagnose what disorder?
Dyslexia
What is an experiment that tests phonological loop & action control to see the capacity to switch attention between 2 tasks?
- Baddley et al. gave a task of adding/subtracting 1 from a series of digits, either through a column of only additions, only subtractions or alternating column.
- Speech suppression by saying an irrelevant word has an effect on alternation but not simple add/subtract
Results: alternation slows performance, specifically during articulation suppression because we rely on subvocal self-instruction to keep our place & resist disruption
What was Luria’s experiment with the light bulbs?
-Squeeze a bulb when a red light comes on, not to squeeze when blue comes on
before age 3: squeeze in response to both lights. Can report instruction correctly. Will do it right if you don’t say “press” for blue
after a few months: Can make correct verbal response but not correct action
Age 5: can speak & act correctly, but not without a verbal cue to themselves
What was Galton’s experiment on vivid imagery?
- Imagining your breakfast table (some recalled every detail some did not at all)
- Variation in recall suggests that people with vivid imagery don’t have better memories, just that they use it as a sign of accuracy & more likely to mistake vivacity with accuracy
- Vivid imagery is just a method of memory storage & assessment
What are the most popular findings on gender differences in spatial thinking?
- The amount of time it takes to decide whether arrows on cubes would match when folded into new shapes is related to # of folds required. (Sheppard & Feng)
- Men are better at spatial thinking, women think more analytically
- After a 1-day intensive training to women on spatial manipulation strategies, gender difference disappears with no failures.
Describe the study by Pearson et al. about visuospatial sketchpad working together with phonological loop:
- Participants give 6-8 symbols to make objects out of after 2 mins, or in case of failure just memorize the symbols.
- Articulatory suppression (disrupted recall of names of shapes) and was therefore held in phonological loop.
- Tapping spatial locations( disrupted the ability to create new objects) therefore it is held in sketchpad
Mental calculators use what recall strategy?
They use imaginary abacus to add/subtract up to 15 #s, 5-9 digits each(16 forward recall, 14 backward recall) which indicates high digit spans.
- Ability limited to digits because they couldn’t use imaginary abacus for recalling verbal material.
- Instead of disruption by articulatory suppression as usual, digit span was more disrupted from the spatial task.
What is a powerful way of learning paired associated words?
Visual imagery (e.g banana-violin, imagining violinist playing a banana)
-Object-based imagery can be disrupted by presentation of irrelevant colours & pictures
What are the 2 modes of control in the central executive according to Norman & Shallice?
1) Automatic & based on existing habits (e.g driving a car)
2) Attentionally limited executive regulated by the Supervisory attentional system (SAS)
What is the role of SAS in the central executive?
- Intervention during novel situations or when automatic conflict resolution is not possible (e.g road repair during driving)
- Activate strategies for seeking alternative solutions (e.g taking the TTC)
- Prevents lapses of attention (e.g skipping red light & crashing car)
Damage to frontal lobes has what kind of effect on SAS?
- Problems in attentional control, repetitive performance & continuous mistakes (e.g grasping tape at wrong point)
- Utilization behaviour (failure to focus attention & responding to whatever environmental cues)
- Confabulation (Remembering things that did not happen
- Bizzare behaviour that is inappropriate
