Chapter 5: Cognitive Approach II

Question 1

What is Memory?

Answer 1

Memory is the capacity to retain information over time

Question 2

What are the three main characteristics of individual memory systems?

Answer 2

Duration, Capacity, Coding (type of information)

Question 3

What is the purpose of Sensory memory?

Answer 3

The purpose of sensory memory is to maintain a representation of a stimulus long enough so that it can be recognized

Question 4

How many types of sensory memory are there?

Answer 4

5. As much as our senses. (e.g Iconic, Echoic memory)

Question 5

How many items can iconic memory hold according to Sperling’s experiment?

Answer 5

12

Question 6

How many items can iconic memory hold according to later research? (up until today)

Answer 6

Unlimited

Question 7

What is known as decay?

Answer 7

The loss of information over time

Question 8

How does Working Memory (or Short Term Memory) differ from Sensory Memory?

Answer 8

Working Memory also stores information briefly. However, it has larger duration and smaller capacity than Sensory Memory.

Question 9

What is the use of Rehearsal in memory?

Answer 9

Rehearsal is the mental repetition or mental practicing. It refreshes items in short term memory.

Question 10

What is Miller’s “magical number seven” ?

Answer 10

According to some experiments, individuals can retain about 7 items on their Working Memory (on average)

Question 11

What is chunking in short term memory?

Answer 11

Chunking is grouping items into a single meaningful whole. By chunking, we can increase the total amount of information that is contained in short term memory.

Question 12

What is Proactive Intereference?

Answer 12

Prior information knowledge interfering with later information knowledge

Question 13

What is Retroactive Interference?

Answer 13

Later information knowledge interfering with prior information knowledge

Question 14

What is Procedural Memory (or Production or Implicit)

Answer 14

Procedural Memory is memory for skill. It is demonstrated by doing and arises without conscious recall

Question 15

What is Declarative Memory (or Explicit)

Answer 15

Declarative Memory is memory for facts and events. It is demonstrated by speaking and arises with conscious recall.

Question 16

What are two types of Declarative Memory?

Answer 16

Semantic (knowledge of facts) and Episodic (personally experienced events)

Question 17

How much can be retained in semantic long term memory?

Answer 17

It has been proposed that we remember virtually everything that we have experienced in our lifetime but simply have difficulty in recalling it

Question 18

What are the three types of memory coding?

Answer 18

Visual, Acoustic and Semantic

Question 19

What are three main models about how information is processed in each of the different memory types?

Answer 19

Modal Model, ACT model, Working Memory Model

Question 20

What is Encoding in memory?

Answer 20

Encoding is a process by which information is taken into long-term memory and converted into a usable form

Question 21

What is Consolidation in memory?

Answer 21

Consolidation is a process by which information is transferred to short-term memory. Consolidation “strengthens” information so that it lasts longer

Question 22

What is Retrieval in memory?

Answer 22

Retrieval is the act of accessing needed data and making it available for use

Question 23

What are ACT’s model three components?

Answer 23

Working Memory, Declarative Memory and Production Memory

Question 24

What is a Visual Image?

Answer 24

A visual image is a mental representation of an object or scene that preserves metric spatial information (imagery)

Question 25

What are the two image structures that Kosslyn posits?

Answer 25

Surface Representations and Deep Representations

Question 26

What is a Surface Representation?

Answer 26

A quasi-pictorial representation that occurs in a spatial medium: a visual buffer (matrix that consists of an array of points)

Question 27

Are images according to Kosslyn holistic?

Answer 27

Yes. A change in the image produces changes across its entire extent

Question 28

What is a Deep Representation?

Answer 28

Deep Representations consist of information in the long term memory that is used to generate surface representations.

Question 29

What are the two classes of Deep Representations?

Answer 29

Literal encodings (contain coordinates that detail the placement of points in the buffer) and Propositional encodings (declarative statements that contain information about an object’s parts, its sizes etc)

Question 30

When does Image generation occur according to Kosslyn?

Answer 30

When the encodings in long-term memory are used to form an image in the visual buffer

Question 31

According to Kosslyn, are images formed bit by bit or all by one?

Answer 31

Images are suggested to be formed gradually (bit by bit)

Question 32

What do the Pictorialists advocate contrary to the Descriptionalists?

Answer 32

Pictorialists supported that mental images are quasi-pictorial while descriptionalists believed that pictures are just digital symbol processing

Question 33

What is now generally acknowledged about mental images?

Answer 33

Both analog and digital processing happens, as well as pictorial and descriptional processing.

Question 34

What are the four characteristics of problem solving?

Answer 34

Goal directedness, Sequence of operations, Cognitive Operations and the Setting of subgoals.

Question 35

What is a problem space?

Answer 35

Different situations or states that can exist in a problem (initial, intermediate and goal state)

Question 36

What is a heuristic in problem solving?

Answer 36

An informal method of problem solving that does not guarantee a solution but is faster and easier to use than a systematic search

Question 37

What are two main heuristics?

Answer 37

1. Means-End Analysis (determination of the difference between the existing state and the goal state: e.g SOAR model)
2. Hill-Climbing Strategy (taking actions that will bring closer to the goal)

Question 38

What is the GPS model?

Answer 38

It’s a computer simulation of human problem solving that uses production rules in order to bring about a solution