Chapter 5-Memory Pt.1 Flashcards
Memory
Processes involved in retaining, retrieving and using information about stimuli after the original information is no longer present
Activated any time some past experience has an impact on how you think or behave now or in the future
Modal model of memory
Atkinson and Shiffrin 1968
Three different types of memory:
- Sensory memory
- Short term memory
- Long term memory
Control processes
- Modal model of Memory
- active processes that can be controlled by the person
- Rehearsal
- Strategies used to make a stimulus more memorable
- Strategies of attention that help you focus on specific stimuli
Sensory memory
Modal model of memory
The retention, for brief periods of time, of the effects of sensory stimulation
Holds large amounts of information for a short period of time
Collects info-holds it for initial processing-fills in the blank
Persistence of vision
Retention of the perception of light
Sparklers trail of light, frames in a film
Sperling
1960
Measured the capacity and duration of sensory memory. He believed that the 4.5 item limit was not imposed by the capabilities of the perceptual system, but by the observers abilities to recall items that had been seen
- Array of letters flashed quickly on a screen
- participants asked to report as many as possible
- Whole report method
- Partial report method
- Delayed partial report method
Whole Report Method
Sperling (sensory memory)
Participants asked to report as many as they could see
-average of 4.5/12
Partial Report Method
Sperling (sensory memory)
Participants heard tone that told them which row of letters to report
-Average 3.3/4
Delayed partial report method
Sperling (sensory memory)
Presentation of tone delayed for a fraction of a second after the letters were extinguished
-performance decreased rapidly (dropped to 30-40%)
Perceptual span
How much info you can gather in a single percept
Iconic memory
Modal model of memory
Brief sensory memory of the things that we see
-responsible for persistence of vision
Echoic memory
Modal model of memory
Brief sensory memory of the things that we hear
-responsible for persistence of sound
Short term memory
Modal model of memory
- stores small amounts of information for a brief duration
- includes both new information received by sensory stores and information recalled from long term memory
Measuring the duration of short term memory
Brown-Peterson
Read three letters (trigram) then a number
Start counting backwards by threes
After a set time (less than 20 s), recall the three letters. Recall was less likely if they worked on counting for longer durations
Peterson-Peterson Results
- 1959 (all trials for one individual)
- after 3 seconds of counting, participants performed at 80%
- after 18 seconds of counting, participants performed at 10%
This reduction was thought to be because of the existence of decay: the vanishing of a memory trace due to the passage of time and exposure to competing stimuli
What happens if instead of measuring all the trials for one individual, we measure the first trial for a bunch of people? (Peterson-Peterson)
If we only measure the first trail, even after 18 seconds, people still do it fairly accurately
Shows that it wasn’t a result of decay. Has to do with the fact that individuals were getting interference from previous trials: proactive interference
Short term memory when rehearsal is prevented
15-20 seconds
Proactive interference
Modal model of memory-short term memory
Occurs when information learned previously interferes with learning new information
Retroactive interference
Modal model of memory (short term memory)
Occurs when new learning interferes with remembering old learning
Capacity of short term memory
Typically 5-8 items
Memory span coglab
Short term memory
List of items presented one at a time (different types of materials)
Asked to recall the items in same order they were presented
If you got a list right it increased by 1 or if you got it incorrect it decreased by 1
Suggest that the capacity of short term memory is controlled by verbal processes
Chunking
Small units can be combined into larger meaningful units
A chunk is a collection of elements that are strongly associated with each other but weakly associated with elements in other chunks
Ericsson et.al
1980
Trained college student to use chunking
- S.F. Had initial digit span of 7
- after 230 one hour training session he could remember up to 79 digits
- chunking them into meaningful units
Luck and Vogal
1997
100 ms presentation of colourful squares
900 ms delay
2000 ms same or different?
Improves with less squares
A way to determine capacity of short term memory
Alvarez and Cavanaugh
2004 measured capacity of short term memory
Used change detection procedure
Used coloured squares as well as complex objects (shaded cubes)
The more complex, the smaller the capacity of memory
