Chapter 7-Memory Storage Flashcards
Sensory memory
-sensory memory stores info in its original form (i.e. with no processing/interpreting) for a very brief amount of time (a few milliseconds-one second).
Trace decay theory
-the idea that memory fades over time due to the weakening or fading of the memory trace.
-if the memory trace is not actively maintained or rehearsed, it gradually deteriorates until it is no longer retrievable.
-visual trace goes away faster than auditory trace.
*generally associated with short-term memory.
types of sensory memory: iconic
-visual info (what you see)
types of sensory memory: echoic
-auditory info (what you hear)
types of sensory memory: haptic
-somatosensory info (what you feel)
types of memory: eidetic
-aka photographic memory
-can be for visual or auditory info
-only some people have it
misconception: the capacity of short-term memory is 7 plus or minus 2
reality: the consensus among memory experts has shifted toward the belief that the capacity of STM is 4 plus or minus 1 pieces of info.
*Miller’s Magic #7 doesn’t hold because ‘chunking’ was not accounted for.
e.g. remembering phone numbers (604 992 3789). we don’t remember them as 10 individual digits, rather, they are stored as 3 chunks of info.
Short-term memory (STM)
def: a limited-capacity store of unrehearsed info.
-without rehearsal, information in STM is lost in less than 20 seconds.
-for a memory code to pass from STM into LTM it needs rehearsal.
-durability is affected by both decay and interference.
-capacity is more limited than originally believed, Miller’s Magic #7 does not hold.
rehearsal (definition) & the two types
def: the process of actively repeating or practicing information to enhance its encoding and retention in memory.
1) maintenance rehearsal: repeating information over and over to keep it in short-term memory, without necessarily understanding or elaborating on it. (e.g., seeing the phone number for a pizza place on a sign while driving, and repeating it to yourself until you get the chance to pull over and call).
2) elaborative rehearsal: connecting new information to existing knowledge or finding meaning in it to transfer it into long-term memory more effectively. (e.g., if you’re trying to remember the term “photosynthesis” in biology, you might link it to something you’re familiar with, like plants making their own food; how they use sunlight, CO2, and water to produce glucose).
interference (definition)
the retrieval of information from memory is hindered or disrupted by the presence of other competing information.
Baddeley’s working memory model
*working memory is a type of STM
-working memory capacity (WMC) refers to one’s ability to hold and manipulate information in conscious attention.
-Baddeley’s working memory model covers:
-rehearsal of info
-storage & manipulation of visual images that can’t be put into words (e.g. layout of a house)
-attention processes and coordinating other modules (e.g. executive control, weighing out pros and cons, etc.)
-info integration and buffer between memory types (STM→WM→LTM)
Working memory capacity characteristics
-some individuals have a better working memory than others.
-it is quite stable throughout one’s life (somewhat fixed).
-it is heritable; there is some genetic influence.
-it is key for complex cognition (e.g. intelligence, creativity)
-can be shaped by shaped by culture (e.g. inuit oral history, or western reading and memorizing)
Long-term memory (LTM)
def: LTM is an unlimited capacity store that can hold information indefinitely (potentially unlimited duration).
-there’s evidence to support the permanence of LTM; flashbulb memories - very vivd and detailed recollections of key events (e.g. from childhood) that can be positive or painful. however, there’s limited support for durability and accuracy.
-not possible to rule out permanency and retrieval failure hypothesis.
*retrieval failure; e.g. a memory that you can’t really express with words because the memory code was not strong enough, even though it is remembered.
knowledge representations in memory: clustering
def: related items are grouped together during recall.
-e.g. remembering grocery items (if you remember that you need milk you’ll likely remember that you need other dairy products like eggs, etc.).
knowledge representations in memory: conceptual hierarchies
def: organizing information into levels of increasing specificity under broader categories.
-helps in systematic learning and retrieval.
*view image on the lecture slide for an example.
