Coding, Capacity, Duration

Question 1

What is memory?

Answer 1

A cognitive function that views humans as processors of information

Question 2

What are the 3 main types of memory?

Answer 2

1. Sensory register
2. Short term memory
3. Long term memory

Question 3

Duration

Answer 3

The length of time info can be kept in a memory store

Question 4

Capacity

Answer 4

The amount of information that can be kept in a memory store

Question 5

Coding

Answer 5

The process of converting info from one form to another so it can be stored in the various memory stores and passed between them

Question 6

Sensory register

Answer 6

The first part of the memory system, all stimuli from the environment pass into it

Has 5 stores for each of our senses

Under no cognitive control but is the automatic response to the reception of sensory information via the environment

Question 7

Sensory register DURATION

Answer 7

• info in the visual store lasts for LESS THAN HALF A SECOND
• info in the auditory store lasts for 2-4 SECONDS

Question 8

Short term memory DURATION

Answer 8

• info lasts up to 18-30 SECONDS (Peterson + Peterson 1959)
• can keep info in stm for longer if we repeat it (maintenance rehearsal) and it may pass into ltm

Question 9

Long term memory DURATION

Answer 9

• more permanent memory store
• info lasts up to a LIFETIME
• harry bahrick (1975) found people could recognise names/faces of their class mates after 50 years

Question 10

Sensory register CAPACITY

Answer 10

VERY HIGH
- over 100 million cells in the retina of each eye and they store sensory data

Question 11

Short term memory CAPACITY

Answer 11

LIMITED CAPACITY
- miller (1956) noted capacity is between 5 and 9 (7+/-2) but this can be increased through chunking

Question 12

Long term memory CAPACITY

Answer 12

UNLIMITED CAPACITY

Question 13

Sensory register CODING

Answer 13

• encoding depends on the sense
  1) Echoic: auditory info
  2) Iconic: visual info
  3) Haptic: tactile info
  4) Gustatory: taste info
  5) Alfactory: smell info

Question 14

Short term memory CODING

Answer 14

MAINLY ACOUSTIC

Question 15

Long term memory CODING

Answer 15

MAINLY SEMANTIC (based on meaning)

Question 16

Short term memory overview

Answer 16

Limited capacity
Coding is acoustic
Capacity between 5 and 9 items
Duration is between 18-30 seconds

Question 17

Long term memory overview

Answer 17

Permanent memory store
Coding is semantic
Unlimited capacity
Can store memories for up to a lifetime