components of memory

Question 1

what is memory?

Answer 1

a process involved in retaining, retrieving and using info of the past which affects the present, and possibly the future

Question 2

what are the 3 main components of memory?

Answer 2

1. sensory memory
2. working memory
3. long-term memory

Question 3

what is working memory?

Answer 3

mechanism for temporarily holding in mind a small amount of info in an active, highly available state:

derived from sensory input
retrieved from LTM
generated by ongoing operations

Question 4

what is short term memory?

Answer 4

ability to hold info over short intervals

Question 5

what is short term storage?

and how does working memory use it?

Answer 5

temporary passive storage component of working memory

WM uses this to retain and manipulate info

Question 6

where have some arguments that working memory is distinct from long-term memory come from?

Answer 6

introspection
physiology
computational utility
experiments on normal and brain damaged subjects

Question 7

how does physiology argue that working memory is distinct from long-term memory?

Answer 7

info stored in current neural activity vs. changes in synaptic strength

something must hold new info during consolidation into LTM

Question 8

how do computational models distinguish between working memory and LTM?

Answer 8

use working memory to keep info readily available and store info which isn’t worth storing permanently in LTM

Question 9

how did brown-peterson measure short-term forgetting?

Answer 9

gave ppts 3 word lists and asked them after a certain interval to repeat lists after having to count backwards in 3s

retention declined when retention interval increased then levelled off

Question 10

how did Waugh & Norman measure short-term forgetting?

Answer 10

gave ppts long sequence of items
given probe which was in sequence and asked to recall item which appeared after it

rapid forgetting followed by slower loss

Question 11

how did Murdock meaure short-term forgetting?

Answer 11

ppt hears sequence of items

tries to recall in any order but if asked to recall last item first, relatively well remembered (recency effect)

Question 12

explaining pattern of short-term forgetting:

what is dual-trace theory?

Answer 12

retrieval after short interval mediated by temporary rapidly-decaying memory trace
retrieval after longer interval mediated by a more permanent memory trace

Question 13

explaining pattern of short-term forgetting:

what is single-trace theory?

Answer 13

memory trace decays rapidly to start with, then more slowly

Question 14

what is the dual-trace theory supported by?

double dissociation of affecting factors?

differences in encoding?

Answer 14

retention over short interval (as displayed by words presented at the end of a list) influenced by factors (absense of rehearsal) that don’t influence retention over long interval (words at start of list)

retention over long interval (as displayed by words presented earlier in list) influenced by factors (fast presentation and longer list) that don’t influence over a short interval

also, immediate recall impaired by phonological similarity between words (encoded phonologically) whereas delayed recall impaired by semantic similarity

double dissociation between effects of factor A and B

Question 15

what is double dissociation?

Answer 15

two related mental processes are shown to function independently of each other

(e.g example of vowels and consonants being separately impaired in people)

Question 16

name and explain factors which impairs free recall of earlier lists?

Answer 16

list length and faster presentation rate:
level of recall of earlier items lower the longer the list and faster the presentation rate

recency effect unchanged in both

Question 17

what does it show if free recall of lists has a double dissociation?

Answer 17

shows recall of most recent items mediated by memory trace rapidly lost in absense of rehearsal

earlier items recovered from different more permanent trace affected by presentation rate and list length

Question 18

what is the coding of long and working memory?

Answer 18

working memory: phonologically coded

long term: semantically coded

Question 19

example of neuropsychological double dissociation?

Answer 19

surface vs phonological dyslexia

Question 20

what does Atkinson & Shiffrin’s modal model 1968 contain?

Answer 20

1) sensory input from enviro persists very briefly prior to recognition - specific registers e.g iconic for vision

2) attended items are represented in limited-capacity short-term store - either a response or rehearsed into long-term storage
& working memory holds info recovered from LTM

3) long-term store is a permanent memory store - info can be retrieved into short-term store

Question 21

which parts of long-term memory are affected in anterograde amnesia?

Answer 21

impaired ability to form new memories for events and facts (declarative)

exhibit normal learning in acquisition of practical skills (procedural)

Question 22

what are the 2 types of declarative memory?

and who divided them?

Answer 22

1. episodic - memory for experiences where remebering accompanied by ‘re-experiencing’
2. semantic - memory for general knowledge gathered through experience

Tulving

Question 23

describe the existence of a double dissociation between episodic and semantic memory?

thus supporting Tulving’s separation of the 2 declarative memories

Answer 23

retrograde amnesia can’t recall experiences (episodic) but have knwoledge of facts (semantic)

semantic dementia have impaired knowledge about world (semantic) but have normal memory of experiences (episodic)

Question 24

what is the link between stress and working memory?

Answer 24

worrying can compete for limited working memory resources

shown by writing worries before test improving performance as freeing up resources due to no worrying

Question 25

describe visual working memory and change detection?

Answer 25

blank frame means attention not automatically attracted to region of change

only way to detect change to compare display with memory

only detect change if just attended to region of change and file is still in visual working memory

“change blindness”

Question 26

how many objects can visual short term memory hold?

and how was this supported by Phillips?

Answer 26

3-4

demonstrated complexity effect (performance declines when more complex array) when intervals larger showing limited capacity of visual short term storage

Question 27

describe the double dissociation between visual short term memory and long term visual memory?

Answer 27

same double dissociation as working and long term memory in word sequences:

recency effect but eliminated by 5 seconds of arithmetic - absence of rehearsal
(short term)

slower presentation rate improved memory for all but last item (long term)

Question 28

what is articulatory suppression?

what does it prevent?

Answer 28

producing irrelevant speech at same time list is displayed reduces memory span

also abolished phonological similarity effect as denies words access to phonological buffer

Question 29

evidence that verbal and visual short term stores are distinct?

Answer 29

able to recall more items if sequence visualisable

advantage removed by simultaneous auditory spatial tracking task

so distinct store if can’t work together at once

Question 30

differences between physical images and propositional representations?

Answer 30

images - depict in an analogue manner and are spatially isomorphic

propositional representations - describe and use discrete symbols

Question 31

double dissociation in brain damaged patients for working and long-term memory?

Answer 31

HM - inability to store new info in LTM (anterorgrade amnesia) but STM tasks unimpaired

KF - impaired immediate repetition of words but unimpaired LTM of words (if don’t need to use working memory to store them)

Question 32

what are some of the necessary conditions to transfer info from working memory to long-term storage?

Answer 32

rehearsal to strengthen traces

strengthening also depends on salience and semantic elaboration

‘flashbulb memories’ - memories of emotionally salient events suggests emotional arousal has effect in transferring to LTM

Question 33

what is visual sensory memory?

Answer 33

passive persistence of a representation of the contents of the visual field

Question 34

what supports the idea of visual sensory memory lasting aorund 1 second after presentation of stimulus?

Answer 34

Sperling - recall brief display better immediately after than a few seconds after

Phillips - performance in change detection task declined as delay between arrays increased