components of memory Flashcards
what is memory?
a process involved in retaining, retrieving and using info of the past which affects the present, and possibly the future
what are the 3 main components of memory?
- sensory memory
- working memory
- long-term memory
what is working memory?
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
what is short term memory?
ability to hold info over short intervals
what is short term storage?
and how does working memory use it?
temporary passive storage component of working memory
WM uses this to retain and manipulate info
where have some arguments that working memory is distinct from long-term memory come from?
introspection
physiology
computational utility
experiments on normal and brain damaged subjects
how does physiology argue that working memory is distinct from long-term memory?
info stored in current neural activity vs. changes in synaptic strength
something must hold new info during consolidation into LTM
how do computational models distinguish between working memory and LTM?
use working memory to keep info readily available and store info which isn’t worth storing permanently in LTM
how did brown-peterson measure short-term forgetting?
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
how did Waugh & Norman measure short-term forgetting?
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
how did Murdock meaure short-term forgetting?
ppt hears sequence of items
tries to recall in any order but if asked to recall last item first, relatively well remembered (recency effect)
explaining pattern of short-term forgetting:
what is dual-trace theory?
retrieval after short interval mediated by temporary rapidly-decaying memory trace
retrieval after longer interval mediated by a more permanent memory trace
explaining pattern of short-term forgetting:
what is single-trace theory?
memory trace decays rapidly to start with, then more slowly
what is the dual-trace theory supported by?
double dissociation of affecting factors?
differences in encoding?
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
what is double dissociation?
two related mental processes are shown to function independently of each other
(e.g example of vowels and consonants being separately impaired in people)
name and explain factors which impairs free recall of earlier lists?
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
what does it show if free recall of lists has a double dissociation?
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
what is the coding of long and working memory?
working memory: phonologically coded
long term: semantically coded
example of neuropsychological double dissociation?
surface vs phonological dyslexia
what does Atkinson & Shiffrin’s modal model 1968 contain?
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
which parts of long-term memory are affected in anterograde amnesia?
impaired ability to form new memories for events and facts (declarative)
exhibit normal learning in acquisition of practical skills (procedural)
what are the 2 types of declarative memory?
and who divided them?
- episodic - memory for experiences where remebering accompanied by ‘re-experiencing’
- semantic - memory for general knowledge gathered through experience
Tulving
describe the existence of a double dissociation between episodic and semantic memory?
thus supporting Tulving’s separation of the 2 declarative memories
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)
what is the link between stress and working memory?
worrying can compete for limited working memory resources
shown by writing worries before test improving performance as freeing up resources due to no worrying
describe visual working memory and change detection?
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”
how many objects can visual short term memory hold?
and how was this supported by Phillips?
3-4
demonstrated complexity effect (performance declines when more complex array) when intervals larger showing limited capacity of visual short term storage
describe the double dissociation between visual short term memory and long term visual memory?
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)
what is articulatory suppression?
what does it prevent?
producing irrelevant speech at same time list is displayed reduces memory span
also abolished phonological similarity effect as denies words access to phonological buffer
evidence that verbal and visual short term stores are distinct?
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
differences between physical images and propositional representations?
images - depict in an analogue manner and are spatially isomorphic
propositional representations - describe and use discrete symbols
double dissociation in brain damaged patients for working and long-term memory?
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)
what are some of the necessary conditions to transfer info from working memory to long-term storage?
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
what is visual sensory memory?
passive persistence of a representation of the contents of the visual field
what supports the idea of visual sensory memory lasting aorund 1 second after presentation of stimulus?
Sperling - recall brief display better immediately after than a few seconds after
Phillips - performance in change detection task declined as delay between arrays increased
