Lecture 1 - sensory and working memory

Question 1

Behaviorism 1920s

Answer 1

Skinner + Pigeon Studies
If it cannot be observed it’s not scientific
input - black box - output

Question 2

Experimental Psychology 1950s

Answer 2

input - process/storage - output

black box is now mind and processing

Question 3

what did Atkinson and Shiffrin do?

Answer 3

multi store model of memory

Question 4

Describe the MSM

Answer 4

Sensory memory -> STM -> LTM

Question 5

what is the Sensory Memory

Answer 5

environmental inputs either forgotten or attention is payed to them
lots of information stored but with rapid delay
large capacity/short duration

Question 6

what is the whole report procedure

Answer 6

9 letter flashed at once but how much is processed

could only recall 1 - 3

Question 7

what did Sterling 1960 do?

Answer 7

partial report procedure
letters flash then the cue for which row to recall
whole grid must be processed in order to recall one row
recall row 75% of the time

Question 8

What is the STM

Answer 8

attention paid to things in the sensory memory
maintenance rehearsal
forgotten through delay or displacement
30 duration

Question 9

what did Miller 1956 find?

Answer 9

STM holds about 7 thiings

Question 10

What is the memory span test

Answer 10

chunks
Conceptual meaning – creates a chunk
holds 7 individual numbers/letters or 7 whole words

Question 10

What is the memory span test

Answer 10

chunks
Conceptual meaning – creates a chunk
holds 7 individual numbers/letters or 7 whole words

Question 11

Cultural impact on STM

Answer 11

how long it takes to pronounce the chunks means less can be rehearsed in the same amount of time
different capacities

Question 12

Limitations of the STM

Answer 12

Peterson and Peterson - include a delay between stimulus and recall accuracy declines
30 second capacity

Question 13

The effects of interference on STM

Answer 13

Proactive Interference - no room for new memories
Retroactive Interference - Pushes out old memories
study - fruit words in conditions 1,2,3 then fruit or new in 4. better when 4 was different

Question 14

Baddeley & Hitch (1974) - Working memory

Answer 14

Phonological Loop - stores auditory information.
Visuospatial Sketchpad - stores visual and spatial information.
Central Executive - integrates information from other components (in episodic buffer)

Question 15

evidence for the Phonological loop

Answer 15

Acoustic Confusion (Baddeley, 1966)
Smaller memory span for phonologically similar words
Reduced ability to hold things in STM

Question 16

Evidence for the Visuospatial sketchpad

Answer 16

(Baddeley & Hitch, 1974)
Things in the Loop don’t interfere with the Sketchpad
Remembering a list of numbers and spatial reasoning task
Size of digit load had no effect on spatial reasoning errors