Memory Flashcards
define encoding
turning sensory input into an electrochemical memory trace that can be stored in the brain
what are the 3 main types of encoding?
acoustic, visual, and semantic
what is acoustic encoding
Holding sound information
what is semantic encoding
Holding the meaning of information
what is visual encoding
Holding the visual information
define processing
The operations that are performed on sensory
information in the brain
define input
The sensory information that is received from the environment
define storage
The retention of information in the memory storage system (in the brain)
define capacity
The amount of information that can be stored
define duration
The length of time information can be held in the memory store
what are the two main types of memory store for information within the brain?
long-term memory (LTM) & short-term memory (STM)
what is the LTM
a (potentially) permanent store of information.
what is the STM
a temporary store of information.
What is the capacity of STM
Miller suggested 7+/-2 pieces of information (means 5-9 pieces of information where most can hold about 7).
what is the capacity of LTM
is potentially unlimited - it would be impossible to test.
what is the duration of STM, without rehearsal
lasts for about 20 seconds
what is the duration of LTM
can last anywhere from a few minutes to a lifetime.
define rehearsal
When information is repeated over and over to keep it in the memory.
what type of encoding does STM usually use
acoustic
what type of encoding does LTM usually use
semantically - This is a deeper form of encoding.
what is displacement
where new information pushes out (displaces) old information when the limited capacity of STM is exceeded
how do people forget in LTM
Some memories may decay if the memory is never used. Others may be overwritten or changed by new information. This is called interference
what is displacement
where new information pushes out (displaces) old information when the limited capacity of STM is exceeded
what is a model
A model does not mean an exact copy of the thing being described. It is a representation of how it works.
what is a model based on
available evidence (e.g. findings from lab experiments, case studies).
who suggested that memory is made up of 3 stores
Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968)
who suggested that memory is made up of 3 stores
Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968)
what did Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968) suggest about memory
that memory is made up of 3 stores & that each store is different and information moves from one store to another in a fixed, linear sequence.
what did Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968) suggest about memory
that memory is made up of 3 stores & that each store is different and information moves from one store to another in a fixed, linear sequence.
what is the sensory register
the store that receives all of the information around us and holds it briefly.
define attention
focus on only certain sensory information
what happens if attention is paid to stimuli in the sensory register
it passes into short-term memory.
what happens if attention is not paid to stimuli in the sensory register
it decays quickly.
true or false: It is believed we have a sensory register
for each of our senses.
true
what is the sensory register for sound information and how long does it last
echoic - lasts a couple of seconds before it decays
what is the sensory register for visual information and how long does it last
iconic - lasts for a second before it decays
what is the sensory register for tactile sensory memories procured via the sense of touch through sensory receptors and how long does it last
haptic - for about two seconds.
draw the MSM of memory
does it look like this - https://o.quizlet.com/QGX5-lhNzHoWArjeTKJVqg_b.jpg
what are two examples of supporting research for the MSM of memory
- Baddeley (1966) - tend to mix up acoustically similar words when using STMs and mix up semantically similar words when using LTMs. 2. HM removed hippocampus to relieve his epilepsy. When his memory was assessed in 1955 (31), he thought it was 1953 & he was 27. His LTM was tested many times but never improved with practice. However, he performed well on tests of immediate memory span (a test of STM).
what are two examples of undermining research for the MSM of memory
- Shallice & Warrington (1970) studied a patient with amnesia - KF. found his STM for digits was very poor when they read aloud to him, but recall much better when able to read them to himself. Further
studies suggest there could be another STMs for non-verbal sounds. 2. According to MSM, the amount of rehearsal matters. Craik & Watkins (1973) found there are 2 main types: maintain rehearsal (as described in MSM) and elaborative rehearsal - needed to transfer information from STM to LTM.
what is elaborative rehearsal
when information is linked into existing knowledge, or you think about what it means.
how did Baddeley (1966)’s research support MSM
supports that coding in STM and LTM is semantic, which supports the view that these two memory stores are unitary and qualitatively different. Counterargument: this research relied on artificial stimuli which had no real meaning to participants. Therefore, we should be cautious about generalising the findings. so, the research isn’t particularly strong support for MSM as we can’t determine that coding is different between STM and LTM with meaningful information.
how did the HM case study support MSM
supports that STM and LTM are two unitary stores that are qualitatively different. may even be stored in different parts of the brain. Counterargument: however, the research was a unique case study of a brain damaged individual. so, isn’t particularly strong support for MSM as results may not be generalisable
how did Shallice & Warrington (1970)’s research undermine MSM
research suggests that there must be at least one short-term store to process visual information and one to process auditory information, which undermines the unitary store of STM proposed by the MSM. The working memory model includes these separate stores of STM.
how did Craik & Watkins (1973)’s research undermine MSM
This is a serious limitation of the MSM because it is another research finding that cannot be explained by the model.
what did the murdock (1962) study discover
the serial position effect.
what is the serial position effect.
the tendency to recall more words at the beginning (primacy) and end (recency) of a word list.
how did murdock 91962) explain the serial position effect
the primacy effect occurs because words at the beginning have been rehearsed and transferred into LTM. The recency effect is the result of the words still being held in STM. There is not enough time to rehearse the middle words enough before they were displaced.
what is amnesia
a condition characterised by forgetting or memory loss.
when does amnesia usually occur
usually following brain trauma (some kind of damage to the brain – accident, disease or injury).
what is anterograde amnesia
A memory condition that means long-term memories cannot be made. Typically caused by injury to the brain.
what are the symptoms of anterograde amnesia
The patient has difficulty in remembering and learning new things
define retrograde amnesia
A memory condition that affects recall of memories from before damage to the brain.
what are the symptoms of retrograde amnesia
The patient loses memories from before the damage. This may be a specific memory (for example, the traumatic incident that caused the damage), or could be limited to a specific time frame. In severe cases, patients can forget who they are and where they come from. It is possible for people with this kind of amnesia to retain some or all of their lost memory.
Identify the form of amnesia that H.M. suffered from
anterograde amnesia (‘he forgot any news item as soon as he had read about it’) and retrograde amnesia (‘he was not able to recall any events in the few years leading up to his surgery’)
Damage to which part of H.M.’s brain appears to be responsible for his difficulties?
the hippocampus
