Memory Flashcards
Memory definition
Memory: the ability to take information, store it and then recall it at a later time
Three stages of memory
Three stages of memory:
Encoding, storage and retrieval
The three stores of memory
The three stores of memory:
-Sensory memory/register
-Short term memory (STM)
-Long term memory (LTM)
What coding refer to in memory?
Coding = how info is processed in the memory store
What does capacity refer to in memory?
Capacity refers to how much info is hold in our memory
What does duration refer to in memory?
Duration refers to how long information is kept in our memory
Coding of the sensory memory/register
Coding of the sensory memory/register:
-The main way that info is coded in the sensory register is sight and sound
-Iconic store = visual information
-Echoic store = sound
-It is modality specfic
-Sensory buffer store = info that is attended to is processed here ready for STM
Modality specific definition in reference to the sensory memory/register
Modality specific = info is dealt with by different, specific stores rather than one central location
Capacity of the sensory memory/register
Capacity of the sensory memory/register:
-Extremely large capacity,due to vast amount of info from sense eg one hundred million cells are found in the eye
Duration of the sensory memory/register
Duration of the sensory memory/register:
-Milliseconds
-Extremely quick
-Info that is not attended to, the memory trace fades away (decay)
-Sperling experiment tested this
Coding in the STM (short term memory)
Coding in the STM (short term memory) is accoustic
Baddeley key study procedure (the accoustically similar study)
-Lab experiment
-2 conditions: acoustically similar words eg bat hat cat rat, + acoustically not similar words eg tea, cat, tie, rug -> participants had to recall the words
Baddeley key study findings (the accoustically similar study)
Baddeley key study findings (the accoustically similar study):
-recall was poorer for the acoustically similar condition, acoustic condition errors were made -> recalled words that sounded the same but were not on the list
Baddeley key study conclusion (the accoustically similar study)
Baddeley key study conclusion (the accoustically similar study):
-This implies that information is processed (coded) acoustically in short term memory โ the way that information sounds
Evaluation of the Baddeley key study (the accoustically similar study)
Evaluation of the Baddeley key study (the accoustically similar study):
- = artificial -> demand characteristics -> lacks ecological validity -> recalling words not reflective of memory in daily life
+ = Replicable
+ = Controls extraneous variables -> reliable
What experiments measured the capacity of short term memory?
-Jacobs and Millers studies measured into the capacity of short term memory using serial digist spans, where they recalled it in order as it increases in length
The mean digit span was 7.3 (capacity of 5 digits u to 9)
-Found that chunking increases the capacity of short term memory
The multi-store model of Memory (MSM)
MSM was developed by Baddeley and Hitch, and focuses specifically on the workings of the short-term memory
->More developed than MSM
Thee limited capacity stores that STM is composed of as part of the WMM
Thee limited capacity stores that STM is composed of as part of the WMM:
-Central executive
-Articulatory-phonological loop
-Visuo-spatial sketchpad
Central executive of the STM as part of the WMM
Central executive - this manages attention, and controls information from the two โslave storesโ
The articulatory-phonological loop of STM as part of the WMM
The articulatory-phonological loop = temporarily retains lanauge-based information, consisting of:
-An articulatory rehearsal process of language, including any language presented visually to convert to aphonological state for storage in the,
-Phonological store - holds auditory speech information and the order in which it was heard
The visuo-spatial sketchpad of the STM as part of the WMM
The visuo-spatial sketchpad - temporarily retains visual and spatial information
What does the episodic buffer do in the MSM?
The episodic buffer faciliatates communication between the central executive and long term memory (LTM)
How was WMM found?
WMM was stemmed from research using a โdual-task techniqueโ (or โinterference tasksโ), whereby performance is measured as participants perform two tasks simultatentiously
Observations that provide evidence for MSM
Observations that provide evidence for MSM:
-If one store is utilised for both tasks, then task performance is poorer than when they are completed serperately
-If the tasks require different stores, performance would be unaffected when performing them simultaneously
Positive evaluation of the Working Memory Model
Positive evaluation of the Working Memory Model:
-WMM provides an explanation for parallel processing unlike MSM (ie where processes involved in a cognitive task occur at once)
-Developed based on research
Negative evaluation of the Working Memory Model
Negative evaluation of the Working Memory Model:
-Can still be seen as being too simplistic and vague, eg, unclear what the central executive is, or its exact role in attention
-Results from labatory experiments often have low ecological validity, eg due to demand characteristics and/or due to the situation being unrealistic
Clive Wearing case
Clive Wearing case -> supports the idea there are different types of LTM -> after a brain infection, procedural memory intact but episodic memory affected