Memory

Question 1

What is memory?

Answer 1

The processes that allow us to record, store, and later retrieve experiences and information

Question 2

What is encoding?

Answer 2

Getting information into the system by translating it into a neural code

Question 3

What is storage?

Answer 3

Retaining information over time

Question 4

What is retrieval?

Answer 4

Processes that access and use stored information

Question 5

What are the three components of the three-stage model of memory?

Answer 5

Sensory memory
Short term memory
Long term memory

Question 6

What is sensory memory?

Answer 6

A store that briefly holds incoming sensory information
It is split into the sensory registers (including the iconic and echoic stores), which are the initial information processors

Question 7

What is the iconic store?

Answer 7

A form of sensory memory that briefly holds a visual representation of a scene that has just been perceived
It is remarkably accurate but very brief

Question 8

Describe a study of iconic memory

Answer 8

Sperling (1960) presented his participants with an array of letters for 50 milliseconds, and asked them to recall the letters - most could recall about 3-5 letters but reported being aware of more

Question 9

Describe Sperling’s follow up study

Answer 9

He used a partial report procedure, asking participants to name letters in only one of the three rows, and they could do this with perfect accuracy

Question 10

What do Sperling’s results suggest?

Answer 10

Participants could remember all 12 letters since they were not aware which ones they would be asked to recall until after they had been shown them all

Question 11

How long does iconic memory last?

Answer 11

Sperling theorised that it can last around 1 second, but more recent research suggests it is potentially up to 1.5 seconds

Question 12

Why could the participants in Sperling’s study only initially recall 3-5 items?

Answer 12

Because it took longer than 1 second to identify, store and recall the letters

Question 13

What is the echoic store?

Answer 13

Stores auditory stimuli for a short time
It is very important in speech perception

Question 14

How long does echoic memory last?

Answer 14

Longer than iconic memory, potentially up to a few seconds

Question 15

What is short term memory?

Answer 15

A memory store that temporarily holds a limited amount of information

Question 16

What are memory codes?

Answer 16

Mental representations of some type of information or stimulus
For visual stimuli: mental images
For phonological stimuli: sounds
For semantic stimuli: meaning
For motor stimuli: patterns of movement

Question 17

How many items can short term memory hold?

Answer 17

No more than 7 +/- 2 meaningful items

Question 18

What is chunking?

Answer 18

Combining individual items into larger units of meaning

Question 19

How can duration of memories in short term memory be extended?

Answer 19

Through rehearsal

Question 20

What is working memory?

Answer 20

A limited capacity system that temporarily stores and processes information

Question 21

What are the components of working memory?

Answer 21

Phonological loop
Visuospatial sketchpad
Episodic buffer
Central executive

Question 22

What is the phonological loop?

Answer 22

A store of mental representations of sounds
It has two parts - the phonological store and the articulatory rehearsal system

Question 23

Describe a study of the phonological loop

Answer 23

Baddeley presented participants with 5 words and asked them to recall them - they recalled fewer when the words were longer, suggesting that the capacity of the phonological loop is determined by how much material can be rehearsed in two seconds

Question 24

What is an important role of the phonological loop?

Answer 24

Language learning

Question 25

What is the visuospatial sketchpad?

Answer 25

A store of visual and spatial information

Question 26

What is the episodic buffer?

Answer 26

Integrates and manipulates information from the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad

Question 27

What is the central executive?

Answer 27

Directs the overall action, controls the focus of attention and integrates information in the episodic buffer