Memory Flashcards
What is sensory memory?
Briefly stores information from the environment through the senses.
If attention is paid, it passes to short-term memory.
What happens to unattended information?
It is lost.
What is the duration of sensory memory?
Less than 1 second.
What is short-term memory (STM)?
Temporary storage for small amounts of information.
What is the capacity of short-term memory?
7 ± 2 items.
What is the duration of short-term memory without rehearsal?
Around 18–30 seconds.
What is long-term memory (LTM)?
Permanent memory store with unlimited capacity.
What is the capacity of long-term memory?
Unlimited.
What is the duration of long-term memory?
Potentially a lifetime.
What is rehearsal in the context of memory?
Repeating information to transfer it from STM to LTM.
Define encoding in memory.
Turning sensory information into a form that can be used and stored by the brain.
What is retrieval in memory?
The process of recalling information that had previously been stored.
What does displacement refer to in memory?
When information in the STM is pushed out and forgotten because the store is full.
What does decay refer to in memory?
Information fades away because it has not been rehearsed or used.
What is reductionism?
Explaining complex phenomena in terms of smaller units that make it up.
What is a weakness of reductionism?
It can miss the ‘bigger picture’ and not provide a thorough insight.
What is retrograde amnesia?
Losing some or all memories from before an accident.
What is anterograde amnesia?
The inability to make new memories after an accident.
What are some symptoms of Clive Wearing’s anterograde amnesia?
He could not remember new tasks he had done in the day.
What are some symptoms of Clive Wearing’s retrograde amnesia?
He could not remember marrying his wife or who his children were.
Why is the research about Clive Wearing considered holistic?
It considers how all factors that could explain his behavior interact.
What is a strength of holism?
It provides good insight into behavior by looking at different explanations.
What is a weakness of holism?
It is hard to investigate as it does not isolate variables.
