Memory Flashcards
What are the three stages of learning and memory?
- Encoding of information into memory
- Storage of information within memory system
- Retrieval of stored information from memory
What are the features of the multi-store model of memory?
- Modality-specific sensory stores
- Short-term store of very limited capacity
- Long-term store of unlimited capacity
What is the iconic store?
Brief sensory store for visual information
How quickly does information in the iconic store decay?
In less than a second
What is the echoic store?
Brief sensory store for auditory information
How quickly does information in the echoic store decay?
Two seconds
What is the capacity of short-term memory?
~7 integrated units of information
How can information be retained in short-term memory?
Rehearsal
What is the recency effect?
The last few items in a list are more likely to be recalled because they are still in short-term memory
What is the cause of short-term memory forgetting?
Interference
What is the primacy effect?
The first few items in a list are more likely to be recalled because they have moved to long-term memory
What are the criticisms of the multi-store model?
- Assumes that short-term memory processing is necessary for encoding into long-term memory
- Assumes that only amount of rehearsal correlates with conversion of short-term memory to long-term memory
- Assumes that each store only operates in a single unitary way
What are the four primary components of the working memory model?
- Phonological loop
- Visuospatial sketchpad
- Multimodal episodic buffer
- Modality-free central executive
What is the role of the central executive?
Selects and initiates cognitive processing routines
What is the standard forgetting curve?
Retention decreases as retention interval increases, but rate of forgetting slows down
What is the consolidation period?
Period of time during which new memories are vulnerable but are being strengthened
What are the factors that influence how a permanent representation of information is encoded and stored?
- Practice
- Level of processing
- Organisation
- Spacing
- Active retrieval
How does practice improve retrieval?
Improves accuracy to 100%
Following perfect recall, practice decreases retrieval time
How does level of processing affect recall?
Greater depth of processing creates more richly encoded or elaborate memory representation
Semantic processing and self-generation provide subject with richer and more elaborate code, which yields additional retrieval routes
How does organisation affect retrieval?
A mechanism for cueing the memory of individual items improves memory
More systematic way of going through memory and retrieving information
How does spacing affect retrieval?
Memory is better for repeated information if it is spaced out over time rather than lumped together
For long-term retention, spaced out study is better
For short-term retention, massed study is better (cramming)
What is active retrieval?
Practising retrieval whilst studying
More powerful learning activity than active encoding
What is transfer-appropriate processing?
Principle that retrieval is more likely if cues available at recall are the same as those present during encoding
What are schemas?
Knowledge structures that we build upon to store new facts and use to reconstruct memories
