Memory Flashcards
what is memory
the ability to store and retrieve information over time
what does the model of memory proposed by Atkinson and Shiffrin (A+S) in 1968 comprise of.
a flow of information through 3 stages; sensory memory, short term memory and long term memory.
Describe the role of the sensory memory in the A+S model
information enters the temporary sensory memory where sensory info is kept for a few seconds or less.
Describe the role of the short term memory in the A+S model
the info is processed into a nonsensory format and enters short term memory if relevant, here it is kept for more than a few seconds but shorter than a minute. processed further unless irrelevant and the memory is not kept active.
Describe the role of the long term memory in the A+S model
info stored for hours days weeks or years.
what is the process that keeps info in the stm?
maintenance rehearsal
what are the two types of sensory memory?
iconic - fast decaying store of visual info
echoic - fast decaying store of auditory info
what is rehearsal
process of keeping info in stm by mentally repeating it. gives the info another 15-20 seconds
what is chunking
combining small pieces of info into larger clusters or chunks that are more easily held in stm.
how many numbers can be held in stm
7 (Miller 1956)
what is working memory as proposed by Baddley and Hitch (1974)
it is the active manipulation and maintenance of info in stm storage
what is the working memory split into
visuospatial sketchpad, phonological loop, episodic buffer and the central executive
describe the visuospatial sketchpad
briefly stores visual and spatial info e.g chess board position
describe the phonological loop
briefly encodes mental representations of sounds and is made up of a short term store and an articulatory rehearsal system. the articulatory system enables you to repeat words back to yourself.
what do the PL and VS have in common
can work simultaneously and are slave systems to the central executive
what is the central executive
attentional system that coordinates and controls plans of action and output using the slave systems.
what is the episodic buffer
the temporary storage space where info from long term memory can be integrated into working memory
what is interference
the drop in accuracy and response time performance when two tasks tap into the same system.
how does interference relate to the subsystems of wm
if the dual tasks are using the same system there will be a decrease in performance due to interference
is brain training effective?
no it improves wm for short term but these effects do not last (Hulme and Melby-Lervag 2012) also tasks improvement in the brain training scenario do not carry over to other tasks
what is consolidation?
process whereby info must pass from stm into ltm in order for it to be remembered
what is encoding?
the process by which we transform what we perceive think or feel into an enduring memory
what is storage
the process of maintaining info in memory over time
what is retrieval
process of bringing to mind info that has previously been encoded and stored
what is a schema
mental models of the world that contain knowledge that helps us to encode new info into a meaningful context. these can however lead to distortion of the actual memory
what is elaborative encoding
the process of actively relating new information to knowledge that is already in memory
where does elaborative encoding take place in the brain?
left temporal lobe
lower left part of frontal lobe
what is visual imagery encoding
the process of storing new info by converting it into mental pictures.
what is a method of loci
a memory aid that associates info with mental images of locations
what is organisational coding?
the act of categorising info by noticing the relationships between a series of items
what is a mnemonic
a device for reorganising info into more meaningful patterns to remember
describe encoding of survival related info
memory mechanisms that help us to survive and reproduce should be preserved by natural selection so our memory systems should be built in a way that allows us to remember especially well the encoded info that is relevant to our survival.
what is memory storage
the process of maintaining info in memory over time
where do memories potentially reside in the brain
the synapses
what is long term potentiation
enhanced neural processing that results from the strengthening of synaptic connections
what properties indicate that long term potentiation has a role in ltm storage
it occurs in several pathways in the hippocampus
it can be induced rapidly
it can last for a long time
what does NMDA do?
it is a hippocampal receptor site that influences the flow of information from one neuron to another across the synapse by controlling the initiation of long term potential
how does NMDA work
for NMDA receptors to become active the presynaptic neuron must release glutamate which attaches to postsynaptic receptor site. excitation takes place in postsynaptic neuron. these two events initiate LTP which increases synaptic connections by allowing neurons to fire together to wire together