Memory: Key Terms Flashcards
Duration
the length of time information remains in storage within memory (how long a memory lasts)
Sensory Register
a memory store that holds impressions of info received by th five senses
- short duration and a large capacity
Short-term Memory
a temporary memory store for events in the present or immediate past
- short duration + small capacity
Long-term Memory
a more permanent memory store for events that have happened in the more distant past
- long duration and large capacity
Capacity
the amount of info that can be stored in memory at a given time
Coding
The way in which information is changed so that it can be stored in memory
Miller’s Magic Number
- Miller (1956) reviewed research into capacity of STM
- found people can remember about 7 items
- argues capacity of STM is 7, plus or minus 2
- found people can recall 5 words as well as 5 letters - we chunk things together and then can remember more
Ionic Store (Sensory Register)
visual info
Echoic Store (Sensory Register)
auditory info
Haptic Store (Sensory Register)
physical info eg touch
Coded Acoustically (STM and LTM)
coded in terms of how it sounds
Coded Semantically (STM and LTM)
coded in terms of meaning
Coded Visually (STM and LTM)
coded in terms of the image
Duration of SR Research
Sperling (1960):
- showed ps a grid of digits and letters for 50 milliseconds, either asked to write down all 12 or one row
- when asked to recall whole thing it was poorer (42%) than when asked to recall one row (75%)
- the SR has very short duration (0.5 seconds)
- decays rapidly
Duration of STM Research
Peterson + Peterson (1959)
- ps briefly shown consonant trigram, asked to count backwards in threes from specified number, after intervals of 3,6,9,12,15 or 18 asked to recall original trigram
- able to recall 80% of trigrams after 3 seconds, fewer trigrams recalled as time lengthened, after 18 fewer than 10% recalled
- if rehearsal is prevented information vanishes rapidly from STM, very little information can stay in STM for longer than about 18 seconds
Duration of LTM Research
Bahrick et al (1975)
- ex high school students aged 17-74 tested through free recall of names of former classmates, photo recognition of former classmates in set of 50 photos, name recognition, name and photo matching
- 90% accuracy in face and name recognition even when leaving 34 years before, after 48 years declined to 80% for name and 40% for face, free recall considerably less accurate, 60% after 15 years and 30% after 48,
- classmates rarely forgotten once cues been given, recognition better than recall
Capacity of SR Research
Sperling (1960)
- showed ps a grid of digits and letters for 50 milliseconds, either asked to write down all 12 or one row
- when asked to recall whole thing it was poorer (42%) than when asked to recall one row (75%)
- large capacity
- ps didn’t know which row they would be asked to recall but still managed to recall so it’s assumed that all was held in the sensory register but it decayed rapidly,
Capacity of STM Research
Jacobs (1887)
- ps presented with string of letters or digits and had to repeat them back in the same order, number of digits or letters increased until ps failed to recall correctly
- recalled about 9 digits and 7 letters, STM has limited capacity of 5-9 items
Miller (1956)
- reviewed research into capacity of STM
- found people remember about 7 items, argues capacity of STM is 7 plus or minus 2, found people can recall 5 words as well as 5 letters - we chunk things together and then can remember more
Capacity of LTM Research
Linton (1975)
- large capacity
- autobiographical study with memory diary to record 6 years of events, randomly select pairs of records once a month and try to estimate chronological order and date
- memory for real life events decreased at rate of 5%, finally year of study 30% events recorded forgotten
Coding of SR Research
Crowder (2003)
- different depending on store
- few milliseconds in ionic
- 2-3 seconds in echoic
Coding of STM Research
Baddeley (1966)
- 4 groups presented with list of words repeated 4 times, A: acoustically similar, B: acoustically dissimilar, C: semantically similar, D: semantically dissimilar, given list in wrong order and had to rearrange without 20 minute interval
- acoustically similar performed worst (10%) other lists 60-80%
- STM coded acoustically
Coding in LTM Research
Baddeley (1966)
- 4 groups presented with list of words repeated 4 times, A: acoustically similar, B: acoustically dissimilar, C: semantically similar, D: semantically dissimilar, given list in wrong order and had to rearrange with 20 minute interval
- semantically similar performed worst (55%) other lists 70-85%
- LTM coded semantically
Multi-Store Memory Model
- Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968)
- theoretical model that explains how info flows from one storage system to another
- unitary: different units to it
- structural: areas arranged in a certain way
- linear: in a line, flowing in one way
Process of Multi-Store Memory Model
1) the sensory store is constantly receiving info from our environment
2) if you pay attention to it data is transferred to STM if not it will disappear (decay)
3) rehearsal maintains info in STM
4) info will disappear if it isn’t rehearsed or if new info enters the STM pushing out (displacing) original info
5) the more something is rehearsed by rote repetition the more lasting the memory will be
6) loss of info from LTM is due to decay, interference or problems in retrieval
