Memory - Types of Memory Flashcards
What are the three types of memory?
sensory register
short-term memory (STM)
long-term memory (LTM)
What info does the sensory register store?
Sensory information (sight, sound, touch, taste and smell).
It is constantly receiving info from all around us.
Sensory register:
What type of coding?
It depends on the sense that has picked it up — e.g. visual, auditory or tactile.
Sensory register:
Capacity and duration?
Limited capacity, very limited duration.
Unless we pay attention to the info, it disappears quickly through spontaneous decay.
STM:
What type of coding?
Usually acoustic
STM:
Capacity and duration?
Limited capacity and a limited duration.
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When rehearsal is prevented, very little can stay in STM for longer than about 18 seconds.
(Peterson and Peterson, 1959)
STM has a limited storage capacity of 5-9 items (although there are individual differences, such STM increasing with age).
(Jacobs, 1887)
LTM:
What type of coding?
Usually semantic (the meaning of the information)
LTM:
Capacity and duration?
Unlimited capacity, and theoretically permanent.
What are the three different types of LTM?
Episodic memory
Semantic memory
Procedural memory
What is episodic memory?
Stores information about events you’ve actually experienced, e.g. a concert or a visit to a restaurant.
It can contain info about time and place, emotions you felt, and details about what happened.
These memories are declarative (can be consciously recalled).
What is semantic memory?
Facts and knowledge we have learnt and can consciously recall, e.g. capital cities and word meanings.
It doesn’t contain details of the time poor place where you learnt the info — it is simply knowledge
What is procedural memory?
Knowledge of how to do things, such as walking, swimming or playing the piano.
This information can’t be consciously recalled.
