problem 1 - memory Flashcards
storage, encoding & retrieval
Storage = the process of putting new info in memory
Encoding = as people store info, they usually change it in some way – helps them store more easily
- may involve changing the form of info, adding to new info using existing knowledge or simplifying new info
Retrieval = the process by which people ‘find’ info they’ve previously stored
the sensory register
the first component, holds incoming info long enough for it to undergo very preliminary cog processing
-individual hasn’t yet interpreted the info – SR holds info before any significant encoding occurs
- Capacity: very large
- Forms of storage: info stored in the same form it was sensed – e.g., visual info stored in a visual form
- Duration: only a very brief time – less than a seconds
- Info lost due to interference or decay
working memory
the component of memory in which active thinking occurs – it identifies info in the SR that warrants attention, saves the info for a longer period of time & processes it further
- central executive, visual spatial sketchpad, phonological loop & episodic buffer
- Capacity = has a very limited capacity: 7 +/- 2 (chunking occurs)
- Forms of storage = info mostly encoded in an auditory form, but can also encode other forms (visual, spatial, tactile & psychomotor)
- Duration = less than 30 seconds - decay & interference explain the short time span
phonological loop
a mechanism that can keep a small amount of auditory info fresh through constant repetition
visual spatial sketchpad
allows manipulation & short-term retention of visual material
episodic buffer
where info from multiple input modalities & also from LTM can interact & be integrated into an overall understanding of a particular situation
what is chunking?
combining pieces of info in some way – can slightly increase the amount of info that WM’s limited space can hold
what are the control processes in WM
Organization: we can increase what we can hold in WM by organizing it in some way – pulling 2 or more pieces of info together into an integrated unit
Retrieval: retrieving info from WM is usually easy & automatic, but depends on how much info there is stored
Maintenance rehearsal: repeating info to keep it alive in WM – often takes form of subvocal speech
long term memory
the most complex component in the memory system – included declarative & procedural knowledge
- Capacity = unlimited
- Forms of storage = info is encoded in a variety of ways – language provides 1 basis for storing info, sensory images & nonverbal abstractions provide other
- Duration: very long but not conclusive
criticism of the dual-store memory model
Model says that STM & WM are the same thing – but scientists disagree
- STM is like remembering what happened at the beginning of the class and WM is dealing with current info – STM is longer than WM
8 types of stimuli that draw more attention
- Motion: moving objects are more likely to capture attention
- Size: large objects
- Intensity: more intense stimuli (bright colors and loud noises)
- Novelty: novel or unusual
- Incongruity: don’t make sense within their context
- Social cues: things we see other looking at and reacting to
- Emotion: strong emotional associations attract attention
- Personal significance: can both capture and maintain attention
cocktail party phenomenon & shadowing
the ability to attend to one spoken message while ignoring others – studied using a technique called shadowing
shadowing = a person wears headphones to listen to 2 simultaneously spoken messages & is asked to repeat one of them
figure-ground phenomenon
when people are focusing on the details of one object (the figure) the cannot also inspect other things in their line of sight – things that become the background (or ground) for the object
- means that the only way to gain detailed info about 2 or more items would be to shift the focus of attention from 1 item to another
limited processing capacity
the number of stimuli being attended to depends on how much cog processing is required for each one
- People can split their attention among 2 complex tasks but only when they have considerable practice in performing both tasks at the same time
levels of processing theory
first major alternative to DSM
incoming info is processed by a central processor at any one of a number of diff levels of complexity
- limited capacity
- how long & well info is remembered depends on how thoroughly the CP deals w it
- info that isn’t processed at all = leaves only brief impression (like SR)
- info that is processed superficially = lasts a bit longer (like WM)
- info that undergoes deep processing = remembered long term
