SENSORY STORE (MEMORY) / SENSORY REGISTERS / SHORT -TERM STORE (WORKING MEMORY) / LOSS OF INFO IN STM / REHEARSALS Flashcards
DEFINITION: SENSORY MEMORY
- Also known as the sensory store
- Not a part of our conscious awareness
- RECEIVES sensory information from the receptor sites (of the senses from the outside world)
- Not consciously aware of the information in sensory memory
- CAPACITY: Unlimited
- DURATION: Short
SESNSORY REGISTERS (ICONIC AND ECHOIC)
- there are 5 sensory registers (Sight, Sound, Taste, Smell, Touch)
- 2 x Prominent Sensory Registers: SIGHT, SOUND
Sight = iconic MEMORY
- All VISUAL information goes into the visual sensory register (in its original SENSORY form)
- We are able to perceive movement
- CAPACITY: Unlimited
- DURATION: 0.3 -0.4 seconds
Sound = echoic MEMORY
- All auditory information goes into the HEARING sensory register (in its original SENSORY form)
- CAPACITY: Unlimited
- DURATION: 3-4 seconds
DEFINITION: SHORT-TERM MEMORY
- Also known as the working memory
- Receives information from (2 x places) SENSORY MEMORY and LONG TERM MEMORY
Sensory memory (In order to be encoded)
Long term memory (To be TEMPORARILY manipulated or used)
- Short-tem memory is also our thoughts and concsciouness
DEFINITION: CHUNKING
- A cognitive process
- Combining SMALL pieces of information into LARGER groups (Chunks). The groups/chunks are more meaningful.
- Chunking increases capacity (frees up space) in the STM storage system, thus increasing the amount of content STORED in STM at any one time.
EXAMPLE: Remembering a Mobile Phone Number (note: Remembering all the digits individually = Great difficulty)
2 x REHEARSAL (How does info from STM get into LTM?)
MAINTENANCE REHEARSAL (Retaining information)
- Not in LTM
- It is the REPETITION of information over and over again
- Doesn’t add or add new things to the information
- Primarily used for STM
ELABORATIVE REHEARSAL
- the most EFFECTIVE process of transferring information into LTM
- Linking and organizing new information with existing information in a meaningful way.
STM : CAPACITY AND DURATION
Capacity: Limited: 5-9 ITEMS
However, it can be manipulated using CHUNKING
(EXCESS = Lost or Forgotten)
Duration: Limited: 12-20, 12-30, 10-20 SEC (If the information is not attended to)
However, it can be manipulated using rehearsal.
HOW IS INFORMATION LOST IN STM?
- Lost primarily through DECAY and DISPLACEMENT
Decay: Information is not maintained by rehearsal and simply FADES away over time.
Displacement: When the ‘working space’ in STM is used up. REACHES its Capacity (5-9 items). Unable to hold additional information in STM.