Storage Flashcards
Sensory memory
a type of storage that holds sensory information for a few seconds or less
Iconic memory
a fast-decaying store of visual information
Echoic memory
a fast-decaying store of auditory information
How long does iconic memory last?
1 second or less
How long does echoic memory last?
5 seconds
What is the key to recalling information?
Attention
Short-term memory
holds non sensory information for more than a few seconds but less than a minute (7 plus or minus units of information)
Rehersal
the process of keeping information in short term memory by mentally repeating it (Adds another 15-20 seconds to short term memory)
Serial position effect
the first few and last few items in a series are more likely to be recalled than the items in the middle
Primary effect
Recalling the first few items. These items receive more rehearsal than the middle ones and are more likely to be encoded into long term storage
Recency effect
recalling the last few items. These items are still in short term storage
Primary and recency can be observed in situations that involve only _____ term storage
long
Working memory
active maintenance of information in short term storage (stores and manipulates information)
Is working memory the same as short term memory?
No
What does working memory suggest?
That there is a link between this part of working memory system and the ability to learn languages
What are the 2 subsystems of working memory?
Visuo-spatial sketchpad and phonological loop
Visuo-spatial sketchpad
visual images
Phonological loop
verbal information
Central executive
coordinates the subsystem and the episodic buffer
Episodic buffer
automatically combines separate items into an integrated whole and is a gateway to a long term memory
What plays a role in learning to recognize visual words, which requires verbal and visual information?
Episodic buffer
People learn ____ strategies to perform ____ tasks
specific; specific
Long term memory
the type of storage that holds information for hours, days, weeks, or years
Which memory has no capacity limits?
Long term memory
Explicit memory
act of consciously or intentionally retrieving past experiences, also called declarative memory
Episodic memory
collection of past personal experiences that occurred at a particular time and place (imagining the future)
Implicit memory
influence of past experiences on later behavior, even without an effort to remember them or an awareness of the recollection
Types of explicit memories
Semantic and episodic
Types of implicit memories
Procedural and priming
Procedural memory
gradual acquisition of skills as a result pf practice, or knowing how to do things
Priming
enhanced ability to think of a stimulus as a result of a recent exposure to the stimulus; less cortical activation (perceptual and conceptual priming)
Levels of processing model
the more deeply encoded, the better the memory
Maintenance rehearsal
encoding by repetition, shallow processing = poor memory
Elaborative rehearsal
encoding by linking to stored knowledge, deep processing = better memory, mnemonics
Which region of the brain is critical for putting new information into long term store
Hippocampal region
Anterograde amnesia
the inability to transfer new information from the short store into the long term store
Retrograde amnesia
the inability to retrieve information that was acquired before a particular date, usually the date of an injury or surgery
Consolidation
the process by which memories become stable in the brain
What happens each time a memory is retrieved?
the memories become vulnerable to disruption and must be reconsolidated
What happens if reconsolidation is disrupted?
Fear can be eliminated in the amygdala
What does memory storage depend on
Synapses
What does long term storage involve?
growth of new synaptic connections between neurons
What does short term storage involve?
Enhanced neurotransmitter release
Long term potentiation (LTP)
communication across the synapse between neurons strengthens the connection, making further communication easier
Long term potentiation can (2 things):
Can be induced rapidly and last for a long time
Where does long term potentiation occur?
In several pathways within the hippocampus
