Unit 3: Models For Explaining Human Memory

Question 1

What is the central executive?

Answer 1

The central executive is the functional component of working memory that is responsible for switching attention from task to task, deciding what material is to be retrieved from, or committed to long-term memory and for performing calculations and making linkages.

Question 2

What is chunking?

Answer 2

Chunking is the process of grouping items together to improve memory capacity - especially of short-term memory, and of committing to long-term memory.

Question 3

What is declarative memory?

Answer 3

Declarative memory is a long-term memory store of personal experiences (episodic) and facts (semantic).

Question 4

What is echoic memory?

Answer 4

Echoic memory is auditory memory in the sensory memory register

Question 5

What is elaborative rehearsal?

Answer 5

Elaborative rehearsal is a process by which we give meaning to information and link it to other information in our memories

Question 6

What is the episodic buffer?

Answer 6

The episodic buffer is a theoretical component of working memory that acts as both a bridge and a filter (for auditory and visual information) between long-term memory and the central executive and storage components in working memory.

Question 7

What is episodic memory?

Answer 7

Episodic memory is memory of personal experiences

Question 8

What is iconic memory?

Answer 8

Iconic memory is a sensory register for the fleeting storage of visual information. It lasts about 0.3 seconds. It explains why we can see a moving picture from a series of still pictures.

Question 9

What is long term memory?

Answer 9

Long-term memory is like the hard-drive in your computer, the information is encoded and stored, and as long as you know enough about the information (like the name of a document or folder) then it can be retrieved.

Question 10

What is maintenance rehearsal?

Answer 10

Maintenance rehearsal is a strategy for keeping information in short-term memory or for moving it into long-term memory by simply repeating the information over and over

Question 11

What is the multi-store model of memory?

Answer 11

Atkinson and Shiffrin’s multi-store model of memory is a model of memory which suggests that memory is comprised of three memory stores; a sensory store, a short-term memory store and a long-term memory store

Question 12

What is phonemic encoding?

Answer 12

Phonemic encoding is the processing of information according to the sound of a word - e.g. By finding a rhyme or by rhythm

Question 13

What is the phonological loop?

Answer 13

The phonological loop is a storage system for auditory information in working memory

Question 14

What is procedural memory?

Answer 14

Procedural memory is one aspect of implicit memory. It refers for memory for how to perform particular tasks, skills or actions

Question 15

What is semantic encoding?

Answer 15

Semantic encoding is using the meaning of information or a word in order to encode it into memory

Question 16

What is semantic memory?

Answer 16

Semantic memory is long-term storage of facts that are not characterised by any particular personal context in which the individual acquired the facts. Semantic memories are general knowledge - for example knowing that Canberra is the capital of Australia.

Question 17

What is the semantic network theory?

Answer 17

The semantic network theory is the idea that items in long-term memory are stored in a hierarchical pattern of nodes (concepts) with links between related nodes.

Question 18

What is sensory memory?

Answer 18

According to the multi-store model of memory, the sensory memory is the store for incoming, fleeting sensory information.

Question 19

What is the serial position effect?

Answer 19

The serial position effect refers to the fact that items at the beginning or end of a list are remembered better that those in the middle. The serial position effect comprises of the primacy effect and the recency effect.

Question 20

What is short-term memory?

Answer 20

According to the multi-store model of memory, the short-term memory is a store which receives information from the long-term and sensory stores; it has a limited capacity of 7+/-2 pieces of information, and a duration of approximately 12-20 seconds

Question 21

What is structural encoding?

Answer 21

Structural encoding is encoding according to physical features of the word to be remembered e.g. Long or short, starts with a consonant or vowel, upper case or lower case

Question 22

What is working memory?

Answer 22

Working memory is the mental work that is occurring at any one time, including retrieving information, problem-solving and comprehending sounds and visions. Working memory draws on information from your sensory and long-term memories.

Question 23

What is the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 23

The visuospatial sketchpad is the storage system for visual information in working memory