Working Memory and Cognitive Control

Question 1

What is Sensory Memory?

Answer 1

Sensory systems convert sensory energy into neural representations
Brief storage space for these representations

Question 2

Name all studies related to cognitive control

Answer 2

Hanoi Tower - Goal setting and planning
N-back task - updating
Wisconsin Card Sorting - Task switching, inhibition
Stroop task (red written in blue ink)- stimulus attention and response inhibition
Go/No-go task - inhibition of dominant response

Question 3

Sperling Task (showing grid of letters)

Answer 3

Sensory memory is limitless in capacity
When attempting to retrieve sensory info, sensory memory is transformed into a more stable trace (working memory)
If we don’t transform representations to something more stable, they’ll be lost
Out attention capacity is limited

Question 4

Atkinson Shiffrin Model in Working Memory

Answer 4

Input –> Sensory Registers –attention–> Short term Memory (temporary working memory, control processes) –> long-term memory

Question 5

Tripartite Model

Answer 5

Phonological loop (Left VLPFC) –> Central executive <– Visuospatial sketchpad (Right VLPFC)

Question 6

Importance of Working Memory?

Answer 6

Reading comprehension, reasoning and problem solving, general intelligence
Impairments related to language impairment, ADHD, schizophrenia
Vast majority of people can remember between 5-9 items

Question 7

Forms of Cognitive Control in Working Memory

Answer 7

Updating - revising memories as behaviors are completed
Planning - organizing behaviors to achieve a goal
Selection - choosing form alternative to focus on
Attention - changing focus of attention from on stimulus/thought to another
Inhibition - stopping a thought, memory
Monitoring - evaluate success of behaviors
Sequencing - perform, remember a series of actions/stimuli

Question 8

What controls Cognitive Control?

Answer 8

ACC (anterior cingulate cortex), when conflict is detected, control processes are brought online.

Question 9

Prefrontal cortex study about working memory

Answer 9

PFC very active during delay period (from cue to response)

Question 10

Damage to PFC

Answer 10

Distracted, inability to plan, can’t strategize
Does not yield global amnesia
Does affect episodic memory
Have trouble controlling memory
Leads to enhanced response (less inhibition) in sensory cortex

Question 11

PFC Anatomy

Answer 11

Ventrolateral PFC
First level of control, interacts with posterior cortical regions to rehearsal/maintain info

Dorsolateral PFC
Second level of control, monitors, updates, and manipulates info in WM

Question 12

Control at retrieval

Answer 12

Generates retrieval cues
Evaluate retrieved information (should I say out loud to process it more)

Question 13

what is active when studying about picking out correct alternative

Answer 13

Select a memory that is important, picking out correct alternative, ivy → jade, not ivy → league - VLPFC is active in this