Psyc364 (Short-Term And Working Memory)

Front 1

Modal model of memory

Back 1

Describes three types of memory:

1. Sensory

2. Short-term

3. Long term memory

Front 2

Sensory memory

Back 2

Very brief retention of a lot of stimuli in great detail and resolution. Useful in filling the blanks of our sensory experience. Retains information for about a second.

Hint 2

Related experience:

Partial report by Sperling 1960

When ask to repeat letters that had been presented, participants could only report 4.5/12, but said they had seen them all. The time it takes to report the letters is enough for them to fade out of sensory memory. However a tone presented immediately after allowed participants to focus on one row and report the letters with much more accuracy.

Front 3

Short-term memory

Back 3

Stores small amounts of information for about 20sec. Can be increased by control-processes (rehearsal, repetition). Resolution decreases as capacity increases.

Hint 3

Related experiment (resolution of STM) Alvarez and Cavanaugh:

Used the change detection procedures with objects ranging from colored squares to shade cubes. The more detail is required for the change to be detected the less items can be held in STM. Resolution decreases as capacity increases.

Front 4

Proactive interference

Back 4

Old learning interferes with learning new information.

Hint 4

When you keep entering an old password after you've change it.

Front 5

Retroactive interference

Back 5

New learning interferes with old learning.

Hint 5

When you can't remember your old phone number.

Front 6

Miller's law

Back 6

States that the capacity of short-term memory is 7+/- 2 items.

Hint 6

Associated experiment:

Luck and Vogel change detection

Colored squares are shown on a screen, then black screen for 900ms, then another screen of colored squares. Are they different? The more squares where presented the less correct participants where with a significant drop around 7.

Front 7

Chunking

Back 7

Way to increase the capacity of short-term memory by combining small items into larger personally meaningful units. Needs a strong bond between items in a unit and a weak bond with items outside of the unit.

Front 8

Working memory

Back 8

Worshop of short-term memory. Space to manipulate information from short-term memory for complex tasks (comprehension, reasoning). Works independently and simultaneously with short-term memory. Strength of WM varies between individuals.

Hint 8

Associated research:

Vogel et al. Individual différences in WM.

Individuals with a low working memory are more influenced by distractors.

Front 9

Phonological loop

Back 9

Subcomponent of working memory. Manipulates verbal and auditory information.

Phonological similarity effect: confusion between letters or words that are similar.

Word-lenght effect: memory for lists of words is better for shorter words than for long words.

Hint 9

Baddeley's working memory model

Front 10

Articulatory suppression

Back 10

Disrupts functioning of the phonological loop. Counteracts control processes by repeating unrelated sounds.

(-)Reduces memory span.

(X)Eliminates Word-lenght effect. (-)Reduces phonological similarity effect.

Front 11

Central executive

Back 11

Coordinates manipulation of information in the working memory between phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad. Can pull information from LTM. Allocates attention resources (divides, focuses and switches), but does not store info.

Front 12

Visuospatial sketchpad

Back 12

Manipulates visual and spatial information. Includes formation of cognitive maps and mental rotations.

Hint 12

Associated research: Shepard and Meltzer

Tasks that call for greater mental rotation take longer.

Front 13

Episodic buffer

Back 13

- increases storage in working memory

- creates a link between long term and working memory

Front 14

Worry and WM

Back 14

worry significantly decreases the efficacy of working memory. I can be reduced by writing about anxiety before a test.

Front 15

Perseveration

Back 15

Disruption of working memory due to frontal lobe damage. Because of an inability to efficiently allocate attention, patients will persevere in a task even if it's not successful.