Cognitive Processes Lesson 3: Short Term Memory

What is the main function of the central executive in the working memory system?

Which of the following statements accurately describes primacy effects in short-term recall?

What characteristic distinguishes short-term memory (STM) from long-term memory (LTM)?

What evidence supports the distinction between STM and LTM?

Which component of the working memory system deals with visual and spatial information?

What impact does language efficiency have on the phonological loop?

What is the approximate capacity of short-term memory?

Which of the following best describes the type of coding primarily used in short-term memory?

What is the average duration of iconic memory?

What phenomenon primarily causes forgetting in long-term memory?

Which memory type is responsible for holding auditory information for a brief period?

What is one primary difference between short-term memory and long-term memory?

The 'magical number seven' refers to what aspect of memory?

Which of the following statements about working memory is accurate?

Understanding Memory

Memory can be viewed as stored knowledge or as active cognitive processes.
Three primary types of memory include sensory memory (iconic and echoic), short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM).

Sensory Memory

Iconic memory pertains to visual stimuli, while echoic memory relates to auditory information.
Iconic memory lasts a few hundred milliseconds, whereas echoic memory can last 3-4 seconds.

Short-term Memory (STM)

Limited capacity known as the "magical number seven" suggests the ability to hold around 5-9 items simultaneously.
STM typically decays within 20 seconds if not rehearsed.
Information in STM is coded phonetically.

Long-term Memory (LTM)

LTM has an unlimited capacity for storage.
Forgetting in LTM is predominantly due to interference rather than decay.
LTM coding is primarily semantic, relying on the meaning of information.

Serial-position Effects

Primacy effect: Early items on a list are more likely to be transferred to LTM.
Recency effect: Items at the end of a list are temporarily retained in STM.

Neuropsychological Evidence

Cases such as Clive Wearing and patient HM illustrate distinct differences between STM and LTM.
These cases highlight the importance of the hippocampus in forming new memories.

Working Memory

Comprised of the central executive, episodic buffer, phonological loop, and visuo-spatial sketchpad.
The phonological loop processes auditory information, while the visuo-spatial sketchpad handles visual and spatial tasks.

Central Executive Function

The central executive directs attention and coordinates information from the "slave systems" in working memory.
It may be responsible for attentional limitations and conscious awareness in cognitive processes.

Demonstrations of Memory Systems

The speed of speech can impact the digit span in the phonological loop.
Language efficiency influences how effectively we can store and manipulate verbal information.

Explore the concepts of memory, including its various types such as sensory, short-term, and long-term memory. This quiz covers iconic and echoic memory along with working memory principles. Test your understanding of memory recall and the processes involved.