Psychology Chapter on Memory Processes

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Questions and Answers

What is the duration of sensory memory?

Order of seconds

Several minutes

Several seconds

Order of milliseconds (correct)

Which type of memory persists for auditory signals?

Echoic memory (correct)

Sensory trace

Iconic memory

Long-term memory

In the Sperling (1960) experiment, how many letters do participants typically report seeing?

8-9 letters

4-5 letters (correct)

1-2 letters

6-7 letters

What was the crucial manipulation in the follow-up experiment by Sperling?

A cue (tone) indicated which row to report Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon is described by the persistence of visual signals in sensory memory?

Iconic memory Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason information is lost from short-term memory over time?

Decay and interference Signup and view all the answers

In the context of short-term memory, what does proactive interference refer to?

Old information interfering with new information Signup and view all the answers

How long does information typically remain in short-term memory?

Less than 18 seconds Signup and view all the answers

What method is used to assess the retention of letters in short-term memory?

Recalling while counting backwards Signup and view all the answers

Which factor is NOT associated with forgetting in short-term memory?

Rehearsal Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of encoding in memory?

To translate information into a neural code Signup and view all the answers

What pattern is suggested by the accuracy data in relation to the retention interval in short-term memory?

Accuracy declines as time increases Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following components is NOT part of the Modal Model of Memory?

Working memory Signup and view all the answers

Which type of interference occurs when new information disrupts the recall of old information?

Retroactive interference Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the accuracy of recall as the retention interval continues to increase?

Accuracy steadily decreases Signup and view all the answers

How does the Working Memory Model modify the Modal Model of Memory?

By breaking short-term memory into distinct components Signup and view all the answers

What does the duration of sensory memory typically refer to?

A few seconds or less Signup and view all the answers

Which factor is least likely to affect the capacity of short-term memory?

Length of the information presented Signup and view all the answers

Interference in memory typically leads to which outcome?

Forgetting previously learned information Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of retrieval in the memory process?

To recover stored information for cognition Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about memory is true?

Memory processes can include encoding, storage, and retrieval Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of Short-term Memory (STM)?

Storing information temporarily Signup and view all the answers

Which research finding supports the idea that sometimes the item remembered is a feature?

Bays, Wu, & Husain's study Signup and view all the answers

In what way does Working Memory (WM) differ from Short-term Memory (STM)?

WM is an active system, whereas STM is static Signup and view all the answers

What technique can be used to enhance the capacity of Short-term Memory?

Chunking Signup and view all the answers

When is Working Memory most commonly utilized?

When performing calculations without tools Signup and view all the answers

What role does the central executive play in working memory?

It is responsible for decision processes and attention control. Signup and view all the answers

Which component of working memory is responsible for verbal rehearsal?

Phonological Loop Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of the visuospatial sketchpad?

It involves the manipulation of objects in visual form. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the capacity of the phonological loop?

7 ± 2 items Signup and view all the answers

How does working memory capacity relate to distractors?

Distractors can influence the sorting of information in working memory. Signup and view all the answers

In what scenario do high working memory capacity participants perform differently than low capacity participants?

They always perform better regardless of the task difficulty. Signup and view all the answers

What type of confusions are associated with the phonological loop based on experimental evidence?

Acoustic confusions between similar sounds. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about working memory's central executive is accurate?

It acts as a gatekeeper and influences processing. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Defining Memory

Memory is the process of using past information to support cognitive functions.
It involves three basic mechanisms: encoding, storage, and retrieval.

Encoding

Translation of information into a form the brain can understand and represent.

Storage

Retention of encoded information for varying lengths of time.

Retrieval

Recovering stored information for behavior or cognitive processes.

A major approach to understanding memory organization.
A framework based on Information Processing, suggesting that the brain actively manipulates and processes information.
Consists of three components:
- Sensory memory
- Short-term memory (STM)
- Long-term memory (LTM)

Sensory Memory

A brief "sensory echo" or "sensory trace" of information.
Possesses high capacity but a very short duration (milliseconds).
Examples include persistence of vision and auditory echoes.

Iconic Memory

Sensory memory for visual signals.

Echoic Memory

Sensory memory for auditory signals.

Testing Iconic Memory

Sperling's (1960) experiments explored the capacity of iconic memory.
Participants were shown a grid of letters briefly and asked to report as many as possible (whole report method).
On average, participants recalled 4-5 letters.
Sperling concluded that the whole array was perceived but quickly faded from memory.

Partial Report Procedure

Sperling introduced a cue (tone) after the letter display, indicating the row to report.
This allowed participants to accurately report letters from the cued row.
This demonstrated that information in iconic memory was briefly available even after the display, suggesting that the information fades rather than being completely lost.

Short-Term Memory (STM)

Holds information for a short period (less than 18 seconds).
Forgetting can be attributed to:
- Decay: Information fades over time.
- Interference:
  - Proactive interference: Old information interferes with learning new information.
  - Retroactive interference: New information interferes with recalling old information.

STM: Capacity

The number of items in STM can be manipulated by chunking: combining individual units into meaningful groups.
This increases the effective capacity of STM.

Working Memory (WM)

A more active form of STM that focuses on processing and manipulation of information, rather than simply storing it.
Central Executive:
- The control center of WM, responsible for attention and decision-making processes.
- Determines which information is processed and stored.
- Working memory capacity is influenced by distractors.

Components of Working Memory (Baddeley's Model)

Central Executive:
- The core component that directs attention and coordinates the other working memory components.
Phonological Loop:
- Responsible for processing and storing auditory information, including verbal rehearsal.
- Holds information in an acoustically encoded form.
- Capacity is roughly seven items (plus or minus two), similar to STM.
Visuospatial Sketchpad:
- Processes and stores visual and spatial information.
- Allows for mental rotation and manipulation of objects.

Phonological Loop: Evidence of an Acoustic Code

Acoustic confusions occur when similar-sounding items are mistaken for each other.
This suggests that the phonological loop relies on an acoustic code, even when information is presented visually.

Summary

Sensory memory is a brief holding area for sensory information.
STM has a limited capacity and duration, susceptible to decay and interference.
WM expands on STM by incorporating active processing and manipulation of information, driven by the Central Executive.
The Phonological Loop and Visuospatial Sketchpad are specialized systems within WM for acoustic and visual-spatial information, respectively.

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Description

Explore the fascinating mechanisms of memory, including encoding, storage, and retrieval. This quiz covers the Modal Model of Memory and its components: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Test your understanding of how these processes work and their significance in cognitive functions.