Sensory Memory Overview

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Questions and Answers

What does the Sperling memory experiment demonstrate about iconic memory?

Participants can recall all letters immediately.

Partial report technique reveals greater capacity for iconic memory. (correct)

Iconic memory has a limited capacity similar to short-term memory.

Participants can only recall letters in the order presented.

According to George Miller's findings, how many items can people typically hold in short-term memory?

8 plus or minus 2

6 plus or minus 2

5 plus or minus 1

7 plus or minus 2 (correct)

What is the primary focus of Hermann Ebbinghaus's research?

The impact of emotional memories

The development of cognitive dissonance

The structure of long-term memory

The forgetting curve and spaced repetition (correct)

What is indicated by anterograde amnesia?

Inability to form new long-term memories Signup and view all the answers

Which component was added later to Baddeley and Hitch's model of working memory?

Episodic buffer Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of iconic memory?

To maintain a detailed image of what has just been seen Signup and view all the answers

What duration does iconic memory typically last?

250–500 milliseconds Signup and view all the answers

What concept is central to Broadbent's model of attention?

Information is filtered based on physical characteristics. Signup and view all the answers

Which phenomenon allows a person to focus on one conversation in a noisy room?

Cocktail party effect Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the central executive in working memory?

It directs attention and allocates resources. Signup and view all the answers

What does retention in memory refer to?

The preservation of information over time Signup and view all the answers

What memory technique allows for more information to be retained in short-term memory?

Chunking Signup and view all the answers

In which scenario does recall primarily occur?

Producing information without substantial cues Signup and view all the answers

What is decay in the context of memory?

The gradual fading of a memory trace over time Signup and view all the answers

Which component of working memory is responsible for handling verbal and auditory information?

Phonological loop Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes sensory memory?

It operates before conscious awareness and is very brief Signup and view all the answers

Which method of memory retrieval involves showing the correct item among other options?

Recognition Signup and view all the answers

How does elaborative rehearsal differ from maintenance rehearsal?

Elaborative rehearsal links new information to existing knowledge, while maintenance rehearsal involves mere repetition. Signup and view all the answers

What role does the hippocampus play in memory?

It is crucial for forming, organizing, and storing new long-term memories. Signup and view all the answers

What is the likely effect of rehearsal on retention?

It enhances the ability to preserve information Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the phonological store within the phonological loop?

To briefly hold spoken words and auditory inputs Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the episodic buffer in working memory?

It connects different sources of information to form complete memories. Signup and view all the answers

Which process helps stabilize newly formed memories over time?

Memory consolidation Signup and view all the answers

Which type of interference involves older memories hindering the recall of new information?

Proactive interference Signup and view all the answers

What does retrograde amnesia affect?

The recall of events prior to the onset of amnesia Signup and view all the answers

What is a memory trace?

A hypothetical change in the brain representing stored information. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of Digit Span, what does this task primarily measure?

Working memory capacity Signup and view all the answers

According to the forgetting curve, when does the most significant decline in recall ability occur?

Immediately after learning, then gradually levels off Signup and view all the answers

What is the capacity that George Miller referred to as 'The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two'?

7 to 9 items Signup and view all the answers

What does the visuospatial sketchpad primarily deal with?

Storing and manipulating visual and spatial information Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect of memory does working memory NOT relate to?

Storage of long-term memories Signup and view all the answers

Who is credited with pioneering research on implicit learning using artificial grammar paradigms?

Arthur Reber Signup and view all the answers

What role does System 1 play in human cognition?

It manages routine judgments and quick reactions. Signup and view all the answers

What does the artificial grammar task demonstrate in participants?

Implicit learning without explicit awareness. Signup and view all the answers

According to attachment theory, what influences a child's emotional development?

Early relationships with caregivers. Signup and view all the answers

What is the base-rate error in decision-making?

Ignoring the general probability in favor of specific information. Signup and view all the answers

What does the cognitive reflection task measure?

The inclination to override initial responses with deliberative thought. Signup and view all the answers

What is episodic memory focused on?

Personal experiences and their contexts. Signup and view all the answers

In what way does explicit learning differ from implicit learning?

It involves conscious awareness and articulation of rules. Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct cost of the ball in the cognitive reflection task example where a bat and a ball together cost $1.10?

$0.05 Signup and view all the answers

What is implicit learning characterized by?

Acquisition of knowledge without conscious awareness. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes implicit memory?

Skills and habits that influence behavior without conscious realization. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of procedural memory?

Riding a bike without recalling how you learned. Signup and view all the answers

What effect does priming have on memory?

It influences responses to subsequent stimuli without conscious guidance. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about system 1 thinking is true?

It relies on intuitive and fast processing. Signup and view all the answers

What type of memory is primarily involved in the ability to perform tasks like typing or playing a musical instrument?

Procedural memory. Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect of implicit memory demonstrates robustness?

It remains intact even when explicit memory is impaired. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the concept of System 2?

It is analytical and requires conscious effort. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Sensory Memory

George Sperling (1934– ) demonstrated iconic (visual sensory) memory capacity and duration, showing people briefly store more visual info than they can report.
Cocktail party effect demonstrates selective attention; people can focus on one conversation while noticing personally significant stimuli.
Iconic memory is visual sensory memory, maintaining a detailed image for 250-500 milliseconds.
This buffer integrates info across eye blinks & saccades, creating a seamless visual perception.
Example: trailing sparkler light in the dark.
Recall is memory retrieval without cues; answering short-answer questions.
Recognition is identifying learned info; identifying previously presented info.
Retention is preserving memory; short-term (seconds-minutes), long-term (hours-years).
Sensory memory is a brief, automatic storage system for raw sensory input, operating before conscious awareness.
Example: street scene image lingers momentarily.
Sperling Memory Experiment demonstrates larger capacity of iconic memory via 'partial report' technique (partially reporting letters).

Working and Long-term Memory

George Miller (1920–2012) identified the limited capacity of short-term memory, about 7 plus or minus 2 chunks.
Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850–1909) studied memory, finding the forgetting curve and spacing effect.
Anterograde amnesia is an inability to form new long-term memories after a disorder's onset.
Baddeley and Hitch's working memory model replaced the single short-term memory concept.
This model includes central executive, phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and episodic buffer.
Broadbent's filter model of attention filters info based on physical characteristics.
Central executive controls attention & integrates information, deciding what to focus on.
Chunking groups info into meaningful units to increase short-term memory capacity.
Decay is memory loss over time without use, rehearsal, or reinforcement.
Digit Span (WAIS) measures working memory capacity by repeating digit sequences.
Elaborative rehearsal encodes information meaningfully by linking it to existing knowledge.
Episodic buffer blends info from different sources with long-term memory creating complete memories.
Hippocampus forms, organizes, & stores long-term memories.
Difficulty forming new episodic memories is associated with hippocampal damage.

Implicit Learning

Arthur Reber (1940– ) studied implicit learning, especially artificial grammar paradigms.
Adaptive benefits of a dual-process model involves fast, intuitive (System 1) and slow, analytical (System 2) processes.
Artificial grammar task tests implicit learning by exposing participants to grammar rules they aren't told, thus evaluating their ability to identify similar sequences.
Attachment theory (John Bowlby) suggests that early relationships with caregivers affect emotional security and social-emotional development.
Base-rate error is overlooking general probabilities while focusing on specific information.
Cognitive reflection task measures the ability to override initial, incorrect, intuitive (System 1) answers in favor of more reflective, deliberate thought (System 2).
Episodic memory is explicit memory tied to personally experienced events.
Explicit learning is learning with conscious awareness.
Explicit memory is conscious recollection of facts and events.
Implicit memory is unconscious influences on thoughts & behaviors, including skills and habits.
Priming is an implicit memory effect where exposure to a stimulus affects the response to a related stimulus(es) without conscious guidance.

Procedural & Memory Types

Procedural memory is implicit memory, involving motor or cognitive routines (e.g., typing, knitting).
Semantic memory is explicit memory, containing general knowledge like facts and concepts.
Robustness of implicit memory suggests its resilience to brain damage compared to explicit memory.
Transfer paradigm (artificial grammars) tests if hidden patterns learned in one task transfer to a new, similar task.

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Description

Explore the fascinating concepts of sensory memory, including iconic memory and selective attention. Learn about George Sperling's contributions to our understanding of how we briefly process and store visual information. This quiz will help you understand key terms and examples related to sensory memory.