Short-Term Memory and Retention Quiz

Short-Term Memory Capacity

• Short-term memory capacity is commonly measured through memory span tasks.
• Typical span is around 7±2 items, indicating a natural limit to immediate recall.

Improving Retention

• Retention in short-term memory can be enhanced through rehearsal techniques and chunking information.
• Organizing data into manageable units aids in memorization.

Bower & Springston (1970) Findings

• Study revealed that memory recall of letters was significantly better when items were grouped together.
• Showed that pre-organization facilitates easier retrieval.

Retrieval from Short-Term Memory

• Retrieval typically occurs through a serial search process, where items are accessed sequentially.
• The more items in memory, the longer retrieval may take.

Treisman's Attenuation Model

• The role of the filter is to reduce the strength of unattended signals rather than completely blocking them.
• This allows for some processing of non-target information, albeit at a diminished level.

Deutsch-Norman Memory Selection Model Bottleneck

• The bottleneck occurs at the stage of memory selection, where not all information can be fully processed.

Broadbent's Filter Model

• This model explains that unattended messages can be filtered out early in the information processing stage.
• It suggests that only attended messages are processed for meaning while unattended are discarded.

Implication of Treisman's Attenuation Model

• The model implies that unattended messages can still be recognized if they carry significant meaning or importance.
• Attention can be selectively switched based on the relevance of information.

Perceptual Confusion: Letters P and R

• Perceptual confusion arises from the similarities in the physical characteristics and visual features of the letters P and R.
• Often leads to misidentification due to their close resemblance.

Neiser Experiment on Distractor Letters

• The experiment demonstrated that the presence of distractor letters adversely affected recognition performance.
• Highlighted the challenges in distinguishing letters when similar distractors are present.

Eye Movement and Pattern Recognition

• Saccadic eye movements are identified as a cause of pattern recognition disappearance.
• Rapid shifts in gaze hinder effective processing of visual information.

Biederman's Structural Theories: Geons

• Biederman proposed that a few geons (geometric ions), specifically around 36 different shapes, are sufficient to describe all objects in the world.
• These basic units combine to form complex three-dimensional shapes recognized by the visual system.

Test your knowledge on short-term memory and retention, including topics like capacity, interference, memory span tasks, and chunking. Understand the factors that affect information retention in short-term memory.