Short-Term Memory Overview
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Questions and Answers

What is the main hypothesis of the study conducted by Ricker and Cowan (2010)?

  • Decay is the only reason for loss of information over time.
  • Both decay and interference contribute to the loss of visual working memory. (correct)
  • Interference has no effect on visual working memory.
  • The type of character presented has no impact on memory retention.

    • What did the manipulation of 'high load' in the study indicate?

  • Participants repeated digits they heard.
  • Participants subtracted digits heard during the task. (correct)
  • Participants memorized letters instead of digits.
  • Participants only focused on visual characters.

    • What aspect of information handling does Baddeley & Hitch’s Working Memory Model emphasize?

  • Working memory does not interact with long-term memory.
  • Visual memory is solely dependent on character familiarity.
  • Information processing and management are critical for achieving goals. (correct)
  • The storage capacity of memory is the only factor in performance.

    • What do results from Ricker and Cowan's study primarily suggest about memory retention?

    <p>Both decay and interference influence memory retention over time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the purpose of using unfamiliar special characters in the study?

    <p>To prevent rehearsal and focus solely on memory retention.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What distinguishes short-term memory from sensory memory?

    <p>Only attended information is transferred to short-term memory.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What method is used to measure the capacity of short-term memory?

    <p>Memory span tasks.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements is true regarding Atkinson & Shiffrin's model of memory?

    <p>Rehearsal is the only method to transfer information to long-term memory.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which characteristic does NOT apply to sensory memory?

    <p>Retains information for an extended period.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does short-term memory typically handle new incoming information?

    <p>It easily displaces existing information with new information.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one key limitation of Atkinson & Shiffrin's model as discussed?

    <p>It fails to take into account memory flows from LTM to STM.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can influence perceptual processing according to modern research?

    <p>Knowledge stored in long-term memory and perceptions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is rehearsal important for short-term memory?

    <p>It helps to transfer information from short-term memory to long-term memory.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the alternative model of working memory suggest regarding short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM)?

    <p>STM is an activation of LTM without distinction.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which evidence supports the separability of short-term memory and long-term memory?

    <p>Patients can have impaired LTM but good STM.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In measuring working memory capacity, what is a critical aspect beyond short-term memory capacity?

    <p>The inclusion of a processing or manipulation component.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which task primarily measures the processing aspect of working memory?

    <p>Operation span.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a limitation of the alternative model of working memory?

    <p>It does not explain how information is manipulated.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of the central executive in working memory?

    <p>Attentional control and coordination of other components</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which component of working memory is responsible for processing visual and spatial information?

    <p>Visuo-spatial sketchpad</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the phonological loop, which process is involved in the storage of spoken information?

    <p>Passive phonological store</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT one of the sub-skills of executive functions?

    <p>Response conditioning</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Miller (1956) estimate as the capacity of short-term memory?

    <p>7 items, plus or minus 2</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What aspect of information does the episodic buffer integrate?

    <p>Information from phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does the central executive differ from the other components of working memory?

    <p>It does not have any storage capacity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What concept explains why people can recall more items when they group them?

    <p>Chunking</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes the recency effect?

    <p>Better recall for items presented last when still in short-term memory</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one potential limitation of Baddeley's model of working memory?

    <p>It provides vague descriptions with little specificity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which sub-skill of executive functions would be most involved when changing from one goal to another?

    <p>Task setting and shifting</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What phenomenon suggests that memory span is affected by word length?

    <p>Word length effect</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the likely reason for the rapid forgetting observed in memory performance?

    <p>Decay or interference during recall</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Cowan's (2001) experimental design prevent participants from doing?

    <p>Creating chunks from items</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which group of speakers tends to have a larger digit span?

    <p>Chinese speakers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of information does short-term memory depend on more according to the content?

    <p>Phonological/auditory information</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Short-Term Memory

    • Sensory memory stores information from the environment, and has a large capacity but decays rapidly.
    • Short-term memory (STM) has limited capacity and only information attended to in sensory memory is transferred to STM.
    • Rehearsal is necessary to transfer information from STM to long-term memory (LTM).
    • STM information is easily displaced by new information.
    • Rehearsal involves "subvocal repetition of verbal material."

    Atkinson & Shiffrin’s Model of Memory (1968)

    • STM capacity is limited to 7 items, plus or minus 2, as suggested by Miller (1956).
    • STM capacity is about 4 items, plus or minus 1, according to Cowan (2001).
    • Cowan's research prevented participants from forming chunks, and it is suggested that Miller's estimate could be an overestimation due to chunking.
    • STM relies on phonological or auditory information.
    • STM is less reliant on visual information.

    Measuring STM Capacity

    • Memory span is the number of items recalled immediately in the correct order.
    • Items tested include letters, digits, and words.
    • Different chunk sizes can influence memory span (e.g., 9 items vs. 3 chunks).
    • Examples of the effect of chunking on memory span include:
      • Word length effect: larger span for short words than long words.
      • Cultural differences: Chinese speakers have a larger digit span than English speakers.
      • Phonological similarity effect: memory span is smaller for phonologically similar (sound alike) words.

    Primacy and Recency Effects

    • The serial position curve is U-shaped.
    • The primacy effect suggests better recall for early items due to rehearsal that transfers items into LTM.
    • The recency effect suggests better recall for later items because they are still in STM, but are fragile and easily disrupted by decay (delay) or interference, like counting backwards.

    Rapid Forgetting

    • Memory performance decreases rapidly after a few seconds.
    • Recall of 3 consonant items while counting backwards to prevent rehearsal can diminish memory performance.
    • Rapid forgetting is influenced by both decay and interference.

    Baddeley & Hitch’s Working Memory Model (1974)

    • Working memory extends beyond storage and capacity to include processing and managing information for achieving a goal.
    • The central executive acts as the attentional controller of other components.
    • The phonological loop stores and processes sound information.
    • The visuospatial sketchpad stores and processes visual and spatial information.
    • The episodic buffer holds information from the phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and LTM.

    Phonological Loop

    • The phonological loop has limited capacity for storing and processing sound information.
    • It consists of a passive phonological store (speech perception) and articulatory control process (speech production and rehearsal).
    • Important for learning new words, as they are novel sequences of sound.

    Visuospatial Sketchpad

    • The visuospatial sketchpad has limited capacity for storing and processing visual and spatial information.
    • It consists of a passive visual cache (stores visual info) and inner scribe (refreshes info in cache and transfers info to the central executive).
    • Measured by the Corsi blocks test.

    Central Executive

    • Acts as the attentional controller of other components.
    • Has no storage capacity, but limited processing capacity for all information types'.
    • Involves executive functions: a set of cognitive skills for controlling and coordinating goal-directed behaviors.

    Executive Functions

    • Four sub-skills:
      • Task setting and shifting: activating and shifting goals.
      • Energizing: initiating and sustaining a response.
      • Monitoring: updating working memory representations.
      • Inhibition: suppressing irrelevant behavior or responses related to the goal.

    Episodic Buffer

    • The episodic buffer stores integrated information from the phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and LTM.
    • The buffer integrates different sources of information'.

    Evaluation of Baddeley & Hitch’s Working Memory Model (1974)

    • It has been criticized as being overly complicated and lacking specific details about the processes.
    • Despite lacking clear neuroscientific evidence for each component, the model highlights that brain activation is related to the type of information processed.
    • Questions arise about separate components for smell and touch information, as well as egocentric vs. allocentric spatial representations.

    Unitary Store Model

    • Working memory is simply an activated section of long-term memory by attentional focus.
    • No distinction between STM/WM and LTM.
    • Does not explain information manipulation in service of a goal.

    Evaluation of Unitary Store Model

    • Neuropsychological evidence suggests that STM and LTM are separable memory representations.
    • Does not adequately explain how processing occurs.

    Measuring Working Memory Capacity

    • Tasks go beyond just STM capacity, measuring the manipulation of information.

    Examples of Working Memory Tasks

    • Reverse digit span: repeat numbers backward.
    • Reading span: read sentences for comprehension and remember the last word in each sentence.
    • Operation span: evaluate math equations and remember a letter/word.

    Conclusion

    • This lecture focuses on short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM) as well as models that explain how they work.
    • Key concepts include:
      • STM capacity
      • STM and WM processes
      • Rapid forgetting
      • The primacy and recency effects
      • The Atkinson & Shiffrin’s model.
      • Baddeley & Hitch’s Working Memory Model.
      • Unitary Store Model

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    PL3103 Cognitive Psychology - Short-Term Memory Handout PDF

    Description

    This quiz covers aspects of short-term memory, including its capacity, the process of rehearsal, and Atkinson & Shiffrin's model. It also discusses key research findings on STM capacity and the role of auditory information. Test your understanding of these fundamental concepts in memory studies.

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