Cognitive Psychology: Working Memory Models and Short-Term Memory Capacity

What is the Atkinson-Shiffrin Model?

An influential memory model developed in the 1960s-70s that describes memory as a series of stages.

What is sensory memory?

The initial stage of memory that holds sensory information for a very brief period.

What is iconic memory?

A type of sensory memory that holds visual information for about 1 second.

What did the Sperling Experiment (1960) demonstrate?

Subjects could report approximately 4.5 items from a visual display but claimed they could remember more, indicating a loss of items due to time taken to report.

What is echoic memory?

The auditory equivalent of iconic memory, lasting up to 4 seconds.

What is the capacity estimate of short-term memory according to Miller (1956)?

7 ± 2 'chunks' of information.

What is chunking in the context of memory?

A strategy of grouping items together so they count as one unit of information.

What does Cowan's (2001) capacity estimate for short-term memory suggest?

An estimate of 4 ± 1 items without chunking.

What was the purpose of the Brown/Peterson & Peterson Task?

To investigate the causes of forgetting from short-term memory, focusing on decay over time.

What did Waugh & Norman (1965) find regarding interference in short-term memory?

Interference from intervening items disrupts memory performance more than time.

What is the serial position curve?

A graph showing the likelihood of recalling an item based on its position in a list, demonstrating the primacy and recency effects.

What is the role of the phonological loop in working memory?

It serves as a buffer for verbal/auditory information, governed by the Central Executive.

What is the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

A component of working memory that stores visual and spatial information.

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

It manages reasoning, planning, and the flow of information into and out of the buffers.

What does the episodic buffer do?

It integrates long-term memory with current information, allowing for comparisons and inferences.

What is the significance of dual-task studies in working memory research?

They demonstrate the separability of different components of working memory by showing that tasks do not interfere with each other.

How does long-term memory influence working memory performance?

It can enhance working memory by providing additional context and information.

What is the impact of rehearsal on short-term memory?

it is crucial for maintaining information in short-term memory; without it, traces are quickly lost.

What is the primary cause of forgetting in short-term memory according to the Brown/Peterson Task?

it is primarily due to decay over time and interference from other items.

What is the relationship between modality of information and interference in short-term memory?

The modality of information (visual vs. auditory) affects the level of interference experienced.

What did Ericsson et al. (1980) demonstrate about digit span?

With practice and chunking strategies, individuals can greatly expand their digit span in short-term memory.

What is the effect of time on memory performance in the Waugh & Norman study?

Time alone does not significantly disrupt memory; interference from other items is more impactful.

What is the purpose of control processes in memory?

It manages the flow of information and aid in the rehearsal and retrieval of memory.

What is the difference between working memory and short-term memory?

Short-term memory refers to the temporary storage of information, while working memory involves the manipulation and processing of that information.

What is the significance of the primacy effect?

Items presented at the beginning of a list are more likely to be recalled due to better encoding into long-term memory.

What is the significance of the recency effect?

Items presented at the end of a list are more likely to be recalled due to their recent exposure in short-term memory.