Short-term memory

What is Short-Term Memory (STM)

• a store of memory that temporarily stores a limited amount of information that is consciously being attended to and actively manipulated

  

What type of information does STM hold

• Information you are consciously thinking about at any moment

Where can the information in STM come from

• From sensory memory (via attention) or long-term memory (via recall)

How does information move from sensory memory to STM

• By paying attention to it

  

How does information move from long-term memory to STM

• By choosing to recall it into conscious awareness

  

Why is STM also called "working memory"

• Because you are consciously aware of and manipulating the information it holds

What is the function of Short-Term Memory (STM)

• To temporarily store a limited amount of information that is consciously being attended to and actively manipulated

How much information can STM hold

• 7 ± 2 items (5 to 9 pieces of information)

What is the duration of STM

• 18 to 30 seconds

What can happen to information that reaches STM

• discarded

• changed by further encoding

• retained while being used

How can information from long-term memory (LTM) enter STM

• By being retrieved into conscious awareness

What are three processes that can increase the capacity and duration of STM

• Chunking

• Maintenance rehearsal

• Elaborative rehearsal

What is chunking

• Grouping smaller 'chunks' of information into larger chunks to hold more information in STM

Give an example of chunking

• Breaking a 10-digit phone number into 3 chunks of 3–4 digits to make it easier to remember

What is maintenance rehearsal

• Repeating new information over and over to keep it in STM for as long as possible

How does maintenance rehearsal affect STM duration

• Each rehearsal refreshes the 18–30 second duration that information can be stored in STM

What is elaborative rehearsal

• Linking new information meaningfully to information already stored in long-term memory

Give an example of elaborative rehearsal

• Remembering a new co-worker's name by relating it to a family member's name

How can rehearsal (in a broad sense) be used in STM

• It can be used to extend the duration of short-term memory