L4: STM / WM

Flashcards for reviewing short-term memory and working memory lecture notes.

Classic Model of Memory

A model of memory distinguished by the length of time, capacity, and how information is processed/stored; includes sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.

Sensory memory

The very brief and modality-specific initial stage of memory.

Rehearsal

A control process within the classic model of memory for maintaining information.

Serial Position Effect

Evidence for separate memory systems for long-term memory and short-term memory, including the primacy and recency effects.

Primacy effect

Enhanced memory for items presented at the beginning of a list, attributed to long-term memory.

Recency effect

Enhanced memory for items presented at the end of a list, attributed to short-term memory.

Iconic memory

Visual sensory memory that decays within 0.5 – 1.5 seconds.

Echoic memory

Auditory sensory memory that decays within 2-4 seconds.

Short-Term Memory (STM)

Lasts up to a minute and has a capacity of 7±2 chunks.

Chunk

A meaningful unit or grouping of information.

Recoding

Mentally transforming a stimulus, like grouping items into larger chunks.

Coding

How a stimulus is mentally represented.

Decay theory

Stimuli fade from store over time.

Interference theory

Other stimuli/tasks interfering; 'displaced' older material.

Proactive Interference (PI)

Older material interferes with new material.

Retroactive Interference (RI)

New material interferes with recall of old items.

Release from Proactive Interference (PI)

Caused by similarity in stimuli (e.g., all digits); switching stimuli should reduce interference. Performance improves when new stimuli are presented.

Serial recall

Must recall in order.

Free recall

Can recall in any order (serial position effect).

Serial self-terminating search

Items in STM scanned/compared one by one; stop scan/search once probe has been found in set.

Parallel search

All items in set are scanned simultaneously (at the same time).

Serial exhaustive search

Scan ALL items 1 by 1, even after probe has been detected in set.

Working Memory (WM)

Limited capacity, temporary storage system that underpins complex human thoughts; actively manipulates information.

Central executive

Planning and decision-making.

Phonological loop

Speech and sound-related component; maintains verbal material in WM.

Phonological buffer (or phonological store)

Holds verbal information but will be forgotten if not rehearsed.

Articulatory loop (or subvocal rehearsal loop)

Rehearses verbal information.

Word length effect

Longer words – fewer can be recalled due to time constraints in the phonological loop.

Articulatory suppression effect

Poorer recall if asked to say something else at the same time, occupying the articulatory loop.

Phonological similarity effect

Poorer recall if a set of words are phonologically similar, causing confusion in the phonological store.

Visuospatial sketchpad

Maintains and manipulates visual and spatial information.

Episodic buffer

Provides information from different modalities (visual, verbal) that are bound together to create new episodic memories.