PSC 100 - L9/10/11 - Working Memory

acquisition, storage, retrieval

One way to frame learning and memory is through blank, blank, & blank

sensory memory, short term memory, long term memory

The Route into Memory

Updating the Modal Model

What are the three parts of the modal model?

sensory memory

The Route into Memory

Updating the Modal Model

Memory that lasts less than a second (e.g. iconic o echoic memory); plays a minimal role in modern theorizing

short term memory

The Route into Memory

Updating the Modal Model

Largely replaced by “working memory” in modern theories; better understood as a status or activity rather than a place

long term memory

The Route into Memory

Updating the Modal Model

• Duration = long-lasting, enduring

• Capacity & size = enormous

• Ease of entry = effortful

• Ease of retrieval = can be difficult, slow, & even unsuccessful

working memory

The Route into Memory

Updating the Modal Model

A dynamic form of short-term storage - more like a status rather than storage

• Duration = temporary, fragile

• Capacity & size = limited

• Ease of entry = relatively easy

• Ease of retrieval = relatively easy

• Contains currently activated ideas or thoughts that are being worked on by a specific set of operations

primacy effect

A Closer Look at Working memory

Working Memory & Long-Term Memory

Better memory for the first few items relative to middle items

• Words later in list rehearsed less than earlier items

• Rehearsal increases chance there will be a transfer of items from WM => LTM

recency effect

A Closer Look at Working memory

Working Memory & Long-Term Memory

Better memory for the last few items; last few items not displaced by future items

• Last few items are in WM at the time of recall

  • Manipulation of WM should affect this recall, but not for items presented earlier in the list (why? (2))

• Earlier items are displaced by subsequent items

mental activities

A Closer Look at Working memory

The Function of Working Memory

Virtually all blank require working memory

• Used whenever multiple elements or ideas are combined or compared in the mind

capacity

A Closer Look at Working memory

The Function of Working Memory

Individuals differ in working memory blank

digit span task

A Closer Look at Working memory

A task where participants hear a series of digits read to them (e.g. 8, 3, 4 ) and must immediately repeat them back

• The list length increased until memory fails

• The # of digits the person can echo back without errors is that person’s digit span

7 +- 2

A Closer Look at Working memory

Digit Span

What is the average WM capacity?

chunking

A Closer Look at Working memory

Digit Span

What reduces WM load (but not capacity)?

active nature

A Closer Look at Working memory

Digit Span

What is one limit of digit span in addressing WM? (It can’t address its…)

false

A Closer Look at Working memory

True or false? WM has a specific location in the brain

operation span

A Closer Look at Working memory

Measures the capacity when WM is “working”; addresses its active nature

central executive, visuospatial buffer, articulatory rehearsal loop

A Closer Look at Working memory

The Rehearsal Loop

The working memory system consists of multiple components, what are they? (3*)

visuospatial buffer

A Closer Look at Working memory

The Rehearsal Loop

A component of WM in charge of the storage of visual/non-verbal material

• Much more restricted (3-4 items)

articulatory rehearsal loop, silent speech, inner ear

A Closer Look at Working memory

The Rehearsal Loop

A component of WM in charge of the storage of verbal material

• Consists of subvocalization (aka blank) which launches it and a…

• Phonological buffer that passively stores the sound representations and circles back to ^ (aka blank)

episodic buffer

A Closer Look at Working memory

The Rehearsal Loop

A possible 4th component of WM, which helps the central executive organize info into chronological sequence

reduces, unavailable

A Closer Look at Working memory

The Rehearsal Loop

Repeating syllables (articulatory suppression) while competing a verbal span test blank WM capacity because it makes the articulatory loop blank

maintenance rehearsal (shallow processing), relational/elaborative rehearsal (deep processing)

Entering Long-Term Storage

What are the 2 types of rehearsal?

incidental learning

Entering Long-Term Storage

Learning in the absence of an intention to learn (e.g. remembering what you ate this morning)

intentional learning

Entering Long-Term Storage

Deliberate, w/ the expectation that memory will be later tested

shallow processing, maintenance

Entering Long-Term Storage

Superficial engagement with the material; used in blank rehearsal

• E.g. Is the word DOG in uppercase or lowercase letters?

deep processing, elaborative

Entering Long-Term Storage

Requires thinking about the material; used in blank rehearsal

• E.g. Does the word DOG fit in this sentence?

little or no effect

The Role of Meaning & Memory Connections

What kind of impact does intentionality have on learning?

depth

The Role of Meaning & Memory Connections

The blank of processing effects have strong effects on learning

later retrieval

The Role of Meaning & Memory Connections

Connections Promote Retrieval

Depth of processing promotes recall by facilitating what?

• By analogy, organizing books doesn’t change the content, but facilitates its finding later on

connections, relationships

The Role of Meaning & Memory Connections

Connections Promote Retrieval

Blank between to-be remembered items, memories, & co contexts facilitates retrieval

• Attention to meaning involves thinking about blank

elaborative sentences

The Role of Meaning & Memory Connections

Elaborative Encoding Promotes Retrieval

Similar to the word superiority effect, words are more likely to be remembered if they appear in what (versus what)?

order, connections

Organizing & Memorizing

We memorize well when we find blank or blank in the material or impose it ourselves

organizing, understanding, contributions, interconnections

The Study of Memory Acquisition

Memory is facilitated by blank and blank. Also depends on…

• Blank from the memorizer

• Blank among the acquisition, retrieval, and storage

recall, recognition

Learning as Preparation for Retrieval

Crucial Role of Retrieval Paths

What are the 2 ways to retrieve info from memory?

existing, retrieval paths

Learning as Preparation for Retrieval

Crucial Role of Retrieval Paths

Learning connects new material with blank memory; those connections serve as blank

context dependent learning

Learning as Preparation for Retrieval

Learning that’s dependent on the state in which the learner is during acquisition

context reinstatement

Learning as Preparation for Retrieval

Context-Dependent Learning

Recreating the context (e.g. thoughts, feelings) of the learning episode

encoding specificity

Learning as Preparation for Retrieval

Refers to placing in memory both the materials to be learned AND the context of those materials

• E.g. (A) The man lifted the piano vs (B) the man tuned the piano => recall something (a) heavy or (b) with a nice sound

nodes, associations/associative links

The Memory Network

Memory can be thought of as a vast network of ideas

• Ideas are represented as blanks connected to each other via blank/blank

spreading activation, increases, response threshold

The Memory Network

States that activation travels within a network from node to node via associative links

• A node’s activation level blank with increasing input from neighboring nodes

• The node fires if the blank is reached

summation

The Memory Network

Spreading Activation

A term used to describe how the sub threshold activation can accumulate

semantic priming

The Memory Network

Activation of an idea in memory causes activation to spread to other ideas related to the first in meaning

100 ms

The Memory Network

Semantic priming makes word recognition about how many ms faster?

recall, memory connections

Different Forms of Memory Testing

Where individual generates the memory after being given a broad cue identifying the info sought (e.g. “What was the name of the restaurant?”)

• Requires memory search

• Depends heavily on blank

recognition, familiarity

Different Forms of Memory Testing

Where info is presented and the individual must decide if it is the sought after info (e.g. “Is this the name of the restaurant?”)

• Depends on blank

source memory

Different Forms of Memory Testing

In recognition, the “when and where” I encountered something

source info, familiarity

Different Forms of Memory Testing

Familiarity & Source Memory

“Remember” judgments typically accompanied by blank (true/false)

“Know” judgments typically accompanied by blank (graded)

repetition priming

Implicit Memory

Memory Without Awareness

Where lexical decisions are faster if the word has been recently seen, even if participants have no recollection of the first exposure (e.g. word-stem completion tasks)

explicit memory

Implicit Memory

Memory Without Awareness

Conscious awareness of the memory; aka declarative memory (e.g. semantic knowledge)

• What kind of test reveals this?

implicit memory

Implicit Memory

Memory Without Awareness

Unconscious awareness of the memory; aka procedural memory (e.g. motor skills)

• What kind of test reveals this?

illusion of truth

Implicit Memory

Memory Without Awareness

The effect of implicit memory in which claims that are familiar (e.g. from being heard before), or communicated to us by someone familiar, end up seeming more plausible

• Familiarity increases credibility

processing pathway, processing fluency

Theoretical Treatments of Implicit Memory

The sequence of detectors & connections between them that leads to recognizing or remembering a stimulus/idea

• Repeated use of this pathway strengthens it and increase its blank

attribution processes

Theoretical Treatments of Implicit Memory

Processing Fluency

Changes in fluency or discrepancies between expected & experienced fluency can trigger what?

• Memory => explicit & implicit

• Explicit => episodic & semantic

• Implicit => procedural, priming, perceptual learning, classical conditioning

Theoretical Treatments of Implicit Memory

The Taxonomy of Long-Term Memory

Explain the taxonomy of long-term memory

retrograde amnesia

Amnesia

A type of amnesia where you can’t recall memories from your past

anterograde amnesia

Amnesia

A type of amnesia where you can’t form new memories

episodic - semantic, explicit - implicit

Amnesia

There is a double dissociation between what two memory pairs?

explicit, implicit

Amnesia

Anterograde amnesia

Patients with Korsakoff’s syndrome are unable to recall what type of memories? Which memories CAN they recall?

• How is this demonstrated with the Swiss psychologist example?

fear with no explicit memory, memory with no fear

Amnesia

Can There be Explicit Memory Without Implicit Memory?

Those with hippocampal damage have…

Those with amygdala damage have…

multiple perspectives

Amnesia

Optimal Learning

The optimal learning strategy is to use…