Models of Memory in Year 12 Psychology

Memory

Internal record of past events and experiences.

Encoding

Conversion of information for storage in the brain.

Storage

Holding information for varying durations.

Retrieval

Locating and accessing stored information.

Multi-store model

Three-stage model by Atkinson and Shiffrin.

Sensory memory

Initial stage holding sensory information briefly.

Short-term memory

Current thoughts and information for decision making.

Long-term memory

Relatively permanent storage of information.

Procedural memory

Memory for skills and actions, implicit.

Declarative memory

Memory for facts and events, explicit.

Episodic memory

Memory of personal past events and experiences.

Semantic memory

Memory of facts and general knowledge.

Iconic memory

Visual sensory memory lasting less than 3 seconds.

Echoic memory

Auditory sensory memory lasting longer than visual.

Maintenance rehearsal

Repeating information for immediate use.

Elaborative rehearsal

Associating new info with existing knowledge.

Chunking

Grouping information into larger, meaningful units.

Working memory

Current term for short-term memory, active processing.

Capacity of STM

Holds 5-9 chunks of information.

Duration of STM

Approximately 30 seconds without rehearsal.

Capacity of LTM

Unlimited storage capacity for memories.

Duration of LTM

Can last more than 30 seconds to forever.

Central executive

Coordinates and organizes information in working memory.

Phonological loop

Processes and stores auditory information.

Visuo-spatial sketchpad

Stores and manipulates visual and spatial information.

Episodic buffer

Links information across domains for integrated memory.

Miller's magic number

The capacity of STM is 7±2 chunks.

Adaptive memory

Memory processes that discard useless information.

Neural changes in LTM

Physical changes in neurons for long-term storage.