LEC 9

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture on Attention and Memory, focusing on memory models, features of memory types, and relevant studies.

What is the definition of memory in the context of psychology?

Memory involves processes for retaining, retrieving, and using information about stimuli, events, ideas, and skills after the original information is no longer present.

What is Feature Integration Theory (FIT)?

A theory that describes how features such as color, form, motion, and location are bound together to create coherent perceptions of objects.

What are the two stages of Feature Integration Theory?

The preattentive stage, where features are automatically extracted, and the focused attention stage, where these features are combined into coherent objects.

What were the findings of Treisman and Schmidt's (1982) study regarding illusory conjunctions?

Participants reported fewer illusory conjunctions when they focused solely on objects and ignored numbers, indicating that attention aids proper feature binding.

What are the three stages of the Modal Model of Memory?

Sensory Memory, Short-Term Memory, and Long-Term Memory.

How long does Sensory Memory hold information?

Sensory Memory retains information for seconds (auditory) or fractions of a second (visual).

What is the typical duration of Short-Term Memory (STM)?

Short-Term Memory holds information for approximately 15 to 20 seconds.

What is the 'magic number' in relation to Short-Term Memory capacity?

The 'magic number' is 7 +/- 2, indicating that STM can hold between 5 and 9 items.

What is the difference between maintenance rehearsal and elaborative rehearsal?

Maintenance rehearsal involves repeating information for minimal retention, while elaborative rehearsal involves relating new information to previously encoded material for optimal retention.

What is iconic memory?

Iconic memory is the brief sensory memory for visual stimuli, lasting milliseconds.

What is echoic memory?

Echoic memory is the brief sensory memory for auditory stimuli, lasting 1-4 seconds.

What did Sperling's (1960) study reveal about sensory memory?

Sperling's study demonstrated that participants could recall a high percentage of a specific row of letters if cued immediately, highlighting brief accessibility in sensory memory.

What is chunking in the context of Short-Term Memory?

Chunking is a process of combining individual items into larger meaningful units to enhance encoding and retrieval.

What is the effect of complexity on Short-Term Memory capacity?

The complexity of stimuli can affect the capacity of Short-Term Memory, with some evidence suggesting it may be fixed around 4.3 objects regardless of complexity.

What is the difference between full report and partial report methods in Sperling's experiment?

Full report requires participants to recall all letters displayed, while partial report allows them to recall letters from a specified row.

What happens to memory performance after a delay in recall as shown by Peterson and Peterson's study?

Performance decreases rapidly with increased delay, suggesting that short-term memory decays over time.

What is the role of attention in creating a coherent perception of objects?

Attention allows for the binding of different features of objects, reducing errors in perception.

What are the limitations of Short-Term Memory?

STM has limitations in both capacity (5 to 9 items) and duration (15-20 seconds), affected by competing stimuli.

How does expertise influence chunking ability?

Experts can recall information more effectively when it is organized logically, as seen in studies involving chess positions.

What is the significance of the delayed partial report method in studying sensory memory?

It reinforces the idea that there is a brief window of time during which information in sensory memory is accessible before it decays.

How do memory systems differ in processing different types of information (e.g., visual vs. auditory)?

Memory systems may operate differently depending on whether the information is visual or auditory, indicating specialized processing pathways.