memory and attention

memory

capacity to remember

memory structure comprised of 2 functional systems

working memory and long term memory

memory functions

storage/retrieval of info and sys specific functions

working memory sub systems

phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, episodic buffer, central executive

long term memory sub systems

procedural/semantic/episodic memory

working memory

memory sys assoc w sensory, perceptual, attentional and short term memory processes-> involved in all situations requiring temp use/storgae of info

function of working memory

enables ppl to respond according to the demands of a right now situation

-role in decision making, problem solving, mvmt planning, execution

-interacts w long term memory

-interactive workspace

(ex: trying to remember phone # and keep repeating it)

duration of working memory

maintains info for 20-30 sec bfre losing parts of info

capacity of working memory

can store around 4 items

-person can increase capacity by "chunking"

working memory processing of information

info processed to allow person to achieve action/goal of problem

-remember how to perform an action as just instructed

-solve specific mvmt problem (how to throw ball to another person)

central executive - components of WM-I

directs attention/resources

-controls the subsystem activities

visual spatial sketch pad- components of WM-II

short term storage of visually perceived spatial info

(why we can walk thro our house in the dark)

phonological loop - components of WM-III

short term storage of verbal info

-articulatory loop subvocalization(repeat things to ourselves when try to remember)

-phonological storage

episodic buffer - components of WM-IV

limited capacity component of WM that integrates info from phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, long term memory into coherent, chronological episodes

long term memory (LTM)

relatively perm storage of info

function of LTM

allows ppl to have info ab past events as well as general knowledge

duration of LTM

unknown

capacity of LTM

relatively unlimited

3 types of memory systems in LTM

procedural, semantic, episodic

procedural type of LTM

stores info ab "how to do" specific activities (motor skills)

semantic type of LTM

stores our general knowledge ab the world based upon experiences (concepts, like how we know what stairs are)

episodic type of LTM

stores our knowledge ab personally experienced events

-allows us to travel back in time (helps pts remember when they were able to do something successfully)

declarative knowledge

knowledge that can be verbally described ("what to do" to perform a skill)

procedural knowledge

knowledge that enables the person to actually perform a skill (know "how to do" a skill)

-typically this knowledge isn't verbalized or difficult to

encoding

process of transforming to be remembered info into a form that can be stored in memory

storage

process of placing info in long term memory

rehearsal

process that enables a person to transfer info from working to long term memory

retrieval

process of searching thro LTM for info needed for present use

(when older gets more difficult)

explicit memory tests

recall test=no cue

recognition test=cue (visual)

implicit memory tests

assess info in memory thats difficult to verbalize or may not be verbalizable (info that wouldn't be accessed on an explicit memory test)

(ex: grab diff feeling cups, then do again and remember how much force needed to grab)

attention refers to characteristics associated with

consciousness, awareness, cognitive effort

-how they relate to the performance of skills, ad the limitations assoc w those characteristics on the detection of relevant info in the performance environment (reg/non regulatory) and simultaneous performance of multi skills

filter theories (bottleneck theories)

difficulty doing multi tasks simultaneously bc of limitation due to serial processing of multi stimuli

alternative theories (resource capacity theories)

difficult doing multi tasks simultaneously bc of limitation due to availability of resources needed to carry out tasks

(simultaneous performance of multi tasks can occur as long as resource capacity limit not exceeded)

central resource capacity theories

propose 1 central source of attention resources for which all activities requiring attention compete

-pizza pie and each thing competing for attention takes a slice of pizza until nothing left- slices not necessarily equal(certain things prioritized)

central resource theory - arousal level

factor that influences amount of attention capacity for a specific performance of situation

-amount of attention resource available varies in relation to persons arousal level

-max amount available when arousal level is optimal for situation (inverted U function of arousal- not linear)

3 rules people use to allocate available attention resources when performing multiple tasks (who gets a piece of the pie?)

1. ensure completion of at least 1 task

2. enduring dispositions: involuntary attention allocation -novel for the situation(smthing very new), meaningfulness of event("cocktail party" phenomenon)

3. momentary intentions -allocate attention according to instructions (provide cue to force attention onto something)

multiple resource theories

lots of different pies-each for its own purpose

-have several sources for attention->each source has limited capacity of resources

-multiple sources based on specific info processing component->sensory input(visual/proprioceptive), response output (verbal/motor), type of memory code (spatial/verbal)

performance of simultaneous multiple tasks depends on

competition for attention resources within and btwn the multiple sources

dual task procedure determine

the attention demands/characteristics of the simultaneous performance of 2 diff tasks

-primary task=task of interest

-secondary task performance=basis to make inferences ab the attention demands of primary task

attentional focus

marshaling of attention resources to direct them to specific parts of our performance/performance environment

action effect hypothesis

proposed benefit of external focus during performance

-focus attention on intended outcome of mvmts rather than on mvmt themselves

automaticity

performance of skill w/o requiring attention resources

-automaticity of task performance related to amount of practice

visual selective attention

study of attention as it relates to the use of vision in the selection of environmental info in the prep/performance of action

-can direct attention to environmental feature w/o directly looking at it

-cant make an eye mvmt w/o shifting attention (cant ignore things were looking at)

visual search

process of directing visual attention to locate relevant info in the environment

what's used to investigate visual selective attention

eye mvmt recordings->identify focal vision not peripheral vision

how we select visual cues

visual search and intended actions

-active search for regulatory conditions based on action goal

visual search picks up cues that influence 3 aspects of action preparation

action selection, constraining of the selected action, timing of the action initiation

greater demand for visual search in

open motor skills

less demand for visual search in

closed motor skills

to what degree is successful visual search determined by visual acuity

very little relationship

visual search success is

experience based

-results from implicit learning of relevant visual cues