Psych 20 FINAL- Working Memory and executive function

Recency effect

the ability to remember things better that were shown/said last (latest &short term)

Primacy Effect

The ability to remember things better that were said/shown first. (early on&long term)

Filled delay

waiting period after list that stops the recency effect from happening

Serial Position curve

states that primacy and recency will be the things most remembered

Anterograde amnesia

Inability to make new long term memory (stops primacy effect)

Bradley and Hitch model (1973)

working memory emphasizes the role of active maintenance and manipulation. Temporary workspace, highly integrated with sensory memory and attention

key components of cognitive abilities

Language, devious making, mental operations, Goal-directed behavior, consciousness

Span tests

used to test working memory (digit span)

Miller item capacity

7 (+/-) 2 items can be held in working memory at a time

Cowan Chunking Capacity

4(+/-)1 chunks (held in tong term memory) can be held at a time

Temporal grouping

spacing things out to make it more rhythmically memorable (Example: making it sound like a phone number )

Phonological loop

responsible for auditory information, including language

Word length effect

we recall fewer long words than short words in short term memory due to longer words taking longer to articulate and rehearse exhausting the loops 2 second capacity.

Visuospatial Sketchpad (VSSP)

responsible for visual and spatial information, (color, shape, location)

Chunking in VSWM

past experience and expertise helping us understand what we are looking at. (Example: Chess players remembering detailed chess positions)

Episodic buffer

temporary storehouse for audio/visual information, integrates info from Long term memory. (responsible for chunking)

central executive

responsible for coordinating systems, essentially deciding what to do with the information we are receiving. Also maintains rehearsal

homunculus argument

criticism of central executive: explaining something buy using that thing to explain it (its a fallacy)

Executive function

responsible for: willed attention, self regulation, sequence planning and executing sequential goal directed behavior, time management, impulse control (frontal cortex)

A-not-B error

showing kid that you are repeatedly putting a toy under a cloth, then suddenly show them you put it under another different cloth. If you ask the child where the toy is they will say the first one you showed them despite seeing that you put it under a new one.

Wisconsin card sort test

Cards sorted into piles, rules are figured out through feedback, rules change without notice, we tend to keep using old rule despite us being told it no longer works

delaying gratification

related to executive function, need to inhibit behavior now fr better reward later (example: kids marshmallow test)

Poor working memory

Major depression, schizophrenia, Parkinson, dementia

Alcohol and executive function

Acts as a neural inhibitor, reduces activity in frontal cortex so it lowers EF abilities

IQ test

tested Working memory capacity

Engle (2004) factor analysis of Working memory

found genera fluid intelligence is a predictor of many other IQ test as well as academic performance (likely genetic component)

Improving intelligence

can brain train to increase WM capacity and focus HOWEVER only kinda works on general fluid intelligence.