Short-Term Memory and Sensory Processing

Sensory Memory and Environmental Registration

• Environmental Perception:

  • Recognizing elements in the environment—such as grass, trees, buildings, and birds—requires the registration of sensory input.
  • Surroundings and environmental stimuli are experienced through five specific senses:
  • Vision
  • Sound
  • Smell
  • Heart
  • Pain

• Characteristics of Sensory Memory:

  • Initial processing of environmental stimuli takes place within sensory memory.
  • Duration: Sensory memory lasts anywhere from milliseconds to a few seconds.
  • Function: This brief timeframe provides just enough duration to register incoming environmental information.

Short-Term Memory and Selective Attention

• Transition to Short-Term Memory:

  • Short-term memory represents the next processing stage following sensory memory.
  • Most registered sensory details are quickly discarded if they do not serve an immediate function or intention.
  • Example: Seeing a stone on the ground will likely not be retained in memory unless there is a specific desire or intention to interact with it, such as wanting to kick it around.

• Role of Selective Attention:

  • Information that successfully grabs attention is selectively isolated from general sensory input.
  • This selectively attended information then transitions or "blooms" into short-term memory for further processing.