Perceptual Processes

Perceptual Processes

1. Function: The sensory register maintains sensory information until other cognitive processes are capable of interpreting or adding meaning to it. With this initial memory system we avoid losing present information while we are processing information that has just occurred. Each sensory modality has a corresponding sensor register.

2. Characteristics

   • 1. the information stored should accurately reflect what happened at the sensory receptor.
   • 2. The sensory register needs to be relatively large, at least large enough to store all of the information impinging on the sensory receptor.
   • 3. The information must remain on the sensory register for a brief time.

3. Size and duration: visual sensory memory has a life of about 1/3 of a second according to two experiments done.

4. Veridical representation: The primary implication of the assumption of veridical representation is that infomation on the sensory register will be precategorical. If the sensory register contains meaningful information, a categorical cue, such as letters or numbers, should give the sundard advantage of partial report over whole report.