Memory

Memory

1. Short and long term memory

   • Capacity
     • CAPACITY-How much information can be held in the memory
     • The capacity of the STM can be assed using digit span
       • Jacobs 1(1887) studied the capacity of the STM
     • The STM has a limited capacity but the LTM has a infinite capacity
   • Duration
     • LTM lasts forever but STM, doesn't last that long unless its rehearsed
     • Lloyd & Margret Peterson (1959) studied the duration of the STM
     • Harry Bahrick et al (1975) studied the duration of the LTM
     • DURATION- how long memory lasts before its not longer avalible
   • coding
     • CODING/ENCODING-the way information is changed so that it can be stored in the memory
     • A code is held in the form of sounds(acustic), images (visual) or meaning (semantic)
     • Alan Baddeley (1966a 1966b) used word lists like those above to test the effect of accustic and semantic similarity on teh STM AND LTM

2. The Multi-store model of memory

   • MSMM-an explanation of memory based on 3 separate memory store
   • This was proposed by Atkins&Shiffrin (1968)
   • Sensory regiser
     • This is the place where information is held at each of the senses, and it has a large capacity
   • STM
     • It has a limited capacity and it can only hold information for a shot period of time, Unless information is repated.This is called maintance rehearsal.
     • LTM
       • The duration and capacity is infinite
   • Retrieval & Attention
     • RETRIVAL-the process of getting info from the LTM involves the info passing back through the STM
     • ATTENTION-If a person focuses on 1 of the sensory stores, then data is transferred to the STM. Attention is the 1st step in remembering something.

3. The working memory model

   • WMM-an explanation of the memory used when working on a task
   • Central executive
     • This directs attention to particular tasks. It has a limited capacity.
     • Phonological loop
       • It has a limited capacity. It deal with the auditory information.
         • Baddely (1986) further subdivided it into the phonological store, which holds the words you hear and the articulatory process which is used for words that are seen or heard. These words are repeated making a maintenance rehearsal
     • Visuo-spatial sketchpad
       • The VVS Is used when you have to plan a spatial task(ie getting from one room to another).The visual info is what things look like and the spatial info is the physical relationship between things.
         • Logie(1995) he suggested that the VVS can be divided into: a visual cache which stores inform,ation about visual items and an inner scribe which stores the arrangement of objects visually.
     • Episodic buffer
       • Baddely (2000) added teh episodic buffer because he realised the model needed a general store. It integrates information from the CE teh PL and the VVS. It also send info to the LTM.

4. The types of LTM

   • Eposodic memory
     • Its concerned with personal experiences. You may recall the time & place of these events. You may also recall the emotions felt and the context of the event.
       • EM, has 3 elements: specific details of the event, the context and emotion.
   • Semantic memory
     • They may relate to things such as functions of objects.They usually begin as episodic memories as they acquire knowledge based on personal experiences. There is a gradual transition from EM and SM where the memory slowly loses its association to certain events, so that info can be generalised as SM.
   • Procedural memory
     • Thiis is concernemed with skills such as how to tie a shoelace.It's about remembering how to do something, rarther than knowing the rules of what to do.
     • They are typically acuried through repettion and practice.We are less aware of these memeories as they become more automatic.Its important that is automatic so we can foucus our attention on other tasks while preforming these everyday skills