MEMORY

The working memory model(WMM)- an explanation that sees STM as an active store holding several pieces of information simultaneously

Short-term memory(STM)- a temporary store holding small amounts of information for brief periods

The multi-store model of memory(MSM) - an explanation of memory that sees information flowing through a series of storage systems

Sensory memory(SM)- a short- duration store holding impressions of information received by the senses

Long-term memory(LTM)- a permanent store holding limitless amounts of information for long periods

Is not under cognitive control, but is an automatic response to the reception of sensory information by the sense organs

First storage system within MSM

Storing in raw, unprocessed form, highly detailed and ever-changing format

Limited duration: not exactly known, but each sensory store has its own and the duration will decrease with age

Each sensory memory store has large capacity

Separate sensory stores

Echoic store for auditory information

Iconic store for visual information

Haptic store for tactile information

Gustatory store for taste information

Olfactory store for smell

The information that you pay attention to will move on to STM

Researches

Crowder(1993)- encoding and different durations

Walsh & Thompson(1978)- iconic sensory store has an average duration of 500 milliseconds

Receives temporary information from SM- contains informations being currently thought about

Active(changing) memory system

Raw information from SM is encoded in a form that STM can easily deal with

Visually- by thinking of the image

Acoustically- by repeatedly saying the information(MAIN ONE)

Semantically-(through meaning)by using previous knowledge of certain information

Limited capacity: 5-9 items can be held, can be increased by chunking(grouping information into larger units)

Limited duration: about 30seconds

Research

Jacobs(1887)- capacity, mundane realism

Marsh et al.(1997)- duration

Mundane realism- the extent to which findings of studies can be generalized to real-life settings

Other factors, like age and practise influence capacitty

Duration: from 30seconds until death, based on skills last longer than facts

All information in LTM has originally passed through SM and STM + different processes

Different types:

Semantic- what something means

Episodic- when something was learned

Procedural-how to do something

Can change or merge with other LTMs

LTMs are not of equal strenght

Process of shaping and storing LTMs is spread through multiple brain regions

Researches

Frost(1972)- visual and semantic code

Fagot&Cook(1996)- enlarged memory capacity has a survival value

Bahrick et al.(1975)-memory for faces is long lasting

Anokhin(1973)- capacity of LTM is limitless

Treisman(1964)- 2second limitation+ difference in duration from iconic store

Walsh&Thompson(1978)- duration of SM is limited and dependent on age

Miller(1956)- chunks- the type of material and the amount of information

Reitman(1974)- short duration of STM is due to displacement(new information pushes out the older one)

Encoding

Involves the form by which LTMs are stored

Coding will be stronger(also more retrievable) the deeper the level of processing of a stimulus that occurs while it is being experienced

Capacity: unlimited

Verbal- mainly semantic (can also be visual or acoustic)

Information may have problems with access, but everything is in LTM

Evaluation

First cognitive explanation of memory

Research evidence for SM,STM and LTM

Supported by amnesia cases(Lawton,2015)

The serial position effect(Murdock,1962) also supports the model

Criticism: oversimplified

Central executive(CE)- oversees and coordinates the components of working memory

2 'slaves' + 3rd later on

Visuospatial sketchpad(VSS)-deals with visual information and the physical relationship of items to each other

Phonological loop(PL)- deals with auditory information and order of the information

Determines which information received by sense organs in and is not attended to

Processes information in all sensory forms, then sends to 'slave' system and collects results

1 strand of information at the time aka limited capacity---> selectively switches

Researches

Baddeley(1996)- limited capacity

D'Esposito et al.(1995)-prefrontal's associate with workings of CE

Very little information about it!

In control of the focus of attention rather than being memory store

Similar to the rehearsal system in the MSM--> limited capacity

Confusions occur with similar sounding words

2 sub-parts

Articulatory process(AP)- inner voice

Primary acoustic store(PAS)-inner ear

Stores words that have been recently been heard

Keeps information in PL through sub-vocal repetition of information

Linked to speech production

Associated with evolution of human vocal language

Researches

Baddeley(1996)

Trojani&Grossi(1995)- PL recognised as seperated system

divided PL into 2 sub-parts

1975-capacity of PL is set by how long does it take to say words

Handles non-phonological information

Temporary store for visual and spatial information and the relationship between them

Helps individuals to navigate and interact with physical environment

Information is being coded and rehearsed through the use of mental pictures

2 sub-parts

Inner scribe(IS)

Visual cache(VC)

Stores information about form and colour

Stores information about physical(spatial) relationship of items

Rehearses and transfer information in the VC to the CE

Researches

Klauer&Zhao(2004)-existence of VC and IS

Episodic buffer(EB)- temporary store of integrated information from CE, VSS, PL and LTM

Was added in 2000 to address the shortcomings of the model

Researches

Baddeley(2000)- founding

Explains how it is possible to temporarily store information combined together from CE, PL, VSS AND LTM

Alkhalifa(2009)-existence of EB, holding items in the working memory until recalled

Evaluation

Explains memory more

More than 1 type of STM + wide range of mental processes

Explains the execution of everyday tasks

Not a full explanation of memory

Criticism:inability to explain accelerations in processing ability that occurs with practise or over time

LTM without MSM's oversimplification

Implicit-non-declarative

Explicit-declarative

Procedural LTM-for the performance of particular types of action

Episodic LTM- for events

Semantic LTM - for meanings understanding, and other concept based knowledge

Researches

Researches

Researches

Van Gorp et al.(1999)-dopamine's role

Lack of research- brain areas involved

Azar(2007)-semantic memory involves different processes and brain areas

Vicari et al.(2007)-episodic and semantic being different LTMs

Herlitz et al.(1997)-gender difference in episodic memory abilities

Endel Tulving(1972)- first suggested episodic memory

Contains all learned knowledge

Strength also associated with degree of processing occuring during coding

Give people autobiographic record of personal experiences

Strength depends on emotions experienced at the time of the event + degree of processing of information at coding

Prefrontal cortex associated with initial coding(strength)

Helps people distinguish real events from imaginational ones

Neocortex associated with storage of memories

Part of events are stored in different sections of the brain, but connected in hippocampus to create a memory of an episode

Similar to the episodic LTM, but associates rather with objective analysis of phenomena

Coding involves frontal and temporal lobes* but there is a disagreement on that part

Damages to different parts of the brain affect it differently

Helps/permits individual to perform learned tasks

Procedural LTMs are hard to explain in words

Also involved in language(permits people to use grammar, etc. without thinking)

does not require conscious thought

Neocortex brain areas of primary motor cortex

Cerebellum

Prefrontal cortex