Try to remember as many nonsense syllables from the next slide as possible.

CYB WSP LXK TPR SSS DRW RIY SEH XOP QUZ PUY NIQ TUJ KIW HUV DES WOS DAQ MAF PIV

 The more lists are repeated the less time is needed to relearn  The more time that passes the more we forget.  Recognition is stronger than recall (see next slide).

WIP HUV

 Associationist Approach (1890s): Memory is a passive process of us making new associations. In other words, we take in info, store it and recall it.

 Since the 1950s the Information Processing Approach has been the dominant paradigm. Two Popular models under this idea are: 1. Multi-Store Model 2. Working Memory Model

 Atkinson & Shiffrin (1968,1971)  One of the most influential models because others built on it.  Compares memory to a computer (information-processing paradigm)  This simplistic model employs a spatial metaphor which divides the memory system into three distinct types of “stores”.

Sensory Stores (environmental input) Short-Term Memory Store Long-Term Memory Store

 Each sense has a different store (vision, hearing, touch etc.)  Iconic (Visual) Store will only hold information for about half a second before decay. *Think about film frames  Echoic (Auditory)Store lasts about 2 seconds.  Most sensory input is lost to decay.  A small amount is transferred to Short- term Memory.

Limited capacity (about 7 items) › Chunking (grouping items together) can increase storage space.

 AIM: To test whether chunking information together increases STM.  Method: Try to remember as many letters on the next slide as you can. You will only be given a few seconds.

EGNRNLALEELMABVISCMEMRIUSEGNRNLALEELMABVISCMEMRIUS

How many letters can you remember?

Now try reading the letters starting at the lower left corner and read up the first row, up the second row, and so on.

 Finding: Chunking allows for greater STM capacity.  However, later research proved that your span is less with larger chunks, so memorizing an entire essay won’t work.

Limited Duration(about seconds) › Rehearsal (repeating info verbally) increases the amount of time. › Interference (distraction) decreases the amount of time.

 Verbal information is encoded acoustically.  Eventually Rehearsal in STM results in a transfer of information to LTM.

 Unlimited amount of storage space over an unlimited amount of time.  Information is encoded semantically (meaning), visually, and can be acoustic.

Forgetting can occur due to: › Memory trace deterioration › Lack of effective cues (this is why you like multiple choice tests because they have cues!)

 STM and LTM are seen as separate, distinct units.  It can’t explain why we remember certain info and forget other info (eg. What joke do you remember?)  Does not explain how we access LTM to make sense of STM (eg. we must access schematic info about letters to put them together to make words).

 This model’s explanation that rehearsal is the only means of transfer between STM and LTM has been contradicted by research. In other words, some things we will remember (LTM) without rehearsal.

Central Executive Phonological Loop Long-Term Storage Memory Episodic Buffer Visuospatial Sketchpad

 This is the most important component.  It is responsible for monitoring and coordinating the operation of the slave systems.  It is flexible in that it can process info from any modality.  It has a limited amount of storage space.  Plays a major role in attention, planning, and synthesizing info from the slave systems and LTM.

 Stores a limited number of sounds for brief periods of time.  Can be thought of as an “inner ear”  Has two components: › Phonological Store: allows acoustically coded items to be stored for a brief period (1.5-2 seconds). › Articulatory Control System: allows subvocal (inner voice) repetition of the items stored in the phonological store (eg. repeating a phone number in your head or thinking of a word before you say it).

A television screen that cannot think and cannot replay images.

 stores visual and spatial info  can be considered the “inner eye”  has limited capacity

Try to figure out how many windows are in your home without speaking or writing anything down.

 Findings: We can do this task because we imagine our house using our visuospatial sketchpad and then we tally the number of windows using the phonological loop as we count them up subvocally. The central executive delegates tasks and then recognizes when the answer has been reached.

 AIM: To determine if STM has a central control system with a number of distinct slave systems.  METHODS: Participants were asked to rehearse a series of digits (2 digits then as many as 6) while given a verbal reasoning task like the one on the next slide.

B is followed by ABA A does not follow BBA A is not preceded by BBA A is not followed by BBA B follows AAB B is preceded by ABA A does not precede BBA B is not preceded by ABA

Even with 6 digits, there was no detrimental effect on accuracy on either task. This finding suggests there are different components of STM that work independently of each other.

 It explains how people can perform different cognitive tasks at the same time (AKA: multi-tasking)  It explains problems in academic performance (eg. Students who have problems with the phonological loop have problems in math and reading)  Research supports the existence of slave systems.

 The central executive remains mysterious. Its exact function is still unclear.  Does not consider the effects of differential processing in LTM.