PSY 369: Psycholinguistics Cognitive Psychology

The ‘standard model’

Long term memory The Multiple Memory Stores Theory Declarative episodic - memories about events semantic - knowledge of facts This theory suggests that there are different memory components, each storing different kinds of information. Procedural

Long term memory How is semantic memory structured? Networks (more next week) This theory suggests that there are different memory components, each storing different kinds of information.

Long term memory How long do our memories last? Ebbinghaus (1885/1913) He memorized non-sense syllables. Memorize them until perfect performance, Test to relearn the lists perfectly. This was called the "savings."

Long term memory How long do our memories last? Bahrick (1984) He has done a number of studies asking people about memories for things (e.g., Spanish, faces of classmates, etc.) that they learned over 50 years past. He has found evidence that at least some memories stick around a really long time.

Long term memory How much can we remember? Lots, no known limits to how much memory storage we have. More important issue concerns questions about encoding and retrieval Encoding - getting memories into LTM what gets in? Retrieval - getting memories out of LTM what gets out? exact memories or reconstructed memories?

Long term memory Properties Unlimited capacity Decay/interference, retrieval difficulty Organized Multiple subsystems for type of memory Associative networks (more on these next week)

Working Memory Working memory instead of STM More complex. Findings that sometimes multiple things can be held in memory without interference, while other times things interfere. Suggested that there are specialized subsystems. Three main components: Phonological loop Visual-spatial Sketch Pad (ignore the typos in the figure) Centeral Executive

Working Memory Working memory instead of STM Phonological store May also be involved in writing and reading, translating written codes into phonological codes Articulatory suppression effects Say ‘the the the …’ as you read sentences Mary liked John but his brother she couldn’t stand Miss Peacock was murdered by Colonel Mustard The artist I met at the party lived in Australia. Sometimes you’ll see interference with verbatim memory for the sentences, other times not Related to the complexity (primarily syntactic) of sentences Phonological rehearsal mechanism Phonological store Very limited capacity Rehearsal maintains information in the store

Working Memory Working memory instead of STM information Store and manipulate visual and spatial information Directly from perception Indirectly from imagery May also be involved in writing and reading, translating written codes into phonological codes

Working Memory Working memory instead of STM subcomponents Allocate attentional resources to the subcomponents Directs elaboration/manipulation of information May also be involved in writing and reading, translating written codes into phonological codes

Attention Major tool of the central executive Limited capacity resource Filtering capabilities Resource: Miller’s 7±2 is only the beginning. Dual task studies suggest either resources (either the fuel or the processing mechanisms). Filtering: focusing on the relevant information, e.g., what to get out of the sensory store, what information to retrieve from LTM, what stuff to try to integrate (“chunk”) Integration: gluing smaller bits into larger bits, talk Triesman illusory conjuctions Integration function

Automaticity Controlled processes Automatic processes Require resources Under some volitional direction Slow, effortful Automatic processes Require little attention Obligatory Fast Introspect about walking down stairs, about reading a word Think about when you were learning to do these things

Stages of skill acquisition Cognitive stage Establish declarative encoding of an action Associative stage Strengthen the connections between elements of the skill Autonomous stage Skills can be performed without interference form other activities Introspect about walking down stairs, about reading a word, again riding a bike

Bottom-up & Top-down Terms come from computer science Bottom up (data driven) relies upon evidence that is physically present, building larger units based on smaller ones Top down (knowledge driven), using higher-level information to support lower-level processes

Bottom-up & Top-down Selfridge s Pandemonium system, 1959

Bottom-up & Top-down C T

Bottom-up & Top-down T E

Bottom-up & Top-down T E C T

Bottom-up & Top-down FROG

Bottom-up & Top-down FROG

Bottom-up & Top-down Half the class close your eyes Title: Doing laundry

Bottom-up & Top-down Half the class close your eyes Read story The procedure is actually quite simple. First you arrange items into different groups. Of course one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is to do. If you have to go somewhere else due to lack of facilities that is the next step; otherwise, you are pretty well set. It is important not to overdo things. That is, it is better to do too few things at once than too many. In the short run this may not seem important but complications can easily arise. A mistake can be expensive as well. At first, the whole procedure will seem complicated. Soon, however, it will become just another facet of life, but then, one never can tell. After the procedure is completed one arranges the materials into different groups again. Then they can be put into their appropriate places. Eventually they will be used once more and the whole cycle will then have to be repeated. However, this is part of life. Rate how comprehensible the story is 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 hard to easy to understand understand

Summing up Psycholinguistic view Language and cognition are inextricably linked Notice that almost all of the experiment demonstrations involved language elements as stimuli