Sensory Memory What is memory, and why is it important? What is sensory memory? Is sensory memory useful?
Introduction to Memory A set of processes for storing, retrieving, and using information after the information is no longer present Memory makes us who we are
Three-Store Model (Atkinson & Shiffrin,1968) Sensory Register Short-Term Store Long-Term Store Response Rehearsal Coding
Sensory Memory Continued access to sensory information for a short time after the stimulus is gone Iconic Memory (visual) Echoic Memory (auditory) Possibly for Other Senses
Sperling’s Partial Report Method H R Q P L M F R X N D B letters (50 ms) blank screen delay (time varies) blank screen cue row (arrow or tone) The cue is only helpful if you have an iconic memory to examine!
Sperling’s Results LETTERS RECALLED DELAY IN SECONDS partial report whole report
Evolutionary Psychology Is Sensory Memory adaptive? – artificial laboratory situation – duration is too short – we can usually look as long as we want – Haber: not useful in any situation “except reading in a lightning storm.”
Usefulness of Sensory Memory helps in perception: persistence of vision used to select information for further processing