A Modular Approach to STM Allan Baddeley: Articulatory Loop Central Executive Visuospatial Sketchpad The article by Lee Brooks considers a double-dissociation between Phonological and Visuospatial memory representations

Coding in STM Evidence for a modular system: –interference within modalities but not between –example: subvocal counting of letters in a list of words is very hard but subvocal counting of the corners of a figure is easy

Working Memory “Modules” Lee Brooks: interference between different representations in STM (Experiment 1) –Memory Representation verbal task: categorize words in a sentence spatial task: categorize corners in a block letter –Response Modality verbal response: say “yes” or “no” spatial response: point to “yes” or “no”

Working Memory “Modules” result: Response Time Response Modality Verbal Spatial Spatial Representation (categorize corners) Verbal Representation (categorize nouns)

Working Memory “Modules” Interpretation: –supports notion of modularity in Working Memory (visuospatial sketchpad / articulatory loop)

Long-Term Memory See Cognition textbook on reserve for review

Model of Memory We’ve discussed STM Sensory Signals Sensory Memory Short-Term Memory Long-Term Memory ATTENTION REHEARSAL RETRIEVAL

Some Things to Consider Re: STM Short-Term Memory –decays rapidly (within seconds) unless… –requires active process or cognitive engagement to maintain But surely there must be another way to maintain information !?

Model of Memory Turning now to Long-Term Memory Sensory Signals Sensory Memory Short-Term Memory Long-Term Memory ATTENTION REHEARSAL RETRIEVAL

Long-Term Memory Characteristics (intuitive with some introspection): –Persists indefinitely (up to decades!) –Requires no active process of rehearsal (at least that we are conscious of)

Long-Term Memory Characteristics (intuitive with some introspection): –Persists indefinitely (up to decades!) –Requires no active process of rehearsal (at least that we are conscious of) –What are some examples of Long-Term Memories?

Some Distinctions in LTM Endel Tulving: There are two broad categories of information that are represented in LTM - Examples: –What did you eat for breakfast? –What is the capital of Canada –Where were you when… –Are maple trees deciduous? –Riding a bike !?

Some Distinctions in LTM Endel Tulving: There are two broad categories of information that are represented in LTM - Episodic Memory: memory of an event in your life autobiographical has a temporal context - something about time is encoded along with the memory

Some Distinctions in LTM Endel Tulving: There are two broad categories of information that are represented in LTM - Semantic Memory: memory of facts, knowledge of the world unconnected to an autobiographical event no temporal context

Some Distinctions in LTM A third category may be distinguished: –Example: riding a bike, playing an instrument

Some Distinctions in LTM A third category may be distinguished:

Some Distinctions in LTM Procedural Memory: memory for actions

Semantic Memory Capacity is huge (unlimited?)

Semantic Memory Structure of encoding is associative

Semantic Memory Structure of encoding is associative –Evidence: Semantic Priming in a Lexical- Decision Task Priming: prior exposure to some stimulus modifies subsequent processing of a target

Semantic Memory Structure of encoding is associative –Evidence: Semantic Priming in a Lexical- Decision Task Lexical Decision Task: Subject is shown a target word or pronounceable non-word (eg. gap or fap) and must respond “word” or “non-word”

Semantic Memory Structure of encoding is associative –Evidence: Semantic Priming in a Lexical- Decision Task manipulation: prime can be either related or unrelated to the target word

Semantic Memory Structure of encoding is associative –Evidence: Semantic Priming in a Lexical- Decision Task result: words are identified faster when preceded by a semantically related prime PrimeTargetResponse “space”“gap”fast “truck”“gap”slow

Semantic Memory Structure of encoding is associative –Evidence: Semantic Priming in a Lexical- Decision Task –Interpretation: the representation of information in semantic memory is associative: each fact or piece of knowledge is stored along with its relationship to other stored information related items can activate each other which facilitates recall

Semantic Memory Structure of encoding is associative –Example: Accessing a memory that is “on the tip of your tongue” you’re trying to rent a movie but you can’t recall the title of the one you have in mind, you scan through the associated facts: the actors, the plot, the setting, etc. until the title surfaces each recalled piece of knowledge “activates” related knowledge until the title is sufficiently activated

Semantic Memory Structure of encoding is associative –This idea is formalized in so-called “connectionist” networks bird canary chicken mockingbird To Kill A Mockingbird racism highschool Martin Luther King hockey Mr. Cassella physics

When You Don’t Remember Two reasons why you don’t remember semantic information:

When You Don’t Remember Two reasons why you don’t remember semantic information: Unavailable –It wasn’t successfully encoded - something when wrong while you were studying

When You Don’t Remember Two reasons why you don’t remember semantic information: Unavailable –It wasn’t successfully encoded - something when wrong while you were studying Inaccessible –memory is stored but cannot be retrieved, perhaps because appropriate connections aren’t being made

When You Don’t Remember Two reasons why you don’t remember semantic information: context is critical! –e.g. lists of words are recalled better when recalled where they were first learned

Next Time Episodic Memory Read Loftus for Monday Read Sacks for Wednesday