Selective Attention Selects certain information for further processing We normally pay attention to only a SMALL (PLEASE ENJOY THE IRONIC FONT SELECTION) portion of incoming information

Reticular Formation

Sensory Memory A split second holding tank for ALL sensory information. The registers are very large, but information stays for only a very short time Iconic Memory Echoic Memory

Visual and Auditory Registers Visual register holds images, or icons, that represent all aspects of a visual image – Icons normally last about ¼ second in the visual register Auditory register holds echoes of sound – Echoes can last up to several seconds in the auditory register Why do the auditory registers last longer?

Now let us test your visual registers I will flash the next picture for just ¼ of a second. DON’T BLINK After the image flashes we’ll return to a white screen and you can tell me everything you saw.

Did you pay attention to everything?

Sensory Memory Examples: You lose concentration in class during a lecture. Suddenly you hear a significant word and return your focus to the lecture. You should be able to remember what was said just before the key word since it is in your sensory register. Your ability to see motion can be attributed to sensory memory. An image previously seen must be stored long enough to compare to the new image. Visual processing in the brain works like watching a cartoon - - you see one frame at a time. If someone is reading to you, you must be able to remember the words at the beginning of a sentence in order to understand the sentence as a whole. These words are held in a relatively unprocessed sensory memory.

External events Sensory memory Short-term memory Long-term memory Sensory input Attention to important or novel information Encoding Retrieving Modifed Akinson/Shiffrin

Short-term Memory Short-term memory holds information we are aware of or thinking about at any given moment Sometimes referred to as working memory

Capacity of Short-Term Memory Research indicates that STM can hold 7+/- 2 bits of information Current research has demonstrated that STM can hold whatever is rehearsed in 1.5 to 2 seconds Larger amounts of information can be held by using the process of chunking

Maintaining STM Information can be held in STM by using rote rehearsal, also called maintenance rehearsal Rote rehearsal involves repeating information over and over This technique is not very effective in creating long term memories

Long-term Memory Everything that is learned is stored in long- term memory Capacity of long-term memory – Vast amounts of information may be stored for many years – No known limits to capacity