1. 1 Sensory and Short-Term Memory PSY 421 – Fall 2004

2. 2 Overview Sensory Memory (Chapter 3, pp. 102-110) Sensory Memory (Chapter 3, pp. 102-110) Short-Term Memory (Chapter 4, pp. 134-157) Short-Term Memory (Chapter 4, pp. 134-157) How this fits together with what we have learned and what we will learn How this fits together with what we have learned and what we will learn

3. 3 Sensory Memory Part of the Information-Processing Model of Memory (Atkinson-Shiffrin, 1968) Part of the Information-Processing Model of Memory (Atkinson-Shiffrin, 1968) Visual Sensory Memory (aka: iconic memory) Visual Sensory Memory (aka: iconic memory) Partial vs. Whole Report Partial vs. Whole Report Visual Masking Visual Masking Duration Estimation Duration Estimation Sensory Stores (one per modality) Short-Term Store Long-Term Store Information/ Stimuli Retrieval Rehearsal Attention

4. 4 Visual Sensory/Iconic Memory Precategorical Nature Precategorical Nature Iconic Memory – who cares! Iconic Memory – who cares! Useful if you are reading during a lightening storm Useful if you are reading during a lightening storm Important for preventing overloading of cognitive system Important for preventing overloading of cognitive system

5. 5 Auditory Sensory Memory Echoic Memory Echoic Memory Everyday problem – if we didn’t have echoic memory, would be able to remember the beginning of a sentence said aloud by the time we reached the end? Everyday problem – if we didn’t have echoic memory, would be able to remember the beginning of a sentence said aloud by the time we reached the end? Partial vs. Whole Report Partial vs. Whole Report Modality and Suffix Effects Modality and Suffix Effects

6. 6 Partial vs. Whole Report George Sperling (1960) – how much information could be taken in during a glance of a very briefly presented stimulus? George Sperling (1960) – how much information could be taken in during a glance of a very briefly presented stimulus? T-scope presentation for no-fade “screen” refresh T-scope presentation for no-fade “screen” refresh Present matrix for 50 msec Present matrix for 50 msec Tone – subjects were to report everything in the matrix (whole report) – 3 to 4 letters typically reported Tone – subjects were to report everything in the matrix (whole report) – 3 to 4 letters typically reported Partial Report = High tone – subjects were to report top row - 3 of the 4 letters typically reported; mid and low tones too Partial Report = High tone – subjects were to report top row - 3 of the 4 letters typically reported; mid and low tones too Duration between presentation and tone was important – more than a quarter of a second, only 50% could be reported Duration between presentation and tone was important – more than a quarter of a second, only 50% could be reported A C K L W T P Z Q R D M

7. 7 Precategorical Acoustic Store Evidence for Evidence for Evidence against Evidence against

8. 8 Short-Term Memory (STM) Also known as Working Memory, primary memory Also known as Working Memory, primary memory Set of processes that we use to hold and rehearse information that occupies our current awareness Set of processes that we use to hold and rehearse information that occupies our current awareness Is this really different from Long-Term Memory? Is this really different from Long-Term Memory? Characteristics of STM Characteristics of STM Limited Duration Limited Duration Limited Capacity Limited Capacity Information is coded with auditory characteristics Information is coded with auditory characteristics

9. 9 Forgetting in STM Decay – loss of information due to the passage of time Decay – loss of information due to the passage of time Interference – loss of information due to negative influence from the presentation of other information Interference – loss of information due to negative influence from the presentation of other information

10. 10 Working Memory More elaborate conception of STM More elaborate conception of STM Baddeley and colleagues – primary researchers Baddeley and colleagues – primary researchers Working Memory (WM) is a set of closely interacting subsystems that combine to subserve a hot of higher-level mental processes Working Memory (WM) is a set of closely interacting subsystems that combine to subserve a hot of higher-level mental processes Subsystems Subsystems Articulatory Loop Articulatory Loop Visual-Spatial Sketch Pad Visual-Spatial Sketch Pad Central Executive – THE system Central Executive – THE system

11. 11 Articulatory Loop Phonological Store = holds information temporarily Phonological Store = holds information temporarily Subvocal Rehearsal = just what is appears to be Subvocal Rehearsal = just what is appears to be Articulatory Suppression Articulatory Suppression

12. 12 Visual-Spatial Sketchpad Responsible for storage and manipulation of visual and spatial information Responsible for storage and manipulation of visual and spatial information Seems to work independently from articulatory loop Seems to work independently from articulatory loop

13. 13 Central Executive Articulatory Loop and Visual-Spatial Sketchpad feed into this system Articulatory Loop and Visual-Spatial Sketchpad feed into this system Like the “capacity allocator” of the attentional system Like the “capacity allocator” of the attentional system Involved in higher order processing like problem solving and language comprehension Involved in higher order processing like problem solving and language comprehension

14. 14 Putting it all together Sensations Perceptual processes Attention Short-Term Memory Long-Term Memory Working Memory Central Executive Articulatory Loop Visual-Spatial Sketchpad