PSY10004 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Long-Term Memory, Sensory Memory, Echoic Memory
PSYCH 101 - PSY10004 WEEK 5
MEMORY
Memory is defined as all of the information in a person’s mind and the mind’s capacity to store
and retrieve information.!
Information Processing Model!
SENSORY MEMORY
Sensory memory has a brief memory trace of sensory information!
•Iconic visual memory - <1 second!
•Echoic auditory memory - up to 3-4 seconds!
Sensory memory holds all sensory information!
•Unconscious mental processes analyse information!
•Decide whether it is important or not!
If the information is important, we pay attention to it and it moves to short term memory. If the
information is not attended to, it is lost. !
WORKING MEMORY
•Conscious of information!
-think, perceive, compare, feel, reason!
•Information is stored temporarily!
-if not rehearsed or encoded it is lost!
•Attend to a few pieces of information at a time!
-7 + or - 2 pieces!
•Information comes from sensory memory and long term memory!
LONG-TERM MEMORY
The stored representation of all that a person knows. We are not aware of all the information in
long term memory as we must bring the information to working memory to use it.!
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CHARACTERISTICS OF MEMORY STORES
•Function — the role in the workings of the mind !
•Capacity — the amount of information it can hold at any given time!
•Duration — the amount of time it can hold information for!
CONTROL PROCESSES
Maintenance Rehearsal: the encoding and retainment of information in working memory through
conscious repetition.!
Elaborative Rehearsal: the encoding and retainment of information in working memory through
relating the new information to information already stored in long term memory.!
Attention: controls the flow from sensory memory to working memory. Attention must be
selective and filter out unimportant information.!
•Attend to relevant material and ignore irrelevant material!
-Selective hearing!
-Selective viewing!
•Can instantly shift attention to stimuli!
-Dangerous!
-Beneficial!
Shifting Attention: Report information that was ignored seconds before using echoic memory.!
Encoding: Controls the flow from working memory to long term memory!
•Deliberate: actively trying to store information !
•Incidental: encoding that happens effortlessly usually due to interest!
Retrieval: Controls flow from long term memory to working memory!
•Deliberate: actively trying to remember something and use it!
•Automatic: information flowing effortlessly from long term memory into working memory!
Unconscious Processing: Priming —> Activation, by sensory input, of info that is stored in LTM
•Activated info influences behaviours & thoughts
•Stimuli may even be subliminally presented!
•Automatic, Routine Processing
-Perform routine tasks automatically
-Unconsciously process info
-Use info to guide behaviour
-Example — Stroop Interference Effect: a demonstration
of$interference$in the reaction time of a task.
Working memory !
COMPONENTS
1. Phonological Loop!
•Holds verbal information
2. Visuospatial Sketchpad!
Sensory Memory
Working Memory
Long Term Memory
Function
Briefly retain
information for
unconscious analysis
To work with, use, and
manipulate
information
consciously
To store information
Capacity
Large
7 + or - 2 pieces of
information
Unlimited
Duration
Very Brief
18 generally but up to
30 seconds
Unlimited
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Memory is de ned as all of the information in a person"s mind and the mind"s capacity to store and retrieve information. Sensory memory has a brief memory trace of sensory information: iconic visual memory - <1 second, echoic auditory memory - up to 3-4 seconds. Sensory memory holds all sensory information: unconscious mental processes analyse information, decide whether it is important or not. If the information is important, we pay attention to it and it moves to short term memory. If the information is not attended to, it is lost. Think, perceive, compare, feel, reason: information is stored temporarily. If not rehearsed or encoded it is lost: attend to a few pieces of information at a time. 7 + or - 2 pieces: information comes from sensory memory and long term memory. The stored representation of all that a person knows.
