PSYA01H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: Richard Shiffrin, Echoic Memory, Short-Term Memory
Chapter 7
7.1 Memory Systems
Memory:
• Memory is a collection of several systems that store information in different forms for
differing amounts of time
The Atkinson- Shiffrin Model:
• I the 96’s Rihad Atkiso ad Rihad “hiffi eieed hat pshologist ke
about memory at that time and constructed the memory model that bears their names
• The Atkinson model includes three memory stores
1. Sensory memory
2. Long term memory (LTM)
3. Short term memory (STM)
• Memory is a multistage process
• Information flows through a brief sensory memory store into short term memory where
rehearsal encode it to long term memory for permanent storage
• Memories are retrieved from long term memory and brought into short- term storage
for further processing
o Stores: retain information in memory without using it for any specific purpose
o Control Processes: Shift information from one memory store to another
o Attention: selects which information will be passed on to STM
o Encoding: the process of storing information in the LTM system
o Retrieval: Brings information from LTM back into STM
Sensory Memory:
• Sensory memory: is a memory that accurately holds perceptual information for a very
brief amount of time
o Iconic memory is the visual form of sensory memory and is held for about one-
half to one second.
▪ Iconic memory can be detected in a memory experiment: the whole
report and partial report conditions.
o Echoic memory is the auditory form of sensory memory and is held for
considerably longer, but still only about five seconds.
▪ Ex. Echoic memory is when someone asks you a question and you say,
What?, only to ealize that ou still hae the peso’s oie i ehoi
memory – ad suddel sa Oh! ad ase the uestio efoe the
repeat the question.
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• In the whole report condition, researchers flash a grid of latter on a screen for a split
second and participants attempt to recall as many as possible the whole screen.
Participants generally can report only three or four of the letters, and those are all in the
same line.
• In the partial report condition, researchers again flash a set of letters on the screen, but
the display is followed immediately by a tone that is randomly chosen to be low,
medium, or high.
o After hearing the tone, participants are to report the corresponding line –
bottom, middle, or top.
o Under these conditions, participants still report only three or four of the letters,
but they can report them from any randomly selected line.
o Because the tone comes after the screen goes blank, the only way the
participants could get the letters right is if they recalled them from memory.
o Thus, it was argued that iconic memory could hold all 12 letters as a mental
image.
Short term memory (STM):
• Short term memory: is a memory store with limited capacity and duration (less than a
minute)
• The capacity of STM was summed up by one psychologist as the magical number of
seven, plus or minus two:
o In his review miller found study after study in which participants were able to
remember seven units of information, give or take a couple
• Chunking: organizing smaller units of information into larger more meaningful units
▪ Ex. C B C H B O C T V T S N C N N
o The above example can be chunked into CBC HBO CTV TSN CNN
Long term memory (LTM):
• Long Term Memory: is a memory store that holds information for extended periods of
time, if not permanently.
o LTM does not have a capacity limitation
o All the information that undergoes encoding will be entered into LTM
• Two ways in which LTM is organized:
1. One way is based on the semantic categories that the items belong too
2. A second way is organized based on the sounds of the word and on how the word
looks also known as Tip-of - the-tongue (TOT) phenomenon
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o Tip-of - the-tongue (TOT) phenomenon: when you are able to retrieve
similar sounding words or words that stat ith the sae lette ut a’t
quite retrieve the word you actually want
Long term and short-term memory:
• Serial position effect: in general, most people will recall the first few items from a list
and the last few items, but only an item or two from the middle.
• Proactive interference: is when the first information learned occupies memory, leaving
fewer resources left to remember the newer information.
o Yet, we also remember the last few items because they still reside in our STM – a
pattern referred to as the recency effect
• Retroactive interference is when the most recently learned information overshadows
some older memories that have not yet made it into long-term memory.
The Working Memory Model: An Active STM System
• Rehearsal: is when you repeat information until you do not need to remember it anymore.
• Working memory: is a model of short-term remembering that includes a combination of
memory components that can temporarily store small amounts of information for a short
period of time.
o The working memory model for short-term remembering can be subdivided into
three storage components:
1. Phonological loop: is a storage component of working memory that relies on
rehearsal and stores information as sounds, or an auditory code.
2. Visuospatial sketchpad: is a storage component of working memory that maintains
visual images and spatial layouts in a visuospatial code.
3. Episodic buffer is a storage component of working memory that combines the
images and sounds from the other two components into coherent, story-like
episodes.
o Working memory also includes one component that is not primarily used for storing
information
o Central executive is the control center of working memory; it coordinates
attention and the exchange of information among the three storage
components.
▪ It does so seekig out hat is eleat to the peso’s goals,
interests, and prior knowledge. For example, when you see a series
of letters from a familiar alphabet, it is easy to remember the letters
by rehearsing them in the phonological loop.
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Document Summary
Memory: memory is a collection of several systems that store information in different forms for differing amounts of time. Sensory memory: sensory memory: is a memory that accurately holds perceptual information for a very brief amount of time. Iconic memory is the visual form of sensory memory and is held for about one- half to one second. Iconic memory can be detected in a memory experiment: the whole report and partial report conditions: echoic memory is the auditory form of sensory memory and is held for considerably longer, but still only about five seconds, ex. In the whole report condition, researchers flash a grid of latter on a screen for a split second and participants attempt to recall as many as possible the whole screen. Participants generally can report only three or four of the letters, and those are all in the same line.
