PSYCH 240 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Memory Span, Interference Theory, Stimulus Modality
Document Summary
Lecture 5: short term memory and working memory. Processes involved in retaining, retrieving, and using information when the original information is no longer present. Memory very broad concept--involved whenever past experience affects later behavior. Memory hugely important virtually all other cognitive processes importantly involve/depend upon memory. Memory is not a unitary process various different kinds of memory. Short term/working memory (various subtypes; attention important) Sensory memory initial, very rich stage. Holds all incoming information for c. 200 ms (visual--iconic) or a few seconds (auditory--echoic) Short-term memory attentionally selected (very) limited capacity--c. 5-7 items for c. 15-20 seconds. Long-term memory retains a huge amount of information indefinitely. Sensory memory: the very brief initial retention of large (maybe all) amounts of sensory stimuli. Incoming information (briefly) held to allow further processing; decays very quickly (c. 2 - 2 seconds) Persists (briefly) after initial stimulus gone (e. g. , persistence of vision ) 24 still frames/sec; brief dark spaces in-between filled in by sensory memory.
