5.1 Sensory, Working, and Long-Term Memory

Memory is like a complex filing system in our brains. It starts with sensory input, moves to short-term storage, and finally settles into long-term memory. Each step plays a crucial role in how we process and retain information.

Understanding memory types helps us learn better. From quick sensory memories to lasting procedural skills, our brains use different systems to store info. Knowing these can improve how we study and remember important stuff.

Sensory and Short-Term Memory

Sensory Memory and Short-Term Memory

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• Sensory memory briefly holds sensory information from the environment after the original stimulus has ceased
• Consists of iconic memory (visual stimuli) and echoic memory (auditory stimuli)
• Short-term memory (STM) is the capacity for holding a small amount of information in an active, readily available state for a brief period
• STM has a limited capacity (7 ± 2 items) and a short duration (15-30 seconds) without rehearsal

Working Memory and Capacity Limitations

• Working memory is a multi-component system that manipulates information from STM and links it to long-term memory (LTM)
• Consists of a central executive, phonological loop, and visuospatial sketchpad
• Central executive controls attention and coordinates the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad
• Phonological loop holds and manipulates speech-based information (verbal working memory)
• Visuospatial sketchpad holds and manipulates visual and spatial information
• Working memory has a limited capacity that varies by individual and task complexity (reading comprehension, mental arithmetic)

Decay and Forgetting in Short-Term Memory

• Information in STM is quickly forgotten unless it is rehearsed or transferred to LTM
• Decay theory suggests that memory traces in STM fade and disappear over time
• Interference theory proposes that other information in STM can interfere with the target information, causing forgetting
• Retrieval failure occurs when information is available in memory but cannot be accessed due to lack of cues or interference

Long-Term Memory Types

Episodic and Semantic Memory

• Episodic memory is the collection of past personal experiences that occurred at a particular time and place
• Includes memories of specific events, such as a birthday party or graduation ceremony
• Semantic memory is a structured record of facts, concepts, and skills that we have acquired
• Includes general knowledge about the world, such as the capital of France or the function of a hammer
• Semantic memory is independent of personal experience and is shared by members of a culture

Procedural Memory

• Procedural memory is the unconscious memory of skills and how to do things, particularly the use of objects or movements of the body
• Includes memories for motor skills, such as riding a bicycle or tying shoelaces
• Procedural memories are typically acquired through repetition and practice
• Often difficult to verbally describe procedural memories, as they are largely unconscious and automatic (muscle memory)

Memory Models and Processes

Atkinson-Shiffrin Model and Long-Term Memory

• The Atkinson-Shiffrin model proposes that memory consists of three separate stages: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory
• Information passes from sensory memory to STM through attention, and from STM to LTM through rehearsal
• Long-term memory (LTM) is the relatively permanent storage of information
• LTM has a virtually unlimited capacity and can last a lifetime
• Information in LTM is organized into schemas, which are mental frameworks that help organize and interpret information

Chunking and Memory Improvement

• Chunking is the process of grouping individual pieces of information into larger units or chunks
• Chunking can increase the amount of information held in STM by combining smaller pieces of information into meaningful units (remembering a phone number as three chunks rather than ten individual digits)
• Mnemonic devices, such as acronyms (NASA) or acrostics (Every Good Boy Does Fine), can aid in chunking and memory retrieval
• Elaborative rehearsal, which involves linking new information to existing knowledge in LTM, can improve long-term retention compared to simple repetition or maintenance rehearsal