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Short Term /Working Memory (Phase 2)

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Working Memory, also called Short Term Memory

includes processes that preserve recently perceived events or experiences. Working memory occurs between the fleeting moments of sensory memory and the more permanent storage into Long Term Memory. Set of distinguishing characteristics:

1) Working memory has a very limited capacity retaining less information than sensory and LTM.

STM <sensory and LTM

2) Working memory retains information for a vry short duration of time, what is stored is lost in 20-30 seconds if it is not held in conscioiusness

3) Working memory is the only memory system in which material is consciously processed.

Much of the information you put in short term memory is already in long term memory: example: 345-7649

Please put in short term memory:

CVFLK

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See C V retrieve from LTM; Hear yourself  repeat outloud or silently: both systems reflect LTM input.

STM contains both new information and retrieved information from LTM. The term working memory has been preferred by some to LTM to reflect the SM/STM/LTM interaction. Information in short term memory is encoded according to previously learned rules which of course forces us to realize that Long Term Memory determines the nature

Handful of items make their way from sensory memory to STM.     Only material we pay attention to.

STM

1) Duration: Most information that enters is lost

How long Does STM or working memory last? Review research by Brown/Peterson &Peterson: Example:

Item  lLGB view and begin counting backwards from 100 by threes (100, 97 etc) Then recall. Limit rehearsal.

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see overhead 1

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-------------   Generally thought to be 20 to 30 seconds.

2) Size or capacity: George Miller's magical numbers 7 +or - 2.   346-2793 telephone numbers

Chunking: 1-900-Cal-Love

                    UNSTOFAM 1 chunk or 8    

Miller argued that memory capacity was about 7 independent of how they were stored . Recent evidence has revealed that the size of the memory span is largest for numbers, intermediate for letters, and smallest for words.

3) Types of processing or Encoding

A) Encoding STM

Encoding simply means transforming sensory stimuli into a form that can be placed in memory.

a. effortful: deliberate attempt to store information as when you are introduced to someone at a party and you match their first name with someone you know. Family reference: Bill, Tim, Jim, Kathleen, Anne

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b) Automatic: No deliberate effort. Spatial locations, time, number of occurrences. Where is the photo of the Shakespearean actors on page 211. Patrick Stewart phenomenon.

4) Storage Forms in our Working memories:

Please read pages 44, 58, 66.

How did you keep these page numbers in STM

BY SOUND, BY the way they look or VISION, or by MEANING.

1) Phonological STM: Saying and hearing sounds. WORD CODING

This is sometime referred to a acoustic memory. Acoustical error studies Conrad, 1964 and Wickelgren, 1965 have found that if given an item to memorize: 4NF992GZE and when the subjects failed to recall items, e.g., Z they would substitute acoustically similar words, B.C, D, E, indicating the tendency to encode acoustically is strong and dominates other storage forms.

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2) Visual STM or working memory: Mental manipulations of shapes often practiced by designers, architects would be an example of this type of STM coding.

5) MAINTENANCE: Rehearsal and repitition