What is memory?

Explain the concept of sensory memory?

-This is known as the 1st level of memory. Sensory memory is the ability to retain impressions of sensory information after the original stimulus has ceased.

Give an example of sensory memory?

-You lose concentration in class during a lecture. Suddenly you hear a significant word and return your focus to the lecture. You should be able to remember what was said just before the key word since it is in your sensory register.

What is the capacity of our sensory memory?

-Your brain can take in a lot of information fairly accurately, but this information is not processed much at all, and it does not remain in sensory memory very long. There are 2 types of retaining this memory: Echoic and iconic meaning auditory and visual sensory memory. iconic lasts less than 1 second and echoic lasts less than 4 seconds.

Describe the concept of short term memory?

-Less than 99% of sensory information is passed on to short term memory. Two encoding processes by which we transfer information from sensory to short term memory are selective attention and future extraction. Selective attention occurs when we notice important information necessary to meet our basic needs or our own interests. Feature extraction would be observing things as unusual or out of the ordinary.

 What is the "magic number" as it relates to short-term memory and who conducted the experiment which established this measurement?

-Short Term Memory contains information that we are actively using. For example: remembering a friend's number in your mind, using short term memory by constant repetition for a short period of time and then  forgetting it. Loftus conducted an experiment related to this theory.

What is chunking? 

-Chunking refers to joining bits of information and turning them into a larger piece of information. 

What has been determined to be the ideal size of "chunks" for both letters and numbers?
  -about 7letter or 7 numbers.

Which mode of encoding does short-term memory mostly rely on, acoustic or visual?

- Acoustic

Explain the duration and capacity of long-term memory.

- In order for information to be stored in long term information, it must be encoded, which means processed or manipulated.

Explain in detail the Atkinson-Shiffrin Model of memory.

-Memory starts as stimuli, that we sense some of it goes into short term, if hold on to it,  then we can move it to long term, so once it gets there that information stays.

 Identify three criticisms or limitations of the Atkinson-Shiffrin Model of memory.
-The sensory stores are sensory systems, not memory systems as most people think of the term "memory." 
 Memories can be "warmed up" but outside of attention. In other words, intermediate levels of activation are possible.
The three-box model implies that there is just one short-term system and just one long-term system. In reality, there are many memory systems operating in parallel (for example, different systems for vision, language, and odor memory). 
Each has short-term and long-term operations.
The Atkinson-Shiffrin model does not give enough emphasis to unconscious processes. Unconscious activation is shown with a tentative, dotted arrow. Modern researchers find that unconscious and implicit forms of memory are more common than consciously directed memory processes.

Explain the Levels of Processing Model of memory.

 -According to a "levels of processing" theory, the more meaningful the rehearsal makes the material, the better the material will be remembered.

What is maintenance rehearsal - give an example.

-Keeps info in short-term, long enough to evaluate content. Examples: reading, repeating phone number.

What is elaborative rehearsal - give an example.

-Required for transferring information from short-term to long term memory.

Who developed the Levels of Processing Model and the concepts of maintenance and elaborative rehearsal? 

-F. Craig and R. Lockhart.