class 5

Cognition and Emotion
Week 3 - Class 2
25/11/2016
Joske Houtkamp
Bachelor Course Information Science
Utrecht University
2015-2016
1
Topics
• Working memory
• Short-term memory
Literature
Matlin, M.W. Cognitive Psychology
•
•
Chapter 4 Using Working Memory
Chapter 5 Using Long-Term Memory
(except Flashbulb Memories en
Eyewitness Testimony)
Working memory
• “…is the brief, immediate memory for the limited
amount of material that you are currently
processing; part of working memory also actively
coordinates your ongoing mental activities.”
• (older : short term memory)
• Can short and long term memory be
distinguished clearly ? (Useful for organising and
discussing memory research)
Example working memory use
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F988ZpogRiI
• 1.26.50
• Rudi Carrell - Am laufenden Band (Folge 16) 1975
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcoBXDuRx
WM
• 1.23.30
• Rudi Carrell - Am laufenden Band (Folge 37) 1978
Take the test
http://gocognitive.net/demo/working-memory-capacity
Classic Research on Working Memory
George Miller's "Magical Number Seven" (7 ± 2)
•
suggested that people can remember about seven items (give
or take two)
•
Chunk- memory unit consisting of strongly associated
components
•
proposed that people engage in internal mental processes in
order to convert stimuli into a manageable number of chunks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0YjOVUt--M
0.55
Ton Sijbrands Wereldrecord Blinddammen 2007 25 partijen
simultaan blinddammen (explanation by Douwe Draaisma)
Classic Research on Working Memory
Other early research on the capacity of short-term memory
Between 1950 en 1970 two techniques were often applied in
research:
1. The Brown/Peterson & Peterson Technique
Material held in memory for less than a minute is
frequently forgotten.
•
present some items to be remembered; count
backwards by threes (distractor task); attempt recall
•
rehearsal prevented by distraction task
Conclusion: material that is only stored for a few seconds is
easily forgotten.
•
Classic Research on Working Memory
Other early research on the capacity of short-term
memory
2. Serial position effect, the Recency Effect
• serial-position effect (U-shaped relationship between a
word’s position in a list and its probability of recall)
• recency effect (better recall for items at the end of the
list)
• primacy effect (better recall for items at the beginning
of the list). No competition with earlier items, more
rehearsal
• counting the number of accurately recalled items at the
end of the list is a method for measuring the size of
short-term memory -> 3 to 7 items
•
Classic Research on Working Memory
Other Early Research on the Capacity of Short-TermMemory: influence of semantics (=meaning of words and
sentences)
Semantic Similarity of the Items in Short-Term Memory
• Wickens and colleagues (1976)
• proactive interference (PI): people have trouble learning
new material because previously learned material keeps
interfering with their new learning
• release from proactive interference:
Brown/Peterson & Peterson task- varying semantic
similarity on Trial 4 (fruit versus occupations)
12
•
Classic Research on Working Memory
Atkinson and Shiffrin's
Model, classic informationprocessing model
•
•
•
Short- and long-term
memory are distinctly
separate
Items in short term
memory are fragile
(forgotten in 30 seconds
if not repeated)
Control processes:
intentional strategies
such as rehearsal, used
to improve memory
The Working-Memory Approach
Alan Baddeley & Graham Hitch (1974)
What does short-term memory accomplish for our cognitive
processes?
“immediate memory is a multipart system that temporarily
holds and manipulates information while we perform cognitive
tasks”
•
The working-memory approach emphasizes the active
manipulation of information in working memory, managing
chunks of information so individuals can work with them
•
Comparable to a ‘workbench’ with new and old material
(from long-term memory)
•
Difference with earlier theories: components
•
The Working-Memory Approach
Evidence for Components with Independent Capacities
Working memory is not unitary (ondeelbaar)(Baddeley &
Hitch,1974)
Repeat random numbers and spatial reasoning task (push button
for specific stimulus)
People performed remarkably quickly and accurately on both of
these two simultaneous tasks.
Working memory seems to consist of separate components that
operate separately to some extent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhHo6rgmOg8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxHXJmGH8i8
17
The Working-Memory Approach
Phonological Loop
– phonological loop—stores auditory information, processes
a limited number of sounds for a short period of time
– language and other sounds you hear/make
– subvocalization (=inner speech, silently pronounce words
you are reading)
• Repeating to yourself, learn new words, mathematical
calculations, mental echo of a name or melody
The Working-Memory approach
Visuospatial Sketchpad
• visuospatial sketchpad—processes both visual and
spatial information
• also known as: visuospatial working memory, shortterm visual memory
Allows you to:
• store visual appearance and relative position of objects
• store visual information encoded from verbal stimuli
(for instance: visual images when you are looking for
your keys)
• has limited capacity
19
The Working-Memory approach
Visuospatial Sketchpad
Use of the Visuospatial Sketchpad
•
•
•
•
•
engineering, art, architecture
retaining image of a scene
finding your way from one location to another
track a moving object
videogames, jigsaw puzzles, mazes
The Working-Memory Approach
Episodic Buffer
•
temporary storehouse that can hold and combine
information from the phonological loop, the visuospatial
sketchpad, and long-term memory
•
integrates information from different modalities
•
manipulates information for interpretation
•
makes connections between concepts
•
limited capacity
•
temporary memory system
The Working-Memory approach
Central executive
•
•
•
integrates information from the phonological loop, the visuospatial
sketchpad, the episodic buffer, and long-term memory
plays a role in: focusing attention, selecting strategies, transforming
information, and coordinating behavior
suppressing irrelevant information
•
•
•
•
•
•
plans and coordinates, but does not store information
executive supervisor
decides which issues deserve attention
selects a strategy
decides how to tackle a problem
limited ability to perform simultaneous tasks
•
http://gocognitive.net/interviews/origins-central-executive
•
Allan Baddeley: the origins of the central executive
22
New!!! Procedural working memory
• Alan Baddeley on the procedural working
memory
• http://gocognitive.net/interviews/proceduralworking-memory?page=1