Working Memory
Active manipulation of information (changing the representation of stimuli)
-Used to be called short term memory
What is the difference between Short term memory and working memory?
Short term: Thought to be a passive storage system (info just sits there)
Working: Active and dynamic manipulation/ processing of information across time
Large working memory cap
Better task performance
Small working memory cap
worse task performance
Brain training
The goal for brain training games is to improve/increase working memory.
- Effective in detecting deficits or declines in certain populations (elderly) rather than just “boosting” cognitive capabilities
Do people have a fixed working memory?
No!
What were 2 important observations in the (Baddeley and Hitch) Working Memory Model?
- Mental operations can be performed on info held in conscious awareness independent of involvement with LTM
- Performance in dual-task conditions was as a good as single-task conditions IF two tasks engaged different domains of info (verbal and visaspatial)
Good performance single task conditions
Verbal task= good performance
Visual task= good performance
Good performance in dual task conditions
One task is visually based and the other is verbal
Verbal + Visual = Good performance
(listen to music + park your car)
Poor performance in dual task conditions
Two verbal or two visual-based tasks
- Verbal + verbal = poor performance (deep convo + listen to a podcast)
-Visual + Visual = poor performance
(park car + remember kitchen layout)
This is due to capacity limitations
WM model 3 primary concepts
- Phonological loop
- Visuospatial sketchpad
- Central executive
*Operate independently from each other
Phonological Loop
Processes verbal/auditory info and has 2 components:
1. Phonological store
2. Articulatory rehearsal process
- Encodes representations phonologically (based on how they sound rather than semantic meaning)
Phonological store
has limited capacity and is only capable of holding information for a few seconds
Articulatory rehearsal process
supports rehearsal, which prevents infor residing in the phonological store from decaying (repeating a phone number back to yourself until you can write it down).
Visuospatial Sketchpad
processes visual/spatial information
Central Executive
Controls the flow of information (Conductor)
-Retrieving info from LTM, allocating it to other components
-“HEY this is relevant so pay attention”
Phonological Similarity Effects
letters/ numbers/ words that sound similar are more easily confused than those that look similar (easy to mix up T and V, rather than D and O)
Word-Length Effects
Memory for lists of shorter words is better (as compared to longer words)
- Implies a buffer with a finite capacity that can store more short words than long words
Do speakers of languages with longer words have smaller digit spans or larger digit spans in terms of the Word-length effects
Smaller digit span becuase the brain is better at storing smaller words
Articulatory Suppression
silently and continually repeating ex. “XYWZ” something to occupy the phonological loop and prevent rehearsal.
1. Reduces memory span
2. Eliminates word-length effects
3. Reduces phomological similartity effects
Visual Imagery
The creation of visual images in the mind in the absence of a physical visual stimulus
Mental rotation task
Being able look at wether two shapes, presented at different rotations are the same or different. Provide evidence for the concept of visuospatial sketch pad
Shepard and Meztlers rotation experiment
Trials that involve a greater rotational difference between the comparison (90 degree) shapes were responded to more slowly than those with smaller rotational differences (30 degrees). Shows that participants were using visual imagery to rotate images.
What are the 3 roles of the central executive?
- Controls the flow of information to the other components
- Responsible for focusing, dividing, switching attention
- Controls suppression or irrelevant information
