T3: PSYC 309 > Working Memory > Flashcards

Working Memory Flashcards

(70 cards)

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1
Q

what is working memory

A

= A brain system that provides temporary storage and manipulation (cognitive control) of info necessary for complex cognitive tasks such as language comprehension, learning and reasoning.

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2
Q

WM storage

A

maintains info when it’s no longer available in perception. Form of internal attention

incl info we recall from LTM to STM

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3
Q

manipulation

A

allows the mind to do operations and transformations of info

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4
Q

who developed the WM system, and how many components does it have

A

Baddeley

–> originally 3 components, now 4

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5
Q

does WM correlate with anything?

A

yes, correlates strongly with intelligence, reading comprehension, success

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6
Q

4 structures of WM

A
  • central exec
  • phonological loop
  • visuospatial sketchpad
  • episodic buffer
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7
Q

are all the components ilimited?

A

NOOOO
THEY ARE ALL MARKED BY LIMITED CAPACITY

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8
Q

what are the fluid and crystallized systems of WM?

A

FLUID:
- visuospatial sketchpad
- episodic buffer
- phonological loop

CRYSTALIZED
- visual semantics
- episodic LTM
- langugae

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9
Q

fluid systems

A

info in these systems changes constantly

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10
Q

crystallized systems

A

more stable info, lasts for longer

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11
Q

central executive

A

Primary system for controlling attention and thinking, where info is manipulated
–> command centre from wM

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12
Q

what does the CE do with attention?

A

directs it to the important info in the env or in the mind
(extrenal or internal)

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13
Q

where does the CM happen?

A

largely in prefrontal cortex
–> especially during manipulation

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14
Q

3 components of exec function

A
  • mental set shift = task-switching
  • info updating = closely related to storage and maintenance
  • inhibition
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15
Q

Episodic Buffer

A

Integrates info from multiple internal sources into an episodic representation

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16
Q

what do we mean by episodic

A

temporary, short experience of the object or events that you’re holding in your mind at the moment

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17
Q

phonological loop

A

stores and rehearses verbal and acoustic info

–> allows you to briefly remember verbal material

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18
Q

what’s the phonological loop’s capacity (in comparison to VSS)

A

higher capacity
–> but more sensitive to distraction
–> and bad when sounds are similar

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19
Q

2 components of phonological loop

A
  • phonological store
  • articulatory rehearsal loop
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20
Q

phonological store

A

holds sounds or speech-based information for 1-2 secs

–> tested with the digit-span test

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21
Q

articulatory rehearsal loops

A

when you perform inner speech to remember something

–> can hold 7+-2 items or chunks

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22
Q

what is one important feature about the phonological loop

A

acoustic in nature

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23
Q

acoustic similarity effect

A

reduced capacity with words that are similar in sound ie rhyme

–> similar sounding words are more prone to be confused

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24
Q

irrelevant speech effect

A

WM is impaired by irrelevant spoken material, irrespective of its meaning.

–> it is the SOUND that interferes with memorizing words, not the meaning

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25
word length effect
=the capacity for words or other stimuli depends on the spoken duration or syllable length of the world
26
what is the average amount of items that we can remember? | based on the phonological loop
about as many as can be said in 2 secs --> BUT people who speak faster have higher WM spans
27
how do differences in language affect WM in terms of phonological loop?
Differences in languages that have longer v shorter names for numbers (English and Chinese average 1 syllable in length so they can remember more digits compared to Arabic)
28
what happens to patients with WM deficits?
have issues w phonological loop --> encode words visually --> dont show acoustic similarlity or word length effects
29
articulatory suppression
=the disruption of WM that occurs when uttering irrelevant sounds while trying to learn material --> supresses rehearsal
30
what is a higher phonological loop predictive of in children?
ability t learn a second language --> better verbal WM also correlates with better reading comprehension
31
what brain areas are active during phonological tasks? what dictates their activity?
prefrontal cortex --> the more WM load, the more activation
32
what does neuroimaging show about phonological store and articulatory rehearsal?
supports a distinction between those
33
visuospatial sketchpad
visual STM -= Retains visual info for a short period of time, especially when the perceptual image is no longer available or has changed, most commonly whenever we move our eyes
34
is the VSS the shortest or the longest spectrum of WM?
SHORTEST
35
approx what is the capacity of VSS? what is the HOWEVER here?
- about 4 features or objects at a time --> BUT objects are sometimes integrated/chunked, increasing capacity in a way
36
what are the 2 main theories regarding how we store complex objects?
- slot model of visual STM - resources model of visual STM
37
slot model of visual STM +metaphor
- each slot corresponds to one object - up to 4 objects regardless of their complexity --> In a room with 4 chairs, there are only 4 places to sit, regardless of its children are sitting or adults
38
resource model of visual STM + metaphor
capacity is a limited resource shared by all objects overall capacity depends on the complexity of each object --> In a room with 4 chairs, it can flexibly seat small children or less large adults
39
which of the models for visual STM are supported by neuroimaging?
both!! --> The more complex the items, the slower people can search through them and the fewer they can hold in visual STM
40
where does visual STM show in the brain?
superior intraparietal sulcus (IPS) --> resource model
41
what is the superior IPS sensitive to?
features or resources
42
what is the inferior IPS sensitive to?
objects or slots --> provides evidence for the slot model
43
what happens when you mantain the image of a face or a scene?
actives the brain area related to perceiving THAT object --> fMRI can decode which objects are held in WM even w/o active perceptual stimuli
44
what is another central feature of visual objects?
their location --> positions allow you to individuate the objects and track them as separate entities
45
where does the brain compute location?
dorsolateral brain areas
46
where does the brain compute objects?
ventrolateral brain areas
47
what is the relation between LTM and WM?
- largely independent - but LTM has to be active or recruited during WM tasks
48
what is some debate around LTM and WM?
some argue that WM is selective activation of LTM but Baddeley disagrees and proposed the components so that the WM constructs new representations on the fly rather than reactivating old memories
49
what is another cognitive ability that relates to WM>
attention --> overlap in several brain areas
50
what can cognitive control be important in in relation to emotions
clinical disorders like depression and anxiety --> affect a log of people so treatement is importnat
51
behavioural intervention
central role in the treatement of mood disorders
52
what is a main problem in mood disorders?
emotional regulation --> cognitive control function
53
what do people with depression often showcase?
rumination --> incessant focus on one's negative thoughts --> can't disengage from these, which prolonges depression
54
what do people with anxiety often showcase?
difficulties with cog control even in nonnthreatening situations --> slow lower PFC activity in high conflict trials, meaning the brain is less effective --> more susceptible to distraction
55
is WM more impaired by emotional or neutral stimuli?
emotional --> requires more regulation --> depends on prefrontal cortical mechanisms
56
what curve shows the effect of stress on WM?
yerkes-dodson curve --> performance suffers as a result of anxiety --> Choking under pressure is common
57
what happens to WM under stress and anxiety?
takes up capcity that should be devoted to problem solving -> ESPECIALLY to individuals with high WM capacity (the more intelligent they are, the more they are likely to fail w stress)
58
what are some ways to decrease stress
- rest - exercise - engage in activities that make you happy - perform for yourself
59
ego depletion
one’s energy for mental activity is exhausted, which impairs cognitive control and other activities
60
is mental fatigue the same as physical fatigue?
yep, kinda cognitive control acts as a type of muscle - ego depletion is associated with lower blood glucose level
61
what is a good way to promote good self-control?
restoring glucose (eat btich)
62
scarcity hypothesis
Scarcity impairs cog control --> People have worse cog control during periods of financial scarcity --> Poverty may disrupt cog control and decision making
63
enhancing cognitive control and WM
- some people claim that if we train on attentionally demanding tasks, we can improve our WM skills - but this produces mixed results - huge industry but doubtful
64
do videogames affect cognitive capacities?
yes, kinda, they may improve general capabilities as they act as dual-task training --> improves attentional skills --> and low-level visual skills --> no clear effect on IQ tho
65
best ways to increase cognition
- NO SUBSTANCE ABUSE - exercise, sleep - walking in nature
66
attention restoration theory
being out in nature can restore cognitive fatigue
67
what are 2 ways in which we've gotten empirical evidence for the structure of WM?
- dual task studies - neuropsychological studies and brain imaging studies
68
dual task studies
Interference in dual task is smaller if info doesn’t overlap → separate storage systems must exist
69
Neuropsychological studies and brain imaging studies
Different types of brain lesions differentially affect performance in verbal and spatial memory tasks --> implies that storage systems for STM are anatomically separate
70
when is the DLPFC more active?
when we are tasked with reordering a letter sequence versus just being asked to remember it --> showcase location of central exec
T3: PSYC 309
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