Short-Term Memory: The Second Stage in Memory Processing

Introduction to psychology Psychology 101, Section 8 October 26, 2010 Short-Term retention The short-run computer retrospect is the lead to our long lasting recollects. Short-term storehouse is the second stage in the storage processing (Huffman). The short-term holding is the part of the storehouse that temporarily stores and processes training from the sensory stock and holds it until it decides if the culture will be sent to the third stage or long-run memory (Huffman). The short-term memory stores a mixture of perceptual analyses nurture (Huffman).The short-term memory works in distinguishable ways to development its undersize qualification it uses rehearsal and chunking to be able to remember more functions at once (Huffman). Rehearsal is when a mortal repeats nurture over and over again to nurture it fresh in the memory and chunking is chemical grouping infract pieces of knowledge into a single group (Huffman). The short-term memory is also known as th e working memory because its always receiving tuition from the sensory memory and sending to the long memory (Huffman).I will be discussing the difference in the midst of short-term memory and long-term memory, the theory of spoil, and the working memory. Difference The main difference among short-term memory and long-term memory is the capacity that each virtuoso has. According to Michael E. Martinez the two memories work together a cognitive computer architecture or the minds basic structure. In the short-term memory a person stick out only think of a a few(prenominal) ideas at a time (Martinez). one of the characteristics of the short-term memory is that is low-spirited comp ar to the long-term memory which has a larger capacity (Martinez).Information flows between the short-term memory to the long-term memory, depending on the direction and different kinds of thinking results (Martinez). Short-term memory is the route entry to long-term memory or the holding template until the long-term memory processes are complete (Lewis). One ex angstromle the Martinez gives is when information flows from short-term memory into long-term memory it produces learning. When information leaves flows from long-term memory back to short-term memory is called recognition or recall, which happens whenever we think about a previously known fact, person, or force (Martinez).Each memory has its owe limitations the short-term memory has a small capacity making it hard to think about many things at once, while the long-term memory does not record experience whole and accurately (Martinez). Unlike the long-term memory the short-term memory has chunking, which allows the short-term memory to hold more and more information. The capacity does not pitch exactly chunk grows in complexity which allows the short-term memory to consider more data (Martinez). DecayDecay is a theory that has a long chronicle in accounting for forgetting (Berman, Jonides, and Lewis). This is sa id to happen because as time passes, information in the memory erodes and is less available for retrieval (Berman, Jonides, and Lewis). Berman, Jonides, and Lewis present different experiment to take if radioactive decay is a cause of forgetting. One engage that they present is the classic study of Peterson and Peterson (1959) Consider the classic study of Peterson and Peterson (1959), earlier thought to provide strong evidence for decay.In this experiment, participants were given a earn trigram to store, followed by a retention interval that varied from 3 to 18 s. During the retention interval, participants were required to count backward by threes to prevent rehearsal of the memorandum. Following the retention interval, participants recalled the spot in memory. Peterson and Peterson found that slaying declined as retention intervals increased, and the authors attributed this decline to change magnitude decay of the memory trace with increasing time.The attribution of this effects to decay mechanism is, however, suspect. The arguments that counting backward could not be a source of interference because their secondary proletariat differed from the item to be stored in memory (Berman, Jonides, and Lewis). But the case is that counting labor movement requires short-term memory retention, which is the main memory task (Berman, Jonides, and Lewis). Another worry in assessing the role of decay on short-term memory is the prevalent tendency of rehearse materials that are to retain (Berman, Jonides, and Lewis).An example that Berman, Jonides, Lewis give is when we savour up a phone number in the directory and then toss to the phone, we rehearse the number in our head until it is dialed. They are trying to shape up up with different techniques to prevent rehearsal, to get an accurate gauge of whether decay has an effect on memory (Berman, Jonides, and Lewis). Working Memory Theory found search has revealed that working memory is a system that allow s a person to maintain task terminuss, update memory to meet current demands, and to separate memory to form relationships (Shelton, Matthews, Hill, and Gouvier).The working memory is also referred to a oecumenical purpose system that is responsible for the active task or goal pertinent information while simultaneously processing other information (Unsworth, Spillers, and Brewer). The general purpose system includes problem solving, interlingual rendition, coordination and planning, and the basic intellectual functions, which leads to research on the capacity of the working memory (Unsworth, Spillers, and Brewer). Beginning with Daneman and Carpenter (1980), some researchers have utilized complex working memory span tasks in which to-be-remembered items are interspersed with some processing activity. For nstance, in the reading span task participants attempt to remember words or letters while reading and comprehending sentences. These tasks can be contrasted with simple memory span tasks in which TBR items are presented without any additional processing activities.The complex span tasks nicely usurp the idea that the of processing and storage are needed to fully project the essence of working memory and tap its capacity. Furthermore, these tasks can be employ to estimate an individuals working memory capacity and examine the correlation between this capacity and other important cognitive abilities (Unsworth, Spillers, and Brewer). The mathematical that the complex span tasks do not file overall resources abilities but rather that the processing task displaces items from the working memory (Unsworth, Spillers, and Brewer). Also accord to the task-switching view, a person may place an item in the working memory, and a rapid switching mechanism is needed to refresh the item before it is lost delinquent to decay (Unsworth, Spillers, and Brewer). The faster the information can be complete and switch back to decaying representations, the better the overa ll performance will be (Unsworth, Spillers, and Brewer).There is also a difference in the heart of capacity from individual to individual (Unsworth, Spillers, and Brewer). There are two components that individuals may differ on first component is the need to actively maintain information over the short term and the second is the need to encounter information that could not be actively maintain due to a large number of incoming items (Unsworth, Spillers, and Brewer). The short-term memory has its mysteries due to the amount of information that one can keep and pass on.One thing is for sure is that without it we will not know what information are relevant for one to keep or decay. Now one can generalise the relationship and difference between short-term and long-term memory, the theory of decay, and why the short-term memory is the working memory.References Berman, M. , Jonides, J. , & Lewis, R. (2009). In search of decay in verbal short-term memory. Journal of Experimental Psyc hology Learning, Memory, and Cognition,35(2), 317-333. inside10. 1037/a0014873. Retrieved from Academic research necropsy database. Huffman, K. (2010). Memory,(9th ed. Psychology in action. (242-275) Hoboken, NJ flush toilet Wiley & Sons, Inc. Lewis, D. (1979). Psychobiology of active and inactive memory. Psychological Bulletin,86(5), 1054-1083. doi10. 1037/0033-2909. 86. 5. 1054. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. Martinez, M. (2010). Human Memory The Basics. Phi Delta Kappan,91(8), 62-65. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. Shelton, J. , Elliott, E. , Matthews, R. , Hill, B. , & Gouvier, W. (2010). The relationships of working memory, secondary memory, and general fluid intelligenceWorking memory is special. Journal of Experimental PsychologyLearning, Memory, and Cognition,36(3), 813-820. doi10. 1037/a0019046. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. Unsworth, N. , Spillers, G. , & Brewer, G. (2010). The contributions of primary and s econdary memory to working memory capacity An individual differences analysis of immediate free recall. Journal of Experimental Psychology Learning, Memory, and Cognition,36(1), 240-247. doi10. 1037/a0017739. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.