Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4 Cognition, 8e Chapter 4 Working Memory
Dec 14, 2015
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
Cognition, 8e
Chapter 4
Working Memory
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The 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
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Classic Research on Working Memory
Other Early Research on the Capacity of Short-Term-Memory
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
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Classic Research on Working Memory
Other Early Research on the Capacity of Short-Term-Memory
The Recency Effectserial-position effectrecency effectprimacy effect
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Classic Research on Working Memory
Other Early Research on the Capacity of Short-Term-Memory
Semantic Similarity of the Items in Short-Term Memory
semanticsWickens and colleagues (1976)• proactive interference (PI)• Brown/Peterson & Peterson task varying
semantic similarity on Trial 4• release from proactive interference
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
Alan Baddeley & Graham Hitch (1974)
What does short-term memory accomplish for our cognitive processes?
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
working-memory approach—Our immediate memory is a multipart system that temporarily holds and manipulates information while we perform cognitive tasks.• central executive• visuospatial sketchpad• episodic buffer• phonological loop• long-term memory
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
The working-memory approach emphasizes the active manipulation of information in working memory.
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
Evidence for Components with Independent Capacities
Working memory is not unitary
Baddeley & Hitch (1974)• random numbers and spatial reasoning
task
• People performed remarkably quickly and accurately on both of these two simultaneous tasks.
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
In Depth: Phonological Loopphonological loop—processes a limited number of sounds for a short period of time
subvocalization
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
In Depth: Phonological LoopResearch on Acoustic Confusions
acoustic confusions
Conrad & Hull (1964)• list of letters, presented visually• letters with similar-sounding names vs.
letters with different-sounding names
lists of words
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
In Depth: Phonological LoopOther Uses for the Phonological Loop
• counting• forming long term memories• self-instruction• acquiring new vocabulary• reading• learning foreign language• mathematical calculations• problem-solving tasks
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
In Depth: Phonological LoopNeuroscience Research on the Phonological Loop
frontal lobe
left temporal lobe
Romero Lauro and colleagues (2010)• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)• left temporal lobe, left parietal lobe• rehearsal, storage• short vs. long sentences
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
Visuospatial Sketchpadvisuospatial sketchpad—processes both visual and spatial information
also known as: visuospatial working memory, short-term visual memory
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
Visuospatial SketchpadAllows you to:• store visual appearance and relative
position• store visual information encoded from
verbal stimuli
limited capacity
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
Visuospatial SketchpadResearch on the Visuospatial Sketchpad
performing two visuospatial tasks simultaneously• no standardized set of visual stimuli• tendency to provide names for visual
stimuli, thus using phonological loop instead
• Brandimonte and colleagues (1992)—say "la la la" while looking at complex visual stimulus
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
Visuospatial SketchpadOther Uses for 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
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
Visuospatial SketchpadNeuroscience Research on the Visuospatial Sketchpad
right hemisphereoccipital lobefrontal cortexfrontal and parietal lobes
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
Central Executivecentral 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
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
Central ExecutiveCharacteristics of the Central Executive
• 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
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
Central ExecutiveThe Central Executive and Daydreaming
Teasdale and colleagues (1995)• random-number generation task• report thoughts
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
Central ExecutiveNeuroscience Research on the Central Executive
frontal region of the cortex
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
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
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
Episodic Buffer (continued)• make connections between concepts
• limited capacity
• temporary memory system
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
Working Memory and Academic Performance
1. Scores on working-memory tasks are correlated with overall intelligence and grades in school.
2. Scores on tests of working memory—especially the phonological loop—are usually correlated with reading ability.
Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4
The Working-Memory Approach
Working Memory and Academic Performance
3. Scores on central-executive tasks are correlated with verbal fluency, reading comprehension, reasoning ability, and note-taking skills.
4. People with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often have more difficulty than others on central-executive tasks.