RETRIEVAL FROM LONG-TERM MEMORY RETRIEVAL FROM SHORT-TERM MEMORY PARALLEL PROCESSING vs. SERIAL PROCESSING EXHAUSTIVE PROCESSING vs. SELF-TERMINATING PROCESSING Saul Sternberg (1966) o Wondered whether items are retrieved all at once (parallel processing) or sequentially (serial processing) RETRIEVAL FROM SHORT-TERM MEMORY ? Memorize the following list of numbers:
Was 8 on the list? 6, 3, 8, 2, 7, 5 RETRIEVAL FROM SHORT-TERM MEMORY Parallel Processing o refers to the simultaneous handling of multiple operations. o As applied to short-term memory, the items stored in short-term memory would be retrieved all at once, not one at a time. o Response time should be the same, regardless of the size of the positive set. This is because all comparisons would be done at once. RETRIEVAL FROM SHORT-TERM MEMORY 7
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I T E MS ON T H E L I S T PARALLEL PROCESSING RETRIEVAL FROM SHORT-TERM MEMORY Serial Processing o refers to operations being done one after another. In other words, on the digit recall task, the digits would be retrieved in succession, rather than all at once. RETRIEVAL FROM SHORT-TERM MEMORY SERIAL PROCESSING 7
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RETRIEVAL FROM SHORT-TERM MEMORY Exhaustive Serial Processing o All positive responses would take the same amount of time, regardless of the serial position of positive test probe.
o In other words, finding any digit would take same amount of time and the location of the digit would not matter. RETRIEVAL FROM SHORT-TERM MEMORY 7
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POSITION OF DIGITS ON THE LIST EXHAUSTIVE SERIAL PROCESSING RETRIEVAL FROM SHORT-TERM MEMORY Self-Terminating Serial Processing o Implies that the participant would check the test digit against only those digits needed to make a response. RETRIEVAL FROM SHORT-TERM MEMORY 7
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RETRIEVAL FROM LONG-TERM MEMORY Free-recall condition recalling as many words as possible in any order.
Cued-recall condition recalling as many words as possible from a specific category. PROCESSES OF FORGETTING AND MEMORY DISTORTION INTERFERENCE THEORY vs. DECAY THEORY PROCESSES OF FORGETTING AND MEMORY DISTORTION Interference Theory - Refers to the view that forgetting occurs because recall of certain words interferes with recall of other words. PROCESSES OF FORGETTING AND MEMORY DISTORTION oRetroactive interference (or retroactive inhibition) is caused by activity occurring after we learn something but before we are asked to recall that thing. It interferes with our ability to remember information we learned previously. PROCESSES OF FORGETTING AND MEMORY DISTORTION oProactive interference occurs when the interfering material occurs before, rather than after, learning of the to-be-remembered material.
Proactive as well as retroactive interference may play a role in short-term memory. Thus, retroactive interference appears to be important, but not the only factor. PROCESSES OF FORGETTING AND MEMORY DISTORTION ? Say the following list of words once to yourself, and then, immediately thereafter, try to recall all the words, in any order, without looking back at them: Table, cloud, book, tree, shirt, cat, light, bench, chalk, flower, watch, bat, rug, soap, pillow oSerial-position curve represents the probability of recall of a given word, given its serial position (order of presentation) in a list. Recalling of words is best for items at and near the end of the list, second best for items near the beginning of the list and poorest for items in the middle of the list.
A typical serial-position curve is shown in Figure 6.3. PROCESSES OF FORGETTING AND MEMORY DISTORTION PROCESSES OF FORGETTING AND MEMORY DISTORTION The primacy effect refers to superior recall of words at and near the beginning of a list.
The recency effect refers to superior recall of words at and near the end of a list.
PROCESSES OF FORGETTING AND MEMORY DISTORTION Decay Theory o Asserts that information is forgotten because of the gradual disappearance, rather than displacement, of the memory trace.
o Thus, decay theory views the original piece of information as gradually disappearing unless something is done to keep it intact. This view contrasts with interference theory, just discussed, in which one or more pieces of information block recall of another.
Bangert, M., Peschel, T., Schlaug, G., Rotte, M., Drescher, D., Hinrichs, H., ... & Altenmüller, E. (2006). Shared networks for auditory and motor processing in professional pianists- evidence from fMRI conjunction. Neuroimage, 30(3), 917-926.