working memory

Examples of working memory in the following topics:

• Short-Term and Working Memory

  • Short-term memory, which includes working memory, stores information for a brief period of recall for things that happened recently.
  • Though the term "working memory" is often used synonymously with "short-term memory," working memory is related to but actually distinct from short-term memory.
  • Baddeley and Hitch's 1974 model of working memory is the most commonly accepted theory of working memory today.
  • It also links the working memory to the long-term memory, controls the storage of long-term memory, and manages memory retrieval from storage.
  • The process of storage is influenced by the duration in which information is held in working memory and the amount that the information is manipulated.

• The Role of Attention in Memory

  • Working memory is the part of the memory that actively holds many pieces of information for short amounts of time and manipulates them.
  • The working memory has sub-systems that manipulate visual and verbal information, and it has limited capacity.
  • We take in thousands of pieces of information every second; this is stored in our working memory.
  • The working memory decides (based on past experiences, current thoughts, or information in long-term memory) if any particular piece of information is important or relevant.
  • This stimulus is then encoded into working memory, at which point the memory is manipulated either to associate it with another familiar concept or with another stimulus within the current situation.

• Sensory Memory

  • It is retained just long enough for it to be transferred to short-term (working) memory.
  • In sensory memory, no manipulation of the incoming information occurs as it is transferred quickly to working memory.
  • The amount of information is greatly reduced during this transfer because the capacity of working memory is not large enough to cope with all the input coming from our sense organs.
  • Echoic memory is the branch of sensory memory used by the auditory system.
  • Haptic memory is the branch of sensory memory used by the sense of touch.

• Transience and Encoding Failure

  • Transience refers to the general deterioration of a specific memory over time.
  • Memory is associative by nature; commonalities between points of information will not only reinforce old memories, but serve to ease the establishment of new ones.
  • It is posited that during sleep, our working memory is converted into long-term memory.
  • The main task for working memory is to store information for a short period of time (a few seconds or minutes) in order to be manipulated.
  • There is a limited capacity of working memory, so little can be remembered at a later time unless the information is encoded to long-term memory.

• Neural Correlates of Memory Storage

  • It is theorized that memories are stored in neural networks in various parts of the brain associated with different types of memory, including short-term memory, sensory memory, and long-term memory.
  • Encoding of working memory involves the activation of individual neurons induced by sensory input.
  • Recent functional-magnetic-resonance-imaging (fMRI) studies detected working memory signals in the medial temporal lobe and the prefrontal cortex.
  • These areas are also associated with long-term memory, suggesting a strong relationship between working memory and long-term memory.
  • Sensory memory is the briefest form of memory, with no storage capability.

• Other Steps

  • The human memory has the ability to encode information for storage and future recall.
  • Visual encoding uses information from the visual senses to create memories.
  • People create a mental picture of the sensations or new information they encountered, which is stored in iconic and working memory prior to its storage in a person's long-term memory.
  • Acoustic encoding uses sound information to create new memories.
  • This is aided by what is known as the phonological loop of working memory.

• Introduction to the Process and Types of Memory

  • Two other types of sensory memory have been extensively studied: echoic memory (the auditory sensory store) and haptic memory (the tactile sensory store).
  • The role of sensory memory is to provide a detailed representation of our entire sensory experience for which relevant pieces of information are extracted by short-term memory and processed by working memory.
  • Short-term memory is also known as working memory.
  • Long-term memories are all the memories we hold for periods of time longer than a few seconds; long-term memory encompasses everything from what we learned in first grade to our old addresses to what we wore to work yesterday.
  • Summarize which types of memory are necessary to which stage of the process of memory storage

• Memory Retrieval: Recognition and Recall

  • Memory retrieval, including recall and recognition, is the process of remembering information stored in long-term memory.
  • Memory retrieval is the process of remembering information stored in long-term memory.
  • Some theorists suggests that there are three stores of memory: sensory memory, long-term memory (LTM), and short-term memory (STM).
  • The theory behind this is that the participant has had more time to rehearse these words in working memory.
  • Past memories can inhibit the encoding of new memories.

• Network Models of Memory

  • According to network models of memory, the connections between neurons are the source of memories, and the strength of connections corresponds to how well a memory is stored.
  • Network models of memory storage emphasize the role of connections between stored memories in the brain.
  • There are several types of network models in memory research.
  • Network models are not the only models of memory storage, but they do have a great deal of power when it comes to explaining how learning and memory work in the brain, so they are extremely important to understand.
  • Under PDP, neural networks are thought to work in parallel to change neural connections to store memories.

• Strategies for Improving Memory Quality and Duration

  • There are many strategies for improving the quality and duration of memories.
  • Memory gaps and errors refer to the incorrect recall or complete loss of a memory.
  • Because the memory process is so complex, there are many factors that lead to forgetfulness or distortions of memories.
  • By creating additional links between one memory and another, more familiar memory works as a cue for the new information being learned.
  • People are more likely to be able to retrieve a memory if they are in the same mood as they were when the memory was first formed.