Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. MatlinChapter 4 Cognition, 8e Chapter 4 Working Memory.

Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. Matlin Chapter 4

Cognition, 8e

Chapter 4

Working Memory


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



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




The Recency Effectserial-position effectrecency effectprimacy effect




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


The Working-Memory Approach

Alan Baddeley & Graham Hitch (1974)

What does short-term memory accomplish for our cognitive processes?



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



The working-memory approach emphasizes the active manipulation of information in working memory.



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.



In Depth: Phonological Loopphonological loop—processes a limited number of sounds for a short period of time

subvocalization



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



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



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



Visuospatial Sketchpadvisuospatial sketchpad—processes both visual and spatial information

also known as: visuospatial working memory, short-term visual memory



Visuospatial SketchpadAllows you to:• store visual appearance and relative

position• store visual information encoded from

verbal stimuli

limited capacity



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



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



Visuospatial SketchpadNeuroscience Research on the Visuospatial Sketchpad

right hemisphereoccipital lobefrontal cortexfrontal and parietal lobes



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



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



Central ExecutiveThe Central Executive and Daydreaming

Teasdale and colleagues (1995)• random-number generation task• report thoughts



Central ExecutiveNeuroscience Research on the Central Executive

frontal region of the cortex



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



Episodic Buffer (continued)• make connections between concepts

• limited capacity

• temporary memory system



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.



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.

Cognition, 8e by Margaret W. MatlinChapter 4 Cognition, 8e Chapter 4 Working Memory.

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