Cognitive Psychology-Memory exam questions and answers

Short-term memory Memory that contains only the small amount of material we are currently using. Memories in this are reasonably fragile; they can be lost from memory within about 30 seconds unless they are somehow repeated or rehearsed. Also known as working memory. Long-term memory The memory store for past events. This has potentially unlimited duration and capacity Duration A measure of how long a memory lasts before it is no longer available. Capacity The measure of how much can be held in a memory. It is measured in terms of bits of information such as numbers of digits. Encoding The way information is changed so that it can be stored in memory. Chunking Miller's theory that the capacity of STM can be enhanced by grouping sets of digits or letters into meaningful units or 'chunks'. Sensory store It sustains sensations for identification, the duration is very short and its capacity is very large. Central Executive Monitors and coordinates all other mental functions in working memory. Phonological loop Encodes speech sounds in working memory,typically involving maintenace rehearsal. Visuo-spatial sketchpad Encodes visual information in terms of seperate objects as well as the arrangement of these objects in one's visual field. Episodic buffer A temporary, limited-capacity store that allows the various components of working memory to integrate information and that serves as an interface between working memory and long-term memory. Word-length effect The observation that people remember lists of short words better than lists of long words.