MODELS OF MEMORY

MODELS OF MEMORY

Introduction :

            Memory is the processes by which information is encoded, stored, and retieved encoding allows information that is from the outside world to reach our senses in the forms of Chemical and Physical stimuli. In this first stage we must change the information, so that we may put the memory into the encoding process, storage is second memory state or process. This entails that we maintain information over periods of time. Finally the third process is the retrieval of information that we have stored. We must locate it and return it to our consciousness. Some retrieval attempts may be effortless due to the type of information model of memory is an explanation of how memory process work. You hear sec and feel many things, but only a small are remembered. The model was first described by Atkinson and Shiffrin in 1968. Since Atkinson and Shiffrin originally proposed their dual store model it has undergone numerous adjustments and improments.

Definitions :

·        According to Atkinson and Shiffrin’s model incoming information flow from the sensory register to short-term memory to permanent storage in long-term memory. The transfer of information from the sensory register to short-term memory is controlled by attention.

·        Once in short-term memory, the information is subject to control processes, which are operations serving a variety of memory function.

·        The most important control process is rehearsal, maintenance rehearsal fuctions. Primarily to keep information active in short-term memory.

·        The stratergies for retrieving information from long-term memory are another important short-term memory

Main points of the topic

·        Short-term memory

·        Sensory memory

·        Long-term memory

Short-term memory characteristics :

            Three basic characteristics originally were proposed to distinguish short-term memory form long-term memory.

These characteristics were the forgetting is due to decay of the trace, the capacity for storage is small, and the trace is a phonetic code. Remember form our discussion, The sensory register is characterized by a rapidly decaying trace.

Sensory memory :

            Sensory Memory holds information from the world in its original sensory for only an instant, not much longer than the brief time it is exposed to the visual, auditory, and other senses. Sensory memory is very rich and detailed but the information mit is quickly lost unless it is transferred into short-terms long-term memory.

            Think about all the signts and sounds you encounter as you walk to class on a typical morning. Literately thousands of stimuli come into your field of vision and hearing cracks in the side walk chirping birds, a noisy motorcycle, the blue sky faces of hundred of people, you do not process all these stimuli but you process many more stimuli at the sensory lever than you consciously notice.

            Stored in a veridical form in a large capacity system. As the information moves on to short-term memory, the trace life increases somewhat. Although it is still brief by standards of long-term memory and the information is transformed into a Phonetic code in short-term memory and the capacity of the system is considerably smaller than either the sensory register or long-term memory. We shall now briefly consider the evidence both positive and negative for these characteristics.

Rapid decay of the trace :

Among the modern classics of experimental Psychology is the research claming to demonstrate a short-term trace. Very similar experiments were reported almost simultaneously by Brown (1958).

In England and Peterson and Peterson (1959) in the united states. The experimental procedure now known as the Brown-Peterson Paradigm is quite simple. Participants are shows three item consisting of nonsense syllables or words for 3 seconds, Memory for these traids is then tested following a retention interval, which varies from 0 to 18 seconds.

Such task doesnot seem to be particularly difficult. How hard can it be to remember three simple items over a period as short as 18 seconds? Indeed, the task would be no challenge at all if the Perticipants were allowed to repeat the item during the retention interval. This is not the case however, because a rehearsal pervation task in inserted between presentation of the material and the recall test.

Long-term memory :

            LTM provides the lasting retention of information, from minutes to a lifetime. Long-term memory appears to have an almost limitless capacity to retain information, but could never be measured as it would take to long, LT information seem to be encoded mainly in terms of meaning as Baddeley has shows but also retains procedural skills and imagery.

            Long-term memory is the concept that represents the vast store of knowledge we have about the world ranging form everyday events such as how to use a knife and fork to more esoteric information such as axioms of geometry. The power of long term memory is truly impressive.

            For example, Bahrick, Bahrick and Wittinger ( 1975) tasted people’s memory for their high school class mates by using pictures form old year book. In the most extreme case, the participants in the experiment had graduated to from high school 48 years earlier, These people skill could recognize correctly over 60 percent of their class mates. In further studies, Bahrick and Hall (1991) showed that participants could remembered surprisingly large portions of high school Spanish and algebra 50 years after they had learned them.

            In pursuing this goal were turn to  discussion of memory processes that concluded the previous. The processes underlying perception and comphrension of experiences long-term memory.