From stimuli into long-term memory

Solution Preview

Let's take a closer look at information for each question, which you can expand on for your final assignment.

RESPONSE:

1. Trace the memory system from stimuli into long-term memory. Discuss the features of each step and factors that enhance or impede information flow in each step of the process.

The human memory comprises of three interrelated sub-systems. They are (a) sensory memory, short term memory (STM) and long term memory (LTM). Information enters through the five senses; with each sensory modality has its own sensory register (e.g. sensory memory). This register holds information for a very short duration as a clear image (e.g., image of a car) and this sensory memory will last for about a half a second and then it passes the information for further processing to short term memory. Sensory memory occurs within the senses while it is being transmitted to the brain into STM. However, selective attention is important to this process. For example, if the person pays selective attention to certain information it passes into STM, and encoded into LTM only if she again pays selective attention to the information-it is an active process. Thus, through selective attention information enters STM, where the information is held for few seconds. Then the brain encodes the information and it goes to LTM, which has a very large capacity to retain information, and stored for retrieval and recall at a later time, weeks, months, or even years later. (1)

Rehearsal helps to move it into STM and then into LTM. STM simply means that THE PERSON retains information for a short period of time without creating the neural mechanisms for later recall (e.g., obtaining and using a phone number from Directory Assistance.). (1) Miller identified the capacity of STM as 7 plus or minus 2 pieces of information (e.g., 323-2000), which can be enhanced through chunking. In comparison, LTM is infinite in capacity and duration, (2) In other words, STM is characterized by a limited capacity of up to seven pieces of independent information, a brief duration of these items last from 3 to 20 seconds and decay appears to be the primary mechanism of memory loss (Waugh & Norman, 1965), (3) For example, in the Brown-Peterson task, the ...