2.1.2 Short-Term Memory

• What is short-term memory (STM) compared to?

  Brain's RAM
• What does capacity refer to in short-term memory (STM)?

  How much info it can hold at once
• Why is the capacity of STM described as very limited?

  It can only hold a few things at once
• On average, how many items can STM hold?

  About 7 items, plus or minus 2
• What are the two main limitations of STM mentioned in the material?

  Short duration and limited capacity
• What happens to information in STM if you don't repeat it?

  It fades quickly due to limited capacity
• How can you chunk the numbers 1-9-8-7-6-5-4 for better memory?

  Group them as 1987 and 654
• How do the components of working memory interact?

  • Sensory input provides information to conscious awareness
  • Conscious awareness is controlled by the central executive
  • The central executive integrates information from sensory input, inner eye, and inner voice
  • Long-term memory stores information for later retrieval
• What is the function of the phonological loop?

  Handles spoken and written material
• If STM can hold between 5 to 9 items, how many items can it hold at minimum?

  5 items
• What role does the central executive play in working memory?

  Controls and coordinates information flow
• What is the duration of short-term memory (STM) without rehearsal?

  18-30 seconds
• Why do we forget items from short-term memory quickly?

  Because information is not rehearsed
• How does chunking help with memory in STM?

  It allows holding more information together
• If you glance at a shopping list and don't repeat the items, what is likely to happen?

  You will forget some items quickly
• What type of coding does STM primarily use?

  Acoustic coding
• What does the visual-spatial sketchpad process?

  Visual and spatial information
• How does short-term memory differ from long-term memory?

  STM is short-lived and holds less info
• What happens to information in short-term memory if not repeated or used?

  It is likely forgotten
• What is chunking in short-term memory (STM)?

  Grouping information into larger units
• How does the duration of short-term memory compare to long-term memory?

  STM lasts seconds, while LTM lasts longer
• What does short-term memory hold?

  A small amount of actively used info
• If you wanted to remember a phone number, which component of working memory would you use?

  Inner voice
• What is the typical capacity of STM?

  5-9 items
• What are the key differences between short-term memory and long-term memory?

  • STM duration: 18-30 seconds without rehearsal
  • LTM duration: Can last a lifetime
  • STM is for immediate recall, LTM for storage
• How do you typically remember a phone number in STM?

  Mental repetition of the numbers' sounds
• What does the episodic buffer connect?

  Links working memory to long-term memory
• Why does STM rely on acoustic coding?

  It relies on sounds of words or numbers
• What are the components of working memory?

  • Sensory input
  • Central executive/conductor of the brain
  • Conscious awareness
  • Inner eye
  • Inner voice
  • Long-term memory
• How does sensory input relate to working memory?

  Sensory input provides information that enters working memory
• What is the central executive or conductor of the brain?

  Conscious awareness
• If you hear a phone number, what type of memory is used to remember it temporarily?

  Short-term memory
• Why is remembering 15 random digits much harder than 7?

  It exceeds the limited capacity of STM
• How does the multi-component model of working memory enhance information processing?

  It allows simultaneous processing of different information types
• What are the main components of the working memory model?

  1. Visual-spatial sketchpad
  2. Phonological loop
  3. Central executive
  4. Episodic buffer
• What is the main system of working memory called?

  Working memory
• Who manages the components of working memory?

  Central executive
• What does coding in STM refer to?

  How the brain represents information
• What is the advantage of chunking information in STM?

  It reduces the number of units to remember
• How does working memory differ from single-store STM?

  It has multiple interconnected components