Structures of memory

• the three types of memory are sensory, short term, long term
• long term memory can store unlimited information but it takes time to retrieve the info
• Short-term memory is the capacity to recall a small amount of information from a recent time period.
• Long-term memory is the storage of large amounts of information over an extended period of time.
• Sensory memory is the initial stage of processing incoming stimuli, which lasts only a few seconds.
• Sensory Register-


  Duration: Very brief, only a few milliseconds.

  Capacity: Large, as it temporarily stores all incoming sensory information (e.g., sights, sounds).

  Information that isn't attended to fades quickly and is lost.
• Short-Term Memory (STM)-


  Duration: Roughly 15-30 seconds without rehearsal.

  Capacity: Limited, usually around 7 ± 2 items.

  STM storage can be extended through strategies like rehearsal to move it into long-term memory.
• Long-Term Memory (LTM)-


  Duration: Potentially unlimited, lasting from minutes to a lifetime.

  Capacity: Essentially limitless.

  Information is stored in LTM through encoding processes, especially semantic encoding.
• Sensory Memory-

  • Function: Holds sensory information (e.g., sights, sounds) briefly before it either fades or moves to the next store.
  • Duration: Very brief, lasting about 0.5 to 2 seconds.
  • Capacity: Large; it can hold a lot of sensory information at any given time.
  • Encoding: Modality-specific, meaning information is stored in the same form it was received (e.g. visual, auditory).
  • Process: If we pay attention to a piece of sensory information, it transfers to short-term memory. If not, the information is lost.
• Long Term Memory (LTM)- this stores unlimited amounts of information for an unlimited amount of time. Information must first pass through STM before being transferred to LTM.
• Short term memory (STMs) - this holds information for up to 20 seconds unless rehearsal occurs. It has limited capacity (7+/- 2 items) and can be divided into acoustic STM and visual STM.
• data in STM can be retained longer and eventually transferred to long-term memory. Without rehearsal, information is likely to decay or be displaced by new information.
• SENSORY REGISTER-

  • The Sensory registor is the first stage of memory processing and involves the immediate and automatic recordings of sensory information from the environment
  • The sensory register has separate components for different types of Sensory input, including visual (ionic memory), auditory (echoic memory), and tactile (haptic memory).
  • Information in the sensory registor has a very Short duration (a few hundred milliseconds) and is not stored unless it is attended to.
• SHORT-TERM MEMORY-

  short-term memory is the second Stage of memory

  processing and involves the temporary Storage of information that is currently being attended to or actively processed.

  • short-term memory a limited capacity (about 7 +/- 2 items) and a short duration (about 20-30 seconds) unless the information is rehearsed or transferred to long-term memory.
  • short-term memory is believed to be located in the prefrontal Cortex.
• LONG-TERM MEMORY-

  Long-term memory is the final stage of memory processing and involves the Storage of information that has been rehearsed or processed in short-term memory.

  Long-term memory has an unlimited capacity and can Store information for an indefinite period of time.

  long-term memory is believed to be located in various regions of the brain, including the hippocampus and neocortex.
• SENSORY REGISTOR-

  • coding: information in the sensory register is represented in the same form as it was received from the environment. for example, visual information is coded in the form Of visual images, auditory information in the form of sound waves, and tactile information in the form Of touch sensations.
  • capacity: the capacity of the sensory register is very large, and it can hold a vast amount Of sensory information simultaneously.
  • Duration: the duration of sensory memory is very short, ranging from a few hundred millisecond to a few seconds.
• SHORT-TERM MEMORY-

  • Coding: Information in short-term memory is encoded primarily in the form of sound or Speech-based representations, Known as acoustic coding. However, other forms of coding, such as visual and semantic coding, can also occur.
  • capacity: the capacity of short-term memory is limited, and it can hold only about 7+/-2 items of information at a time.
  • Duration: the duration of short-term memory is relatively short-lasting only 20-30 seconds unless the information is rehearsed or whatever
• LONG-TERM MEMORY-

  • coding: Information in long-term memory is encoded in various forms, including semantic, Visual, and acoustic coding. This allows us to retrieve information based on its meaning, appearance, or sound.
  • Capacity: The capacity of long-term memory is believed to be Unlimited, as it Can store an indefinite amount of information over a lifetime.
  • Duration: The duration of long-term memory is also believed to be unlimited, as some memories can last a lifetime, while Others may fade over time.