Sensory memory

• Experiment Psychology 1920’s - Behaviourism


  memory described only in terms of what you can observe: relationship between stimulus & response
• Multi store Model - Atkinson & Shiffrin 


  things occur in discrete, serial stages
• Memory shapes perception of present & influences what we experience
• Memory shapes experience = experience doesn't always match physical reality
• Persistence of motion 


  • perception of motion continues after moving stimulus removed
  • associated with iconic memory - visual info briefly stored, & motion aftereffects,
  • = perception of illusory motion
  • = motion information lingers briefly in visual system,
  • reflects short-term processing
• Information Processing Approach 


  • cognitive psychology perspective - mind like computer system
  • processes, stores, & retrieves info
  • analyzing mental processes by comparing to computer operations
  • emphasizes step by step flow of information through various mental processes
• Demonstration tells us

  1. visual system processes massive amount of info - perceive all
  2. told what to remember beforehand = good at remembering (small amount)
  3. not = don't remember most
• Sperling 1960 - method

  • breifly show 3x3 grid of letters
  • whole report - recall as many as you can
  • Partial report - indicated what row to remember after seeing letters
• Sperling 1960 found 


  • whole - around 33% = underestimate how much info retained in Sensory memory
  • partial - recall more than 75% of 3 letter row
• Sperling 1960 - conclusions


  • sensory memory has large capacity but decays rapidly
  • after 1s info faded but could be rehersed