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Work Memory Analysis

Decent Essays

Introduction
The working memory aids our ability to remember words over non-words, specifically the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad (Baddeley, Hitch, 1994). Other studies by (Paivio, 1991) have shown that concrete words are easier to recall than abstract words due to semantic associations. The purpose of this paper is to explore the parts of memory that help certain words to be more easily remembered than others. Memory is the system that enables us to learn skills and gain information through sensory memory and short-term storage. It is also the process that allows us to retrieve this information from long-term storage (Baddeley, 1974). Being able to create a new memory, put that memory away in storage, and bring it back when …show more content…

In this system there are three separate components that combine to enable us to process memories. These three components of memory are sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory (Reisberg, 2013). Of the three, sensory memory has the shortest time-span in our memory lasting roughly 300 milliseconds. The purpose of the sensory memory is to interpret the sensations coming to the body, and then transfer them to short term if there is enough attention placed on them (Reisberg, 2013). Short-term memory has a longer time-span in which it can be remembered. In short term memory we are able to remember 7 items +/- 2. These items can be remembered for up to a minute and that length of time can be increased if they are rehearsed. Rehearsal allows memories to be consolidated and be placed in long-term memory where they can be later retrieved and placed in working memory. Long term-memory are memories that can be retrieved with a hint or cue (Reisberg, 2013) Their are two components of long-term memory, declarative and non-declarative memories. Declarative memories consist of items that we are consciously aware of. Declarative memories break into two categories, semantic which are factual memories, and episodic which are memories from experiences. Non-declarative memories are memories that are processed without conscious awareness, it often …show more content…

They proposed the phonological loop had evolved for language acquisition and storage. Also their study found that the ability to pronounce a word places it in phonological storage, allowing you to recall the memory quicker (Baddeley, 1994). The phonological loop has been found to be a workspace for verbal information (Baddeley, 1994). Other studies have also found that the phonological loop works to process auditory information as well (Reisberg, 2013). The visuospatial sketchpad, (Baddeley, 1994) was used to recall a visual object. In the visuospatial sketchpad images are placed on different spatial maps, which then tied together with the spatial workspace on the visuospatial sketchpad. The decision maker of working memory is the central executive. It decides which memories are retrieved, what information you should focus on, how important the information is, and how to attain goals (Riesberg, 2013). Without the central executive, our thoughts and actions would be unorganized in our working memory (Riesberg, 2013). In order to reduce the workload of the central executive, and allow it to focus towards important tasks, the episodic buffer works to store the information gathered from the visuospatial sketchpad and phonological loop (Baddeley, 1974). These models of memory show us how it is organized and operates, and there are other models of memory that go into how memory aids our

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