Short Term Memory
Short term memory contains information that is currently being processed.
Short term memory is assumed to have a capacity of 7 (plus or minus 2) chunks of information.
Duration of short term memory appears to be 20 to 30 seconds before substantial deterioration begins.
Short term memory, to the cognitive scientist, is not the ability to remember what one had for lunch 2 hours later. While lay persons refer to this as short term memory, technically, this is an example of intermediate memory. Some recent research suggests that it takes approximately 6 hours to learn new information. One way to understand this research is to assume that there is some substantial time lag between the movement of information from intermediate memory into long-term storage. While new learning is in this intermediate state, it can be corrupted or lost if additional information moves into intermediate memory.
Because short term memory is relatively brief, there are a number of strategies that individuals use to keep information "active" in this area.
One common approach is maintenance rehearsal. Maintenance rehearsal is simply repeating a fact over and over so that it is not lost. An example is repeating a phone number to yourself after you have closed the phone book, but have yet to dial.
Another approach is elaborative rehearsal. This approach involves modifying the information in such a way that it becomes easier to retain. An example might be identifying some pattern in the hone number that has meaning.
A final approach is chunking. Chunking involves groupng information into smaller units, which can be remembered as complete units rather than a number of separate components. The most common example of chunking is the manner in which many children learn the alphabet.
Take a minute and repeat the alphabet to yourself. Chances are, there are several places where you stop and naturally take a break. Many people will linger at "D" and break at "G". This is because we have learned the alphabet in chunks. How many chunks did you break the alphabet into when you learned it? Is this a good number?
Two different factors influence the maintenence of information in short term memory.
1) Interference: Because space is very limited, when new information is brought into short term memory, it may "crowd out" the old.
2) Decay: Short-term memory "fades" or "disintegrates" after a short period of time unless some method (like rehearsal) is used to update the information.
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