• Top of Page

 

Links:      •  Memory - Self Test                 •  Memory (Print Ready)                  •  Memory Types Index		Ψ  Memory - Short-Term Memory -

Short-Term Memory: Working

Limited duration - from 2 to 30 seconds, can be prolonged with maintenance rehearsal.
Limited capacity - widely accepted, is that working memory can hold on average seven (7) plus or minus two concepts at a time varying with each person (George Miller). A memory span test can show the negative effect of interference and the positive effect of chunking on short-term memory.

Functions of short-term memory:

    1. Attending - (selective attention) - to selectively attend to information that is relevant & disregard everything else.
 
    2. Rehearsing (2 types)
 
         Maintenance rehearsal - refers to simply repeating or rehearsing the information rather than forming any new associations. Maintenance rehearsal is not very effective.
         Elaborative rehearsal - deliberate effort to form new associations.
 
    3. Storing - to store or encode information