sensory memory

(noun)

The brief storage (in memory) of information experienced by the senses; typically only lasts up to a few seconds.

Related Terms

  • echoic
  • iconic

Examples of sensory memory in the following topics:

  • Sensory Memory

    • Sensory memory allows individuals to retain impressions of sensory information for a brief time after the original stimulus has ceased.
    • Sensory memory is an automatic response considered to be outside of cognitive control.
    • In sensory memory, no manipulation of the incoming information occurs as it is transferred quickly to working memory.
    • Echoic memory is the branch of sensory memory used by the auditory system.
    • Haptic memory is the branch of sensory memory used by the sense of touch.
  • Introduction to the Process and Types of Memory

    • Sensory memory allows individuals to retain impressions of sensory information after the original stimulus has ceased.
    • This is because of "iconic memory," the visual sensory store.
    • Two other types of sensory memory have been extensively studied: echoic memory (the auditory sensory store) and haptic memory (the tactile sensory store).
    • Sensory memory is not involved in higher cognitive functions like short- and long-term memory; it is not consciously controlled.
    • The role of sensory memory is to provide a detailed representation of our entire sensory experience for which relevant pieces of information are extracted by short-term memory and processed by working memory.
  • Neural Correlates of Memory Storage

    • It is theorized that memories are stored in neural networks in various parts of the brain associated with different types of memory, including short-term memory, sensory memory, and long-term memory.
    • Encoding of working memory involves the activation of individual neurons induced by sensory input.
    • The temporal and occipital lobes are associated with sensation and are thus involved in sensory memory.
    • Sensory memory is the briefest form of memory, with no storage capability.
    • The temporal lobe is important for sensory memory, while the frontal lobe is associated with both short- and long-term memory.
  • Memory Retrieval: Recognition and Recall

    • Memory retrieval, including recall and recognition, is the process of remembering information stored in long-term memory.
    • Memory retrieval is the process of remembering information stored in long-term memory.
    • Some theorists suggests that there are three stores of memory: sensory memory, long-term memory (LTM), and short-term memory (STM).
    • In recall, the information must be retrieved from memories.
    • Past memories can inhibit the encoding of new memories.
  • Short-Term and Working Memory

    • Short-term memory, which includes working memory, stores information for a brief period of recall for things that happened recently.
    • Unlike sensory memory, it is capable of temporary storage.
    • Though the term "working memory" is often used synonymously with "short-term memory," working memory is related to but actually distinct from short-term memory.
    • It also links the working memory to the long-term memory, controls the storage of long-term memory, and manages memory retrieval from storage.
    • This is a function of time; that is, the longer the memory stays in the short-term memory the more likely it is to be placed in the long-term memory.
  • Long-Term Memory

    • Long-term memory is the final, semi-permanent stage of memory.
    • Unlike sensory and short-term memory, long-term memory has a theoretically infinite capacity, and information can remain there indefinitely.
    • Long-term memory can be broken down into two categories: explicit and implicit memory.
    • Episodic memory is used for more contextualized memories.
    • Contrast the different ways memories can be stored in long-term memory
  • Repressed Memories

    • Traumatic memories are encoded differently than memories of ordinary experiences.
    • The limbic system is the part of the brain that is in charge of giving emotional significance to sensory inputs; however, the limbic system (particularly one of its components, the hippocampus) is also important to the storage and retrieval of long-term memories.
    • The end result is that the memory is encoded as an affective (i.e., relating to or influenced by the emotions) and sensory imprint, rather than a memory that includes a full account of what happened.
    • Memories of events are always a mix of factual traces of sensory information overlaid with emotions, mingled with interpretation and filled in with imaginings.
    • Given research showing how unreliable memory is, it is possible that any attempt to "recover" a repressed memory runs the risk of implanting false memories.
  • The Fallibility of Memory

    • Memory is not perfect.
    • However, without use, or with the addition of new memories, old memories can decay.
    • Encoding is the process of converting sensory input into a form able to be processed and stored in the memory.
    • All of these factors impact how memories are prioritized and how accessible they will be when they are stored in long-term memory.
    • Our memories are not infallible: over time, without use, memories decay and we lose the ability to retrieve them.
  • Neural Correlates of Memory Consolidation

    • Memory consolidation is a category of processes that stabilize a memory trace after its initial acquisition.
    • Instead, sensory details from the event are slowly assimilated into long-term storage over time through the process of consolidation.
    • Damage may not affect much older memories.
    • Even if the amygdala is damaged, memories can still be encoded.
    • The hippocampus is integral in consolidating memories from short-term to long-term memory.
  • Transience and Encoding Failure

    • Transience refers to the general deterioration of a specific memory over time.
    • Encoding is the process of converting sensory input into a form able to be processed and deposited in the memory .
    • Memory is associative by nature; commonalities between points of information will not only reinforce old memories, but serve to ease the establishment of new ones.
    • It is posited that during sleep, our working memory is converted into long-term memory.
    • There is a limited capacity of working memory, so little can be remembered at a later time unless the information is encoded to long-term memory.
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