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Related Concept Videos

Working Memory01:24

Working Memory

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Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this...
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Encoding01:19

Encoding

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Information enters the brain through encoding, which is the input of information into the memory system. Once sensory information is received from the environment, the brain labels or codes it. The information is then organized with similar information and connected to existing concepts. Encoding occurs through automatic processing and effortful processing.
Automatic processing involves the encoding of details like time, space, frequency, and the meaning of words, usually done without conscious...
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Chunking01:12

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Chunking is a powerful cognitive technique that improves short-term memory retention by organizing information into smaller, more manageable units. The brain, limited by working memory capacity, can more easily process and store information when it is divided into "chunks" rather than presented as discrete, unrelated elements. Chunking is especially useful when dealing with large amounts of information, such as numerical sequences, words, or complex ideas.
The principle behind chunking...
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Storage01:23

Storage

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A schema is a mental framework that helps individuals organize and interpret information. Schemata, formed from previous experiences, influence how we process new information: how we encode it, the inferences we make, and how we retrieve it. For instance, a schema for what a typical classroom looks like might include desks, a teacher's desk, a whiteboard, and students in such an environment. This expectation helps us quickly understand and navigate new classrooms without needing to analyze...
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Chunking and Rehearsal in Sensory Memory01:22

Chunking and Rehearsal in Sensory Memory

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Improving short-term memory can be achieved through techniques like chunking and rehearsal. Chunking involves organizing information into larger, more manageable units. This technique is particularly useful for information that exceeds the typical memory span of between five and nine items. For instance, logging into an online account with a password like "ta89vq0179gz" involves grouping letters and numbers into three chunks—ta89, vq01, and 79gz. It makes large amounts of...
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Mnemonic Devices01:23

Mnemonic Devices

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Mnemonic devices are cognitive tools that facilitate memory retention by linking new information to familiar patterns or organizational strategies. These techniques are beneficial for remembering complex or lengthy sets of information by simplifying and structuring them in easily retrievable ways.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 18, 2025

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)
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How Do People Code Information in Working Memory When Items Share Features?

Gaën Plancher1, Robert L Goldstone2

  • 1Laboratoire d'Etude des Mécanismes Cognitifs, Université Lumière Lyon 2, Bron, France.

Experimental Psychology
|June 20, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

When learning new items in working memory, people focus on similarities to form unsupervised categories. This strategy aids in remembering shared features rather than unique distinguishing ones.

Keywords:
acquired equivalencecategory learningmemoryworking memory

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Information Processing

Background:

  • Learned categories influence how individuals process information.
  • Working memory encoding may be affected by simultaneously learned stimuli.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if working memory encoding relies on similarities when learning items.
  • To determine if unsupervised category formation occurs during simultaneous learning.

Main Methods:

  • Participants memorized novel alien stimuli presented sequentially.
  • Stimuli included 'twins' (sharing most features) and 'hermits' (unique features).
  • Performance was assessed on identifying discriminative and nondiscriminative features.

Main Results:

  • People better identified nondiscriminative features in 'twins' compared to 'hermits'.
  • Performance on discriminative features was not significantly different from nondiscriminative features.
  • Results suggest a focus on similarities when items share features.

Conclusions:

  • Working memory encoding prioritizes similarities when items share features.
  • Unsupervised category clustering occurs naturally without explicit feedback.
  • This process involves focusing on shared attributes to form item clusters.