Real-Life Examples of Short-Term Memory at Work

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 🧠 Short-term memory (STM) temporarily holds information.
• ⏱️ STM duration is about 20-30 seconds without rehearsal.
• 🔢 STM capacity is limited; often cited as '7 ± 2' items (Miller's Law).
• 🗣️ Information can be maintained in STM through rehearsal (repeating it).
• 🚧 Interference can easily disrupt STM.
• 🔗 STM is crucial for tasks like following instructions and mental calculations.
• 🧩 Working memory is a broader concept, incorporating manipulation of information held in STM.

Practice Quiz

1. Which of the following is the BEST example of short-term memory in action?
   1. Remembering your childhood birthday party.
   2. Recalling the rules of a game you learned years ago.
   3. Remembering a phone number long enough to dial it.
   4. Knowing the capital of France.
2. While cooking, you quickly glance at a recipe to remember the next ingredient. This utilizes which type of memory?
   1. Long-term memory.
   2. Sensory memory.
   3. Procedural memory.
   4. Short-term memory.
3. You are introduced to someone at a party. What's the approximate duration you'll likely hold their name in short-term memory without actively trying to remember it?
   1. A few minutes.
   2. 20-30 seconds.
   3. Several hours.
   4. Indefinitely.
4. Trying to mentally multiply 7 x 8 involves which type of memory?
   1. Episodic memory.
   2. Semantic memory.
   3. Short-term memory.
   4. Flashbulb memory.
5. A waiter remembers a customer's order without writing it down. This relies heavily on:
   1. Implicit memory.
   2. Long-term memory consolidation.
   3. Short-term memory.
   4. Procedural memory.
6. Why is it harder to remember a list of similar-sounding words compared to a list of distinct words in short-term memory?
   1. Distinct words are inherently more interesting.
   2. Similar-sounding words cause interference in short-term memory.
   3. The brain prefers visual information.
   4. Longer words are always harder to remember.
7. Which of the following strategies is MOST effective for moving information from short-term memory to long-term memory?
   1. Ignoring distractions.
   2. Rehearsal and elaboration.
   3. Focusing intently.
   4. Avoiding sleep.