Short-Term Memory: The Second Stage in Memory Processing 
Short-Term Memory
Diana Nunez
Nicholas Salter, Ph.D.
Introduction to Psychology
Psychology 101, Section 8
October 26, 2010
Short-Term Memory
The short-term memory is the lead to our long lasting remembers. Short-term memory is the second stage in the memory processing (Huffman). The short-term memory is the part of the memory that temporarily stores and processes information from the sensory memory and holds it until it decides if the information will be sent to the third stage or long-term memory (Huffman). The short-term memory stores a mixture of perceptual analyses information (Huffman). The short-term memory works in different ways to increase its small capacity; it uses rehearsal and chunking to be able to remember more things at once (Huffman). Rehearsal is when a person repeats information over and over again to maintain it fresh in the memory and chunking is grouping separate pieces of information into a single group (Huffman). The short-term memory is also known as the “working memory” because it’s always receiving information from the sensory memory and sending to the long-term memory (Huffman). I will be discussing the difference between short-term memory and long-term memory, the theory of decay, and the working memory.
Difference
The main difference between short-term memory and long-term memory is the capacity that each one has. According to Michael E. Martinez the two memories work together a cognitive architecture or the mind’s basic structure. In the short-term memory a person can only think of a few ideas at a time (Martinez). One of the characteristics of the short-term memory is that is small compare to the long-term memory which has a larger capacity (Martinez). Information flows between the short-term memory to the long-term memory, depending on the direction and different kinds of thinking results (Martinez).
Short-term memory is the route entry to long-term memory or the holding template until the long-term memory
Diana Nunez
Nicholas Salter, Ph.D.
Introduction to Psychology
Psychology 101, Section 8
October 26, 2010
Short-Term Memory
The short-term memory is the lead to our long lasting remembers. Short-term memory is the second stage in the memory processing (Huffman). The short-term memory is the part of the memory that temporarily stores and processes information from the sensory memory and holds it until it decides if the information will be sent to the third stage or long-term memory (Huffman). The short-term memory stores a mixture of perceptual analyses information (Huffman). The short-term memory works in different ways to increase its small capacity; it uses rehearsal and chunking to be able to remember more things at once (Huffman). Rehearsal is when a person repeats information over and over again to maintain it fresh in the memory and chunking is grouping separate pieces of information into a single group (Huffman). The short-term memory is also known as the “working memory” because it’s always receiving information from the sensory memory and sending to the long-term memory (Huffman). I will be discussing the difference between short-term memory and long-term memory, the theory of decay, and the working memory.
Difference
The main difference between short-term memory and long-term memory is the capacity that each one has. According to Michael E. Martinez the two memories work together a cognitive architecture or the mind’s basic structure. In the short-term memory a person can only think of a few ideas at a time (Martinez). One of the characteristics of the short-term memory is that is small compare to the long-term memory which has a larger capacity (Martinez). Information flows between the short-term memory to the long-term memory, depending on the direction and different kinds of thinking results (Martinez).
Short-term memory is the route entry to long-term memory or the holding template until the long-term memory
References: Berman, M., Jonides, J., & Lewis, R. (2009). In search of decay in verbal short-term memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition,35(2), 317-333. doi:10.1037/a0014873. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. Huffman, K. (2010).Memory,(9th ed.)Psychology in action.(242-275) Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Lewis, D. (1979). Psychobiology of active and inactive memory. Psychological Bulletin, 86(5), 1054-1083. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.86.5.1054. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. Martinez, M. (2010). Human Memory The Basics. Phi Delta Kappan, 91(8), 62-65. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. Shelton, J., Elliott, E., Matthews, R., Hill, B., & Gouvier, W. (2010). The relationships of working memory, secondary memory, and general fluid intelligence: Working memory is special. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 36(3), 813-820. doi:10.1037/a0019046. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. Unsworth, N., Spillers, G., & Brewer, G. (2010). The contributions of primary and secondary memory to working memory capacity: An individual differences analysis of immediate free recall. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 36(1), 240-247. doi:10.1037/a0017739. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.