Two-Store Memory Model
how memory is processed in two distinct stages: short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM)
The two-store model emphasizes the importance of active engagement and rehearsal in language learning, as it shows that merely encountering new information isn't enough; it must be processed and encoded for long-term retention.
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Sensory Memory:
- Sensory memory briefly holds incoming information from the senses (e.g., sights, sounds) for a few seconds.
- This is the first step where the brain filters and determines whether the information is worth processing further.
- Most of this information is discarded, while important details move to short-term memory.
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Short-Term Memory (STM):
- Also called working memory, STM temporarily stores information for about 15-30 seconds.
- Its capacity is limited (about 7±2 items, according to Miller's Law), meaning it can only hold a small amount of information at any given time.
- Information in STM can either be rehearsed and encoded into long-term memory or be lost due to distraction or decay.
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Long-Term Memory (LTM):
- LTM is where information is stored indefinitely, allowing for retrieval over time.
- Unlike STM, LTM has an almost unlimited capacity and can hold information for long periods, potentially for a lifetime.
- To transfer information from STM to LTM, processes like encoding (associating new information with prior knowledge) and rehearsal (repetition) are necessary.
Gestalt Theory is a psychological theory that emphasizes how people naturally organize their perceptions into meaningful patterns and wholes, rather than seeing individual components in isolation. It originated from the work of German psychologists Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler, and Kurt Koffka in the early 20th century. The word "Gestalt" means "shape" or "form" in German, and the theory focuses on how the human brain interprets and organizes visual and sensory information.
Gestalt Laws of Perceptual Organization: These laws explain how we naturally group objects and make sense of our sensory world:
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Law of Proximity: Objects that are close to each other are perceived as belonging together.
- Example: In a group of dots, those placed closer together are seen as part of the same group.
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Law of Similarity: Items that are similar in appearance are grouped together.
- Example: In a pattern of circles and squares, all the circles are perceived as one group, and all the squares as another.
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Law of Continuity: The mind prefers to see continuous lines or patterns, rather than disjointed ones.
- Example: If a line is interrupted by a small gap, our mind will naturally "fill in" the gap to see it as a continuous line.
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Law of Closure: The brain tends to fill in missing information to complete an incomplete figure.
- Example: If part of a circle is missing, we still perceive it as a full circle.
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Law of Figure-Ground: People tend to separate objects from their background. We focus on what we perceive as the figure and ignore the ground (background).
- Example: In a drawing where a face is set against a busy background, we focus on the face and treat the rest as background noise.
