Unit 4 Discussion: Cognition

Unit 4 Discussion: Cognition

Unit 4 Discussion: Cognition

Hello, all! I can’t believe it’s unit 4 already! We are almost to the halfway mark! Working memory is described as the brief memory for a smaller amount of information that one is currently Show More

Hello, all!

I can’t believe it’s unit 4 already! We are almost to the halfway mark!

Working memory is described as the brief memory for a smaller amount of information that one is currently processing. (Matlin, 2012) It assists in ongoing cognitive tasks. (Matlin, 2012) It is similar to the older concept of short term memory. The textbook gives the example of recalling information in the beginning of a sentence while reading the remainder and comprehending the information as utilization of working memory.

Another example is when I see or call a client at work. It’s important that I take time immediately before the appointment to quickly review the progress notes that their therapist has taken to know where they are in therapy, and determine whether they could be in crisis. When I see a client that is new to our facility, we do a specialty appointment. Because I do not like to type while I speak to clients (I think it’s rude,) so I take brief, short-hand notes on the intake paperwork while we talk. After we are finished, I complete my charting. I look at the information that I have on the paperwork, and turn to type it into the electronic chart.

While engaging in the working memory test, I noticed that I was repeating the numbers that I saw during the exercise, without strategizing to do so. I also found that I was more comfortable choosing numbers than shapes. I did well, and was able to recall all of the sums of the simple equations I saw on the screen. I selected a difficulty level of ”5.”

Matlin, M. (Oct 2012). Cognition, 8th Edition. [VitalSource Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from https://kaplan.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781118545560

Student 2

Working memory is what allows us to have information active and accessible so we are able to use the information we have stored and apply them to complete different tasks (Matlin, 2012). When doing the demonstration, I caught myself naming the shapes of objects that they looked similar to help me remember when they appeared. I would then repeat them from the beginning as shapes added on. For example, I would say boomerang, boomerang-flower, boomerang-germ-flower. When my memory started to fail as more were added, I began to take little notes to help remember since the sequences started to blur together.

A life example that I think of similar to the demonstration, is at work each day. Working at a mental health facility, at the front desk, I am required to check patients in. In order to do so, I need their information. If someone isn’t showing up on the schedule, I have to look them up by their information. I usually ask for their date of birth. When they repeat this, I have to remember it for when they ask to reschedule. When I reschedule them, I have to look them up in another program since it does not carry over between programs.

Patients tend to get annoyed if you continually re-ask them for their information. To avoid this I group together the numbers or put meaning to the date/numbers (like it is my favorite number, month of my brother’s birthday, and the same year my mom was born).

Resource Matlin, Margaret W. (10/2012). Cognition, 8th Edition.

[VitalSource Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from https://kaplan.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781118545560/