2.1: Short-term memory (STM)

Question 1

Identify the main type of coding used in each of the following components of the multi-store model of memory (2 marks).
Short term memory:
Long term memory:

Answer 1

Short term memory: Acoustic

Long term memory: Semantic

Question 2

Research has suggested that the encoding and capacity of short-term memory are different from the encoding and capacity of long-term memory.
Explain what is meant by coding (2 marks)

Answer 2

Coding is the way in which information is stored and processed into memory, for example acoustic, visual and semantic memory

Question 3

Outline the difference between the capacity of short-term memory and the capacity of long-term memory (2 marks)

Answer 3

The capacity of LTM is much larger than STM, because LTM has an unlimited capacity, whereas the capacity of STM is 7 + / - 2 items

Question 4

A researcher carried out an experiment to investigate how many numbers could be held in short-term memory. The participants were 15 children and 15 adults. Participants were asked to repeat lists of random numbers, in the correct order, as soon as they were read out by the researcher. For example, when the researcher said, “3, 4, 2, 8” the participant immediately repeated “3, 4, 2, 8”. When the researcher then said,“7, 5, 9, 6, 4” the participant immediately repeated “7, 5, 9, 6, 4”. One number was added to the list each time until participants were unable to recall the list correctly. Each participant’s maximum digit span was recorded.
Write an appropriate non-directional hypothesis for this experiment (2 marks)

Answer 4

There will be a difference in how many numbers are correctly recalled by children and adults

Question 5

A researcher carried out an experiment to investigate how many numbers could be held in short-term memory. The participants were 15 children and 15 adults. Participants were asked to repeat lists of random numbers, in the correct order, as soon as they were read out by the researcher. For example, when the researcher said, “3, 4, 2, 8” the participant immediately repeated “3, 4, 2, 8”. When the researcher then said,“7, 5, 9, 6, 4” the participant immediately repeated “7, 5, 9, 6, 4”. One number was added to the list each time until participants were unable to recall the list correctly. Each participant’s maximum digit span was recorded.
Explain why the researcher used an independent groups design for this experiment (2 marks)

Answer 5

The experiment uses adults in one condition and children in the other, so it would be impossible to use a repeated design unless the researchers waited for the children to grow into adults

Question 6

A case study was carried out on Peter whose brain was damaged in a motorcycle accident. Psychologists tested how many numbers he could hold in his short-term memory. They did this by reading him lists of numbers and asking him to recall the numbers immediately in the right order. He could recall a maximum of two items. The psychologists found that his long-term memory was normal.
How was Peter’s short-term memory after the accident different from most adults’ short-term memory? (2 marks)

Answer 6

Digit span is normally considered to be 7+ / –2, so Peter’s was much shorter