all Flashcards
define capacity
The amount of information that can be held in a memory store
define duration
How long information can be stored for
define encoding
in what form information can be stored
What was the method of Baddeley (1996) and his research into short term memory?
75 ppts divided into 4 groups and each shown 1/4 word lists:
- acoustically similar
- acoustically dissimilar
- semantically similar words
- semantically dissimilar words
Ppts were asked to recall the words in the correct order
What were the results of Baddelely (1996) and his research into short term memory?
- Acoustically similar = 10% recall
- Acousticaly dissimilar = 80% recall
- Semantically similar words = 60% recall
- Semantically dissimilar words = 70% recall
What was the conclusion of Baddelely (1996) and his research into short term memory?
The acoustically similar words of list A interfere with the STM and its ability to code the words. Because the words sounded the same, the STM was unable to differentiate between them.
This was the same for list C and the semantically similar words.
What did Miller (1956) research into short term memory show?
showed that people have a STM capacity of 7 chunks (+ or - 2) –> this is know as millers magic 7.
What was the procedure of Peterson and Peterson’s (1959) study into short term memory?
- ppts were briefly shown a consonant trigram
- ppts were asked to count backwards in 3s to stop them releasing trigrams
- after intervals of 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 secs ppts were asked to recall original trigram
- procedure repeated with different trigrams
What were the results of Peterson and Peterson’s (1959) study into short term memory?
- Ppts recalled approx. 80% of trigrams after 3 secs.
- As interval increased fewer trigrams were remembered.
- After 18 secs, less then 10% of trigrams were recalled correctly.
What was the procedure of Barrack et al’s (1975) study into long term memory?
- research into graduates from high school over a 50yr period - they were shown photos of their high school year group
- the RECOGNITION group were given names and asked to match the name to the person
- the RECALL group were asked simply to name them
What were the results of Barrack et al’s (1975) study into long term memory?
Those who left high-school in the last 15 years: 90%
Those who left high-school in the last 48 years: 80%
What are strengths of research into STM?
1). Supporting Evidence = all done in a lab so there is a high control of EVs so easily establish cause and effect relationship
2). The use of trigrams in Peterson and Peterson study ensured no meaning was attached which could have acted as a confounding variable
What are the weaknesses of research into STM?
1). artificial stimuli in supporting evidence studies –> the lack of meaning behind them lowers generalisability and external validity
2) Baddeley = not measuring capacity but actually how much someone can say in 2 secs
3) Peterson and Peterson = could have been the trigrams were displaced by the number used to stop rehearsal not because of weak memory trace.
What is the function of the sensory store in the Multi-Store Model?
to help integration between all the senses as we receive information from them.
What is the capacity of the sensory store?
unlimited
What is the duration of the sensory store?
Less than half a second
How is information encoded in the sensory store?
all senses
How is information transferred from the sensory store to the short term memory?
if attention is given to the information
If the information in the sensory store is not transferred to the short term memory store, what happens to it?
Trace Decay - it is forgotten
How does information stay in the STM store?
Maintenance rehearsal
In the STM store, if we don’t rehearse the information, what happens to it?
it is forgotten
What is the capacity of the STM store?
7 chunks of info ( + or - 2)
What is the duration of the STM store?
18-30 seconds
How is information encoded into the STM store?
acoustically