b1 - features of memory stores

Question 1

what is memory?

Answer 1

memory is an organisms ability to store,retain and recall information and experiences

Question 2

what are the three main components of memory?

Answer 2

sensory register
short term memory
long term memory

Question 3

what is coding in memory?

Answer 3

the way information is processed or stored in memory

Question 4

what is duration in memory?

Answer 4

the length of time the information is held in the memory store

Question 5

what is capacity in memory?

Answer 5

the amount of information that can be stored

Question 6

how does information enter the sensory register?

Answer 6

via our senses

Question 7

what is the capacity of the sensory register?

Answer 7

unknown / unlimited

Question 8

what is the duration of the sensory register?

Answer 8

limited

less than a second / 250 milliseconds

Question 9

how is information coded in the sensory register?

Answer 9

modality specific (depends on the sense) 
e.g. visual = iconic, acoustically = echoic, touch = hepatic

Question 10

what must happen to information before it’s passed from the sensory register to the short term memory?

Answer 10

it must be attended to

Question 11

define short term memory

Answer 11

is your memory for immediate events

memory disappears unless rehearsed

Question 12

what is the capacity of the STM?

Answer 12

limited

7+/-2 pieces of information

Question 13

what is the duration of the STM?

Answer 13

18-30 seconds

Question 14

how is information in the STM coded?

Answer 14

acoustically

Question 15

name a study of coding in the STM and LTM

Answer 15

Baddeley (1966)

Question 16

explain Baddeley study on coding in memory

Answer 16

procedure:
he gave different lists of words to 4 groups of ppts to remember:
G1: acoustically similar (cat,cab,can)
G2: acoustically dissimilar (pit, few, cow)
G3: semantically similar (great, large, big)
G4:semantically dissimilar (good, hot, pig)
findings:
ppts asked to recall words in correct order immediately (STM) = worse with acoustically similar words - STM acoustically coded
ppts recalled words 20 mins later (LTM) = worse with semantically similar words - LTM semantically coded

Question 17

two positives of Badddeley’s study on coding in memory

Answer 17

the study identifies clear differences between the two memory stores.
replicable

Question 18

one negative of Baddeley’s study on coding in memory

Answer 18

artificial stimuli - no personal meaning - findings have limited application

Question 19

name two studies on capacity in STM

Answer 19

Jacobs (1887)

Miller (1956)

Question 20

explain Jacobs study on capacity in STM

Answer 20

procedure:
used a digit span test, 
ppts had to repeat back a string of numbers/ letters read out by the experimenter, the number of digits/ letters was gradually increased until ppts could no longer recall the sequence in the correct order. 
findings:
the mean span for digests was 9.3 items
the mean span for letters was 7.3 items

Question 21

one limitation of Jacobs study of capacity in STM

Answer 21

study is very old, early psychological studies lacked control of extraneous variables - confounding variables

Question 22

one strength of Jacobs study on capacity in STM

Answer 22

has been replicated and findings have been confirmed by other studies

Question 23

explain Millers study on capacity in STM

Answer 23

he observed in everyday life, things come in sevens (seven days of week, seven deadly sins etc)
he thought the capacity of STM was about 7 items, plus or minus 2
he also notes people can recall 5 words as easily as they can recall 5 letters = chunking (grouping sets of digits or letters into units or chunks)

Question 24

one limitation of Millers study on capacity in STM

Answer 24

his research overestimated the capacity
Cowan (2001) found the capacity of the STM is only 4 +/-1 chunks
so millers 7 (-2) = 5 is more appropriate

Question 25

name a study of duration in STM

Answer 25

Peterson and Peterson (1959)

Question 26

explain Peterson and Peterson’s study on duration in STM

Answer 26

procedure:
tested 24 students in 8 trials each. on each trial the student was given a constant syllable (e.g. YCG) to remember and given a 3-digit number.
the student counted backward from this number until told to stop (this was to prevent mental rehearsal).
on rachel trial they were told to stop after varying periods of time (3,6,9,12,15 or 18 seconds)
findings:
3 seconds = 80% recall
18 seconds = 3% recall
suggesting STM duration is about 18 seconds (unless we rehearse)

Question 27

one limitation of Peterson and Peterson’s study of duration in STM

Answer 27

the stimulus material was artificial - doesn’t reflect everyday life - lacks external validity

Question 28

one strength of Peterson and Peterson’s study of duration in STM

Answer 28

highly controlled- replicable

Question 29

define long term memory

Answer 29

is your memory for events that have happened in the past

Question 30

what is the capacity for LTM?

Answer 30

unlimited

Question 31

what is the duration of LTM?

Answer 31

up to a lifetime

Question 32

how is information coded in LTM?

Answer 32

semantically

Question 33

name a study of duration in LTM

Answer 33

Bahrick et al. (1975)

Question 34

explain Bahrick et al.’s study of duration in LTM

Answer 34

procedure:
studied 392 american ppts aged 17-74.
recall was tested with the individuals high school year books.
test 1: photo-recognition - 50 photos, some photos from their year book, and asked to name them.
test 2: free-recall - recalled names of their graduate class (no pictures)
findings:
photo recognition: ppts with in 15 years of graduation = 90% correct vs ppts after 48 years = 70% correct
free recall: 15 years = 60% vs 48 years = 30%

shows LTM can last up to a lifetime

Question 35

one strength of Bahrick et al.’s study of duration in LTM

Answer 35

height external validity- use of meaningful memories

Question 36

one limitation of Bahrick et al.’s study of duration in LTM

Answer 36

confounding variables - can’t be sure the ppts hadn’t looked at their yearbook and rehearsed over the years