classic study: Baddeley Flashcards
state the two aims of baddeley’s study
- investigate whether LTM encodes acoustically or semantically
- investigate if acoustically similar words would lead to more impairment in the LTM than semantically similar
what was the sample?
72 males and females from the applied psychology research unit in cambridge
what was the research method?
lab experiment
describe the 4 conditions
condition A = acoustically similar
condition B = acoustically dissimilar
condition C = semantically similar
condition D = semantically dissimilar
describe the procedure
- each condition shown a list of 10 words displayed on a projector at 1 every 3 seconds
- afterwards, 6 tasks including a digit task
- 1 min to recall words in order
- 4 trials
- 15 min interference task including copying 8 digit sequences
- surprise retest
why were there 4 trials?
to ensure the words had been transferred to LTM
describe the results
- trial 2 = 40% ppts recalled acoustically similar correctly compared to 60% dissimilar
- trial 4 = 50% ppts recalled semantically similar correctly compared to 85% dissimilar
- no further forgetting between trial 4 and retest
describe the results
- trial 2 = 40% ppts recalled acoustically similar correctly compared to 60% dissimilar
- trial 4 = 50% ppts recalled semantically similar correctly compared to 85% dissimilar
- no further forgetting between trial 4 and retest
describe the conclusion
- hard to recall acoustically similar words
- STM is acoustic as words were harder to encode to LTM
- hard to recall semantically similar which shows that LTM encoding is semantic
what is a strength of baddeley’s study (PEE)?
- generalisability
a strength of baddeley’s study is the high generalisability. for example, a large sample size of 72 was used, involving both males and females. Therefore, this makes it representative of how memory functions in a wider population. However, the sample was only British volunteers. This makes it ethnocentric as it doesn’t consider the memory of other cultures.
what is a strength of Baddeley’s study (PEE)?
- reliability
a strength of Baddeley’s study is the high reliability due to standardised procedures. for example, all participants saw 10 words at 3 seconds each and they all completed the 8 digit interference task. therefore, the study can easily be replicated and tested for consistency. in addition, quantitative data is collected to find the words recalled in both semantic and acoustic conditions. therefore, the data is easy to analyse and compare, and it is objective and scientific.
what is a strength of baddeley’s study (PEE)?
- application
a strength of baddeley’s study is the applications. for example, the findings can be used to help students with efficient revision techniques as the study suggests that LTM encodes semantically. therefore, mindmaps that include semantic links will be more likely to encode into LTM than just re reading notes.
what is a weakness of the study (PEE)?
- validity
a weakness of baddeley’s study is the low task validity. for example, the procedure involves recalling a list of 10 words which are either acoustic/semantic similar/dissimilar within 1 minute. this isn’t a daily task which tests our everyday memory so may not be an accurate reflection of how our memory works outside of basic recall tests. therefore, it lacks mundane realism and validity.
what is a strength of the study (PEE)?
- ethics
a strength of baddeley’s study is that there are mini
