Coding, Capacity and Duration

Question 1

what are the 2 different types of memory?

Answer 1

short term memory
long term memory

Question 2

what is short term memory

Answer 2

memory for immediate events - things that only just happened

Question 3

what is long term memory

Answer 3

memory for things that happened in the past

Question 4

what is the definition of coding

Answer 4

how info is changed/ converting info from one memory store to another

Question 5

definition of capacity

Answer 5

how much info can be held in memory at any time

Question 6

definition of duration

Answer 6

how long info can be held in memory

Question 7

what does acoustically mean

Answer 7

associated with sound

Question 8

what is encoding

Answer 8

how info enters memory system from sensory input

Question 9

what are the 3 types of encoding

Answer 9

visual (as an image)
acoustic (as a sound)
semantic (through meaning)

Question 10

how is info coded visually

Answer 10

as an image

Question 11

how is info coded acoustically

Answer 11

as a sound

Question 12

how is info coded semantically

Answer 12

through meaning

Question 13

how is STM coded?

Answer 13

info coded acoustically

Question 14

how is LTM coded

Answer 14

info coded semantically

Question 15

what is the capacity of STM

Answer 15

5-9 items

Question 16

what is the capacity of LTM

Answer 16

unlimited capacity

Question 17

what is the duration of STM

Answer 17

18-30 seconds

Question 18

what is the duration of LTM

Answer 18

unlimited duration

Question 19

what does ‘digit span’ mean?

Answer 19

no. of items individuals can recall correctly

Question 20

what is chunking

Answer 20

grouping sets of digits/letters until chunks

Question 21

research on coding

Answer 21

• Baddeley (1966) gave different words to 4 groups: accoustically similar (sound similar), accousitcally disimilar, semantically similar (similar meanings) and semantically disimilar.
• when recalling words immediately (STM) they did worse with acoustically similar words
• when recalling words after 20 mins (LTM) they did worse with semantically similar words.
  —- suggests info is coded semantically in LTM

Question 22

evaluation for Baddeley’s research on CODING

Answer 22

artificial stimuli - cannot be generalised, as the words were random and had no meaning to the participant

Question 23

research on capacity - digit span - Jacobs

Answer 23

digit span
- Jacobs (1987) - researcher gave certain amount of words and participants have to recall in correct order . increase amount of words until they can no longer be recalled.
- mean digit span for digits - 9.3
- mean digit span for letters - 7.3

Question 24

research on capacity - span of memory and chunking - Miller

Answer 24

span of memory and chunking - digit span test
- Miller (1956) noted things in sevens (days of the week) - suggests capacity of STM if 7
- miller noted people can recall 5 words and 5 letters by chunking - grouping sets of digits or letter.
- found average capacity was 7+/- 2 chunks of info

Question 25

evaluation for Jacobs research on capacity

Answer 25

lacking validity
- study was conducted long time ago - meaning variables may not have been controlled
- however, other research had confirmed its validity.

Question 26

evaluation of Miller’s research on capacity

Answer 26

not so many chunks
- miller may have overestimated the capacity of STM
- Cowan (2001) reviewed other research and stated capacity of STM was 4

Question 27

research on duration - duration of STM

Answer 27

duration of STM
- Peterson and Peterson (1959) tested 24 students. they had to count down from a 3 digit no. after being told a consonant syllable (to prevent mental rehearsal). they were told to stop after either 3,6,9,12,15 or 18 seconds
- suggests STM may be very short unless we mentally rehearse it

Question 28

research on duration - LTM

Answer 28

duration of LTM
- Bahrick (1975) studied 392 participants aged 17-74. recall was done by photo recognition of 50 photos from high school yearbook, or free recall of names of graduating class
- photo recognition - 15 years after graduation - 90% accurate , 48 years - 70%
- free recall - 15 years after graduation - 60% - 48 years - 30%
— shows LTM can last very long

Question 29

evaluation of Peterson and Petersons study on duration - STM

Answer 29

meaningless stimuli in STM study
- study used artificial material - does not reflect real-life memory activities
- not completely invalid - e.g phone numbers

Question 30

evaluation of Bahricks study on duration - LTM

Answer 30

high external validity
- Bahrick et al used real life memories
- confounding variables not controlled - participants may have looked at yearbook over years

Question 31

evaluation - critics of Peterson and Peterson

Answer 31

in study participants counted down during the retention interval, meaning info in STM may have been displaced