coding, capacity and duration Flashcards
What is coding
When info gets into memory and is stored in different formats
What was boadley’s experiment on coding For STM?
Have different lists of words to 4 groups of PP’s to remember
- from acoustically similar to dissimilar to semantically similar/disimilar
- pp’s asks to recall list they were given
- did worse on acoustically similar words
What type of coding is used in the STM?
-acoustic coding
What type of coding is used in the LTM
Semantically codes
What research was done on coding in the LTM
-Bodley’s same experience to for the STM
lists of words to 4 groups of PP’s to remember with acoustically similar/dissimilar words
-difference was pp’s we’re asked to recall after 20 minutes
-did worse with semantically similar words
Research on capacity in the STM
1.Joseph Jacobs digit span
-have 4 digits to pp’s asked to recall in order correctly, increases until they can’t remember
Number-9.3
Letters-7.3
2.span of memory and chinking
-things come in sevens
-capacity in stm is 7 (-/+2)
What was the mean digit span?
Numbers- 9.3
Letters- 7.3
What’s the capacity of the stm?
-7 (+/-2)
Research on duration in STM?
-tested 24 undergraduates taking part on 8 trials each given syllables to recall and 3 digit number
Count back from 3 digit number
-asked to stop after different time periods eg. 3,6,12 seconds
-the longer the retention interval the worse the recall
-STM has short duration unless repeated
Why did they count down from 3 digit number in the research for duration?
-to prevent mental rehearsal
What did research on duration in STM show?
- The longer the retention interval the worse the recall
- stm has short duration unless repeated
explain research on duration of the LTM?
- bahrik studied 392 pp’s aged 17-74 with recall test
1. photo recall with 50 photos from pp’s yr book
2. free recall where pp’s recalled names from graduating
what were the finding for research on duration of the LTM?
-after 48yrs= 70% photo recollection
-free recall worse= 15yrs= 60% accuracy
48yrs- 30% accuracy
-shows ltm lasts a long time
what is the coding, capacity and duration of theSTM?
coding- acoustically
capacity- between 7(+/-)2 items
duration- up to 30 seconds (extended by rehearsal)
what is the coding, capacity and duration of the LTM?
coding- semantically
capacity- potentially limitless
duration- depending on life span
evaluate capacity of the LTM?
WEAKNESS
-wagner diary of 400 events over 6 years and tested himself, to recall events not dates
-good recall
-suggests LTM is unlimited
-however case study cannot be generalised
-bias as he tested himself
IDIOGRAPHIC
evaluate artificial stimuli in research on coding?
- WEAKNESS
- lists have no real life context
- findings cannot be generalised to all memory tasks
- when processing meaningful info, the brain may use to another type of coding
evaluate a lack of temporal validity in research on capacity
WEAKNESS
- digit span was done a long time ago
- may be lacking controlled conditions
- eg. distracted whilst being tested = don’t perform well
what is the name of research done in the STM for capacity?
- digit span
- span of memory and chunking
evaluate how chunking may be inaccurate for research on capacity?
WEAKNESS
- may have overestimated the capacity of the STM
- recent test done showed capacity in STM was 4 chunks
- may be inaccurate
evaluate external variables for research on duration for LTM?
STRENGTH
- real life meaningful memories were studied by Bahrik
- however confounding variables not controlled eg. could have looked at year book since graduation
- when studies have been conducted with meaningless pictures recall was lower
