Duration Flashcards
Define duration
the length of time that information can be held in memory.
How did Sterling study the duration of the sensory register in 1960?
1.) showed participants a grid containing 3 rows of 4 letters for 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds).
2.) they then had to immediately recall either the entire grid or just randomly chosen row.
What were the results of Sterling’s study?
recall was poorer when asked to recall the whole grid compared to just a row.
What conclusions could be made from the results of Sterling’s study?
the suggested duration of the sensory register is less than half a second.
How did Peterson and Peterson study the duration of short term memory?
1.) 24 students in 8 trials.
2.) consonant syllables such as YCG used in each trial.
3.) students were then given a 3 digit number to count backwards from for varying periods of time.
4.) they were then asked to recall the letters.
What were the results of Peterson and Peterson’s study?
after 3 seconds, average recall was 80%.
after 18 seconds, average recall was 3%.
What conclusions could be made from the results of Peterson and Peterson’s study?
they concluded that STM duration may be about 18 seconds, unless we repeat information over and over.
