Duration Of Memory

Question 1

What is meant by 𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 in memory research?

Answer 1

How long a memory lasts before it is no longer accessible

Question 2

What is meant by 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 in memory research?

Answer 2

The amount of information that can be stored.

Question 3

What is Short term memory (STM) and how long does it last?

Answer 3

• Information we are currently aware of, or thinking about. Information found in short term memory comes from paying attention to sensory memories.
• very short time, about 18 seconds.

Question 4

What is long term memory (LTM) and how long does it last?

Answer 4

• Continual storage of information which is largely outside of our awareness, but it can be called into working memory to be used when needed.
• 2 minutes - 100 years

Question 5

What is Sensory Memory (SM)?

Answer 5

The initial contact for stimuli. SM is only capable of retaining information for very short time.

Question 6

Strengths of Peterson and Peterson (1959) - Duration of STM

Answer 6

• Showed that forgetting STM can occurs if information not rehearsed.
• Identified duration of STM approximately 18s.
• Highly controlled therefore limited effects of external variables.

Question 7

Weaknesses of Peterson and Peterson - Duration of STM

Answer 7

• Uses artificial stimuli, therefore had no personal meaning to participants - lacked mundane realism.
• lacked realism therefor can’t generalise findings to different memory tasks.
• Lacks external validity.
• Small sample size.