Features of LTM (Coding, Duration) Flashcards
In Baddeley’s research, which group of PPTs struggled to recall words from LTM the most?
Those who recalled semantically similar words after 20 minutes struggled the most.
How is information coded in LTM?
Semantically
Name the researcher who studied duration of LTM.
Harry Bahrick
Give the number, ages and country of the PPTs in Bahrick’s study,
392 American PPTs aged 17-74.
What did Bahrick do in his study?
Name both ways that Bahrick tested the recall of PPTs.
Bahrick obtained the high school yearbooks of PPTs and tested their recall
1. Free recall test of names from their graduating class
2. Photo recognition test, from photos of the PPTs high school yearbook
State the percentage of accuracy of photos recognised for people tested within 15 years of leaving school.
90%
State the percentage of accuracy of photos recognised for people tested within 48 years of leaving school.
70%
State the percentage of accuracy for people who left school within 15 years who successfully recalled classmates names in the free recall test.
60%
State the percentage of accuracy for people who left school within 48 years who successfully recalled classmates names in the free recall test.
30%
What do Bahrick’s findings tell us about the duration of LTM.
Duration of LTM is most likely unlimited.
Explain the strength that Bahrick’s study has high external validity.
Compare this to LTM studies involving less meaningful memories.
This is because research focused on meaningful memories such as names and faces. When LTM studies were conducted on less meaningful memories, recall rates were lower, suggesting that Bahrick’s findings are more reflective of real world situations.
Explain the strength that tasks in Bahrick’s study have high mundane realism.
In his study, PPTs recalled memories that they would have had to recall in everyday life, such as matching names to faces etc. This therefore reflects our memory in real life, so it is safe to assume that his findings are a valid explanation of duration.
Explain the limitation that in Bahrick’s study, we are unable to tell whether duration of LTM really lasts around 48 years or whether memory just worsens with age.
What are psychologists unable to accurately conclude from his research?
Bahrick found that accuracy of LTM was 90% accurate after 15 years for the photo recognition test and 70% after 48 years. However, his research cannot explain whether the decrease in recognition is due to the duration of LTM running out or whether older people experience more memory problems. This means that psychologists cannot accurately conclude a number for the duration of LTM or prove that it is unlimited.
Explain the limitation of Baddeley’s research using artificial stimuli.
Use the example that his study involved words which were meaningless to the PPTs.
Also consider how we may use semantic coding in STM sometimes, which his research does not suggest.
For example, the words in his study had no real meaningfulness to the PPTs. This means that his findings may not tell us about coding in different kinds of memory tasks, especially in everyday life. When processing more meaningful information, we may even use semantic coding for STM, which his findings do not show as they focus on less meaningful information. Instead, his findings suggest that information is coded semantically in LTM only. This may not be correct, so the study therefore may have limited applications.
