Features Of STM & LTM Stores

Question 1

What is the definition of coding?

Answer 1

The format in which info is stored in the various memory stores

Question 2

What is the definition of capacity?

Answer 2

Amount of info that can be held in a memory store

Question 3

What is the definition of duration?

Answer 3

Length of time info can be held in memory

Question 4

What is the definition of STM?

Answer 4

Limited-capacity memory store
Coding is mainly acoustic
Capacity is between 5-9 items
Duration is between 18 & 30 secs

Question 5

What is the definition of LTM?

Answer 5

Permanent memory store
Coding is mainly semantic
Unlimited capacity & can store memories for lifetime

Question 6

Evaluation of research on coding

Answer 6

Limitation - artificial stimuli
E.g. Baddeley word lists
Word lists have no personal meaning to participants, thus, we should be cautious generalising findings, thus, they have limited application

Question 7

Evaluation of research on capacity

Answer 7

Limitation - lacking validity
E.g. Jacobs (1887) - Conducted long time ago & early experiments often lacked control
Results may have been skewed by confounding variables

Question 8

Evaluation of research of duration

Answer 8

Limitation - meaningless stimuli in STM study
E.g. Peterson & Peterson (1959) constant syllable & 3 digit number (YCG 189)
Doesn’t replicate real life memory activities, as what we try to remember is meaningful, lacked external validity