Key Studies Of Each Store Flashcards
What is the key study for capacity and duration in the sensory register?
SPERLING (1960)
What is the aim of SPERLING (1960)?
To investigate the capacity and duration of the sensory register
What is the method of SPERLING (1960)?
Participants flashed 3x4 grid of letters onto a screen for 50 milliseconds and asked to recall as many letters as they could remember. Then participants were asked to recall single rows of letters when particular tones were heard.
What were the results of SPERLING (1960)?
When asked to recall as many letters as they could participants could remember approx 4 letters. When participants asked to recall single rows of letters they averaged 3 items. However the items decayed rapidly
What is the conclusion of SPERLING (1960)?
Capacity of sensory register is minimum 4 items and duration is between 250 - 500 milliseconds. The image of each item fades during the 50ms and the time it takes to report back recalled items so therefore it could be much larger than 4 items.
Evaluation of SPERLING (1960) (+) High control?
A strength is that the research is a lab experiment and therefore has high control over extraneous variables. All participants had the same experience - strength as participants unlikely to be affected by confounding variables therefore we can be confident that the duration of sensory memory is limited and the capacity is large as the evidence supporting it has high internal validity
Evaluation of SPERLING (1960) (-) Low ecological validity?
A limitation is that it has low ecological. Participants were shown random letters in a laboratory and asked to recall them which isn’t presented in most real life situations. This is a limitation because the findings may be difficult to generalise to how sensory memory works in real life. Therefore it’s not strong evidence to support the theory that the duration of sensory memory is limited and the capacity is large
What is the key study for capacity in STM?
MILLER (1956)
What is the aim of MILLER (1956)?
To investigate the capacity of STM
What is the method of MILLER (1956)?
Used the digit span technique; the technique consists of participants hearing a list of numbers and immediately trying to recall them in the correct order.
What is the result of MILLER (1956)?
Miller reviewed psychological research and concluded that the span of short term memory is 7+/- 2 digits. Miller also found that if people chunk things together they can remember more eg. Mobile phone numbers
What is the conclusion of MILLER (1956)?
Capacity of short term memory is 7+/- 2 digits
Evaluation of MILLER (1957) (+) high control?
Strength is that it’s a lab experiment. Establishes cause and effect as it has high control over extraneous variables, we can be confident that the IV is what affects the DB. Strength cos unlikely to be affected by confounding variables which provides internal validity
Evaluation of MILLER (1956) (-) individual differences in memory?
A limitation is that there is an individual difference in memory depending on factors such as age. Jacobs found that the digit span increased steadily with age and that people found it easier to recall numbers rather than letters. This is a limitation because the assumption that all individuals have a STM that can hold between 5 and 9 pieces of info is over simplistic - not fully valid
What is the key study for duration in STM
PETERSON and PETERSON (1959)
What is the aim of PETERSON AND PETERSON (1959)
Investigate duration of STM
What is the method of PETERSON and PETERSON (1959)
24 students presented consonant trigram. Rehearsal was prevented by asking them to count backwards in 3s from a specified number. After intervals of 3, 6, 9, etc, seconds participants were asked to stop counting and repeat the trigram
What are the results of PETERSON and PETERSON (1959)?
After 3 secs delay 80% recall, after 18 secs 10% recall, after 30 secs no trigrams were recalled
What is the conclusion of PETERSON and PETERSON (1959)
Duration of STM is 30 secs or less if maintenance rehearsal is blocked. This info fades from STM because of trace delay.
Evaluation of PETERSON and PETERSON (1959) (+) high control?
A strength is that it’s a lab experiment this establishes cause and effect. High control over extraneous variables so we can be confident it’s the IV that’s affecting the DV. This is a strength because the results of this study are unlikely to be affected by confounding variables which increases internal validity
Evaluation of PETERSON and PETERSON (1959) (-) Low ecological validity?
A limitation is that it has low ecological validity. Presented a trigram and recalling it is an artificial and simple task which doesn’t test the true complexity of memory. Limitation because it can’t be generalised to real life and doesn’t provide external validity
What is the key study for duration in LTM
BAHRICK ET AL (1975)
What is the aim of BAHRICK ET AL (1975)?
To investigate the length of time that memories can be held in LTM
What is the method of BAHRICK ET AL (1975)?
Interviewed graduated from a high school in America over a 50 year period. 392 graduates were shown a set of photos from their high school yearbook and participants were split into 2 groups: photo regocnition group. recall groups
