Memory Flashcards
Baddeley (1966) Coding in STM and LTM
Acoustically similar words (e.g. cat, cab) or dissimilar (e.g pit, few)
Semantically similar words (e.g. large, big) or dissimilar (e.g good, hot)
Baddeley (1966) Finding + conclusion
Immediate recall worse w acoustically similar words, STM is acoustic
Recall after 20 minutes worse w semantically similar words, LTM is semantic
Jacobs (1887) Capacitu of STM
Digit span: Researcher reads four digits and increases until the ptp cannot recall the order correctly
Jacobs (1887) findings + conclusion
On avg, ptp could repeat back 9.3 numbers and 7.3 letters in correct order immediately after they were presented
Miller (1956) Capacity of STM
Made observations of everyday practice
EX: noted that things come in sevens: 7 notes on musical scale, 7 days of the week, 7 deadly sins, etc
Miller (1956) findings and conclusion
The span of STM is about 7 items (plus or minus 2) but can be improved by chunking- grouping sets of digits/ letters into meaningful units
Peterson and Peterson (1959) Duration of STM
24 students were given a consonant syllable (e.g. YCG) to remember and a 3-digit number to count backwards for 3, 6, 9, 12, or 18 seconds
Peterson and Peterson (1959) findings and conclusion
Students recalled (avg) 80% of the syllables correctly w a 3-second interval
Avg recall after 18 seconds fell to about 3%- suggests that duration of STM w/o rehearsal is about 18-30 seconds
Bahrick et al. (1975) Duration of LTM
Ptp were 392 Americans aged 17-74
- Recognition test: 50 photos from ptp high school yearbook
- Free recall test: ptp listed names of their graduating class
Bahrick et all. (1975) findings and conclusion
Ptp tested 48 years after graduation were about 70% accurate in photo recognition
Free recall was less accurate
A limitation of Baddeley’s study (meaningful information)
Words had no personal meaning to ptp
When processing more meaningful info, semantic may be used even for STM tasks
-limited application
A limitation of Jacobs’ study (time)
Early research lacked control of EVs
EX: some may have been distracted
-lacks validity BUT has other research to support
A limitation of Miller’s study (overestimate)
Research was reviewed
Concluded that capacity of STM was only 4 chunks
-lower end of Miller is more accurate
A limitation of Peterson’s study (artificial stimulus)
Memorising consonant syllables doesn’t reflect real life memory usage where we remember meaningful things
Lacks external validity
-not completely irrelevant bc sometimes remember meaningless things e.g. phone numbers
A straight of Barhrick et al.’s study (external validity)
Real meaningful memories (e.g. names + faces)
When lab studies used meaningless pictures, recall was lower
-CVs of real-life studies not controlled, ptp may haves looked at yearbook over the years
What is Atkinson and Shiffrin’s (1968) Multi-store memory mode?
A model describing how information flows from 3 stores (sensory register, STM and LTM), linked by processing
Describe the sensory register using duration, capacity and coding
Stimulus passes into SR. 1 store for each sense.
Duration: very brief- less than 1/2 second
Capacity: high- e.g. over 100 milion in 1 eye
Coding: depends on the sense
Describe the data transfer from SR to LTM
Little of what goes into SR passes further- needs attention paid to it
Describe short-term memory
A limited capacity and duration store
Duration: 18-30 seconds unless rehearsed
Capacity: 7 +/- 2
Coding: acoustic
Describe the transfer from STM and LTM
Maintenance rehearsal occurs when we repeat to ourselves. We can keep info in STM as long as we rehearse
If rehearsed enough, passes into LTM
Describe LTM
A permanent memory store.
When we recall from from LTM, ‘retrieval’ is used
Duration: potentially lifetime
Capacity: potentially unlimited
Coding: tends to be semantic
Strengths of the MSM
Research support: Baddeley found we mix words that sound similar when using STM but mix sounds that mean similar when using LTM- shows independent stores
Limitations of the MSM
- Evidence suggests theres more than 1 type of LTM: Amnesiac (KF) recalled better when reading digits to himself
- Only explains 1 type of rehearsal: Craig and Watkins argued theres 2 types- maintenance (from MSM) and elaborative
- Research support uses artificial materials: asked ptp to recall digits, letters + words
- Oversimplifies LTM: there is a lot of evidence that LTM is not a unitary store
Episodic memory (LTM store)
Stores events, like a daily diary
- time-stamped
- involve people, places, etc
- require conscious effort to remember
Semantic memory (LTM store)
Combination of an encyclopaedia and dictionary; knowledge and meanings
-not time-stamped
Procedural memory (LTM store)
Stores memories for actions and skills
-recall w/o effort
Strengths of episodic memory
+Case study evidence: Amnesiacs (HM + Clive Wearing) had difficulty recalling events that happened in their pasts but not semantic memories