memory Flashcards
Define coding
This is how we process information, changing it to a suitable form so it can be stored e.g, the STM codes acoustically
How is the sensory register coded
Modality specific (depends on the sense being used e.g visual - iconic)
How is the STM coded
Acoustically
How is the LTM coded
Semantically
Define capacity
This is the amount of information that can be held in memory e.g, the capacity of STM is 5-9 items
What is the capacity of the sensory register
Unlimited
What is the capacity of the STM
7+/-2 items
5-9 items
What is the capacity of the LTM
Unlimited
Define duration
This is how long the information lasts in mmeory e.g, information lasts 18-30 seconds in STM
What is the duration for the sensory register
Limited - less than 0.5 seconds (250 milliseconds)
What is the duration for the STM
Limited 18-30 seconds
What is the duration for the LTM
Potentially forever, a lifetime
Who conducted research on coding
Baddeley
How many experiments did Baddeley conduct on coding
2
What was the aim of Baddeley’s first study
To investigate how we code information in our STM
What was the procedure of Baddeley’s first study
Showed ppts a list of 4 categories
- Acoustically similar - cat, sat, mat, bat
- Acoustically dissimilar - tree, house, flour
- Semantically similar - kip, doze, nap, sleep
- Semantically dissimilar - cake, book, plane
Immediately after each presentation, ppts were asked to recall the lists in the CORRECT ORDER
What were the findings of Baddeley’s first study
More mistakes made on the acoustically similar list
What was the conclusion of Baddeley’s first study
Suggests STM mainly codes information acoustically
What was the aim of Baddeley’s second study
To investigate how we code information in our LTM
What was the procdure of Baddeley’s second study
Showed ppts a list of 4 categories
- Acoustically similar - cat, sat, mat, bat
- Acoustically dissimilar - tree, house, flour
- Semantically similar - kip, doze, nap, sleep
- Semantically dissimilar - cake, book, plane
20 minutes after each presentation, ppts were asked to recall the lists in the CORRECT ORDER
What were the findings of Baddeley’s second study
More mistakes made on the semantically similar list
What was the conclusion of Baddeley’s second study
Suggests LTM mainly codes information semantically
What experiments did Baddeley conduct
Research into the coding of the STM
Research into the coding of the LTM
Who conducted research into the capacity of the STM
Miller
What was the aim of Miller’s study
To investigate the capacity of the STM
What was the procedure of Miller’s study
He used ‘the digit span technique’. Ppts were given strings of unrelated digits that increased by one digit every time.
(e.g do not have a pattern 2,4,6,8. Are not repeated 111, do not make up acronyms LOL)
The ppts digit span was measured until the point where they could no longer recall the digits in the correct sequence
What were the findings of Miller’s study
Ppts could recall 5-9 items, more could be recalled if items were ‘chunked’
E.g a Ppt can remember 5 words just as well as 5 letters
What was the conclusion of Miller’s study
Capacity of STM is limited (5-9 items), our digit span can be increased by putting several items in meaningful chunks
Who conducted research on the duration of the STM
Peterson and Peterson
What was the aim of Peterson and Peterson’s study
To investigate the duration of the STM
What was the sample for Peterson and Peterson’s study
24 Undergraduate students
What was the procedure for Peterson and Peterson’s study
Participants were briefly presented with a consonant trigram (HDF) to remember.
They were then given a three digit number and asked to count backwards from this number to prevent rehearsal.
They were stopped at different intervals (3,6,9,12,15,18 seconds) and asked to recall the consonant trigram.
What were the findings of Peterson and Peterson’s study
After 3 seconds only 80% recalled the trigram correctly. After 18 seconds fewer than 10% recalled correctly.
What was the conclusion for Peterson and Peterson’s study
Information in the STM lasts 18 – 30 seconds, unless it is rehearsed.
Who conducted a study on the duration of the LTM
Bahrick
What was the aim of Bahrick’s study
To investigate the duration of the LTM
What was the procedure of Bahrick’s study
Bahrick tested 392 American high school graduates aged between 17 and 74 on their memory of their former classmates.
In Condition 1 they had to recall the names of classmates using a photo yearbook, in condition 2 they had to recall the names of their class with no photo cue.