Memory

Question 1

Define Coding

Answer 1

The format in which information is stored in

Question 2

Define Capacity

Answer 2

The amount of information a memory store can hold

Question 3

Define Duration

Answer 3

How long a memory store can hold information

Question 4

What is Sensory Coding

Answer 4

acoustic and visual coding (sensory information)

Question 5

What is Semantic Coding?

Answer 5

storing information by its meaning.

Question 6

Outline the sensory register

Answer 6

the SR is a temporary store for sensory information from the outside world - it holds sensory information whilst we process it.

coding - sensory
duration - 1-2 secs
capacity - large

Question 7

Outline short term memory

Answer 7

a temporary store which holds information while we use it in an ongoing task

duration - 18-30 secs
capacity - limited
coding - sensory and semantic (mainly acoustic)

Question 8

Outline Jacobs (1887) study on STM

Answer 8

Jacobs had participants recall a string of letters or numbers of different lengths and found that the capacity of STM = 7 +/-2
The study provided evidence that the capacity of STM is limited.

Question 9

Outline Miller (1956)

Answer 9

Miller found that when we group individual letters together into meaningful units we can increase capacity of STM to 7 +/- 2 CHUNKS.