Memory Flashcards
What is coding?
The way in which information is changed so that it can be stored.
What is capacity?
How much information can be stored.
What is duration?
How long the information can be stored for.
What does the sensory register do?
Stores information from the senses.
How does the sensory register code info?
Into one of five stores
What are the 5 sensory stores?
Echoic = auditory info
Iconic = visual info
Haptic = tactile info
Gustatory = taste
Olfactory = smell
How do we know the sensory register has different stores?
Crowder (1993) found memory for visual and auditory info was different in duration. This suggests that different sensory information is coded and stored differently within SR.
What is the capacity of the sensory register?
Quite large, the brain had to briefly register all other info to decide where to focus.
Describe some research into the capacity of the sensory register.
Sperling (1960) showed ppts a 3x4 grid of letters for less than a second. Asked them to recall a line of grid.
What is the duration of the sensory register?
> 1/2 second, decays with age
Describe research into the duration of the sensory register
Walsh and Thompson (1978) found iconic store had an avg duration of 500 ms but decays
Triesman (1964) presented identical auditory messages to ppts and if the delay between the two messages was less than 2 secs they identified them as the same
How does the short term memory code info?
Visually
Acoustically
Sematically
What transfers info from the SR to the STM?
Attention
What is the capacity of the STM?
7 +/- 2
Describe research into coding of STM
Baddeley (1966) gave ppts a list of words had to rearrange them into the correct order. Performed worst on the list which were acoustically similar. Suggests coding occurs in STM as it was confused
Describe research into the capacity of the STM
Jacobs (1882) devised serial digit recall method
Miller (1956) identified the magic number. Found ppts could remember more pieces of information if they chunked info.
What is the duration of STM?
Max 30 seconds
True of false: duration of the STM can be extended
True, can be extended by rehearsal of the info. If done for long enough it will result in the transfer of info into the LTM.
Describe research into the duration of STM.
Peterson and Peterson (1959) - ppts presented with trigrams of consonants and then asked to count backwards in threes in order to prevent maintenance rehearsal. Found duration to be between 18 and 30 secs.
How does the long term memory code info?
Semantically
Describe research into the coding of LTM
Baddeley (1966) - ppts performed worse on semantically similar word lists when tested after 20 mins.
What is the capacity of the LTM?
Unlimited
Describe research into the capacity of LTM
Wagenaar (1986) - created a diary of 24000 events then tested his recall. Found he had excellent recall.
What is the duration of the LTM?
Potentially unlimited
