Memory

Question 1

Peterson and Peterson

Answer 1

Aim: To see if rehearsal was necessary to hold information in the short-term store.
Method: Participants were given sets of three letters to remember (such as GYK, MTW), but were immediately asked to count backwards in 3’s out loud for different lengths of time. This was done to prevent rehearsal. Participants were then asked to recall the letters in the correct order.
Results: The results of the study showed that participants had forgotten virtually all of the information after 18 seconds.
Conclusion: It was concluded that we cannot hold information in the short-term store unless we can rehearse it.

Question 2

Practical Application of Levels of Processing

Answer 2

Knowing about levels of processing can help us improve the way we learn and teach. We are more likely to remember something by describing it in our own words than reading it over and over. A teacher can test a pupil’s understanding better by asking a student to describe or explain rather than to name or list something.