Memory

Question 1

Define capacity

Answer 1

How much data can be held in a memory store

Question 2

Define duration

Answer 2

A measure of how long a memory lasts before it is no longer available

Question 3

Define coding

Answer 3

The way information is changed so that it can be stored in memory

Question 4

State the capacity of the STM and how it was assessed

Answer 4

7 +/- 2

Joseph Jacobs’ digit span task

Question 5

Describe Miller’s magic number

Answer 5

(1956), wrote an article 7 +/- 2 is the average for the general population, though ‘chunking’ helps even more

Question 6

Evaluate the capacity of the STM in terms of it being even more limited

Answer 6

Cowan (2001) performed a meta-analysis, said that it is limited to about 4 chunks. Suggests that The STM may not be as extensive as first thought.
Four items may be the limit (Vogel et al. 2001) means that the lower end of Miller’s range is more appropriate.

Question 7

Evaluate the capacity of the STM in terms of chunking

Answer 7

The size of the chunk affects how many chunks you can remember.
Simon (1974) found that people had a shorter memory span for larger chunks, such as 8-word phrases, than smaller chunks such as 1-syllable words

Question 8

Evaluate the capacity of the STM in terms of individual differences

Answer 8

STM capacity = not the same for everyone
Jacobs = recall (digit span) increased steadily with age
Could be because of a gradual increase in brain capacity, or people develop strategies e.g. chunking

Question 9

State the capacity of the LTM

Answer 9

Potentially infinite

Question 10

State the duration of the STM

Answer 10

0 to 18 seconds
Peterson and Peterson twins study (1959)
24 psychology students recalled trigrams (TGH, CLS)
Intervals = 3, 6, 9, 12, 18

Question 11

State the procedure of the Peterson and Peterson experiment (1959)

Answer 11

24 psychology students recalled trigrams (TGH, CLS)
Intervals = 3, 6, 9, 12, 18
To prevent rehersal ppts counted backwards in ‘s or 4’s from a specifed number

Question 12

State the findings of the Peterson and Peterson experiment (1959)

Answer 12

3 seconds = 80% correct recall
6 seconds = fell to 50%
18 seconds = <10% correct recall

Question 13

State the duration of the LTM

Answer 13

Unlimited

Question 14

Describe the Harry Bahrick et al. study (1975) for the duration of the LTM

Answer 14

Tested 400 people aged 17-74.
Photo recognition test consisting of 50 photos, some from the ppts high school year-book, who could they remember?
After 48 years = 70% accuracy for photos and 30% accuracy for names.

Question 15

Evaluate the duration of STM due to artificial testing

Answer 15

Trying to memories consonant syllables does not reflect real life.
Lacks mundane realism and external validity as artificial stimuli used.

Also only considered STM duration, not providing information about other types of stimuli such as pictures and melodies

Question 16

Evaluate the duration of STM due to ‘STM results may be due to displacement’

Hint = Reitman and Nairne et al

Answer 16

Peterson’s study = counting the numbers in their STM, this may displace or ‘overwrite’ the syllables to be remembered.
Reitman (1974) used auditory tones instead of numbers = no displacement, STM duration was much longer
Nairne et al = items could be recalled as long as 96 seconds

Question 17

State the type of Coding for STM and LTM

Answer 17

STM = Largely encoded acoustically
LTM = Largely encoded semantically

Question 18

Describe Alan Baddeley’s study into the coding of STM and LTM

Answer 18

Used acoustically similar and semantically similar word lists.
Found that ppts ad difficulty remembering acoustically similar words in STM but not in LTM, and vice-versa.
Shows STM = largely acoustic and LTM = largely semantic

Question 19

Evaluate Baddeley’s study into memory coding in terms of ‘not testing LTM’

Answer 19

STM was tested by asking ppts to recall a word list immediately after hearing it. LTM was tested by waiting 20 minutes. It is questionable as to whether this is really testing LTM

Question 20

Evaluate research into memory coding in terms of that the STM may not be exclusively acoustic

Answer 20

Research shows that some visual codes are used in the STM:
Brandimote et al. (1992)
Ppts used visual coding in STM if they were given a visual task, and prevented from doing any verbal rehersal in the retention interval.

Question 21

What did Wickens et al. do?

Answer 21

Showed that STM sometimes uses a semantic code

Question 22

Evaluate research into memory coding in terms of that the LTM may not be exclusively semantic

Answer 22

Frost (1972) showed that long-term recall was related to visual as well as semantic categories, and Nelson and Rothbart (1972) found evidence of acoustic coding in LTM.
Therefore it seems that coding in STM or LTM is not simply acoustic or semantic, but can vary according to circumstances.