Memory Basics

Question 1

Explain research for coding

Answer 1

Baddeley 1966: P’s given lists to recall, one list being acoustically similar words (cat, cab…) and other semantically similar words (large, big…). When recalled immediately STM did worse with acoustically similar and after 20 mins LTM did worse with semantically similar. (P’s find it difficult to differentiate if they are similar)

Question 2

AO3 of research into encoding

Answer 2

Identified clear differences between stores, However, stimuli was artificial so lacks mundane realism, However, it’s mostly correct as STM is predominately acoustic and LTM is predominantly semantic.

Question 3

Explain research for capacity

Answer 3

Jacobs Digit Span (1887): Experimenter reads 4 digits, p’s read them back. Add one number per trial until they fail. ON average p’s managed 9.3 numbers and 7.3 letters.

Question 4

AO3 of research into capacity

Answer 4

Study is old so may not have had much control in place. Therefore, confounding variables might have affected the outcomes. However, it has been replicated many times with good control. This therefore, shows Jacobs original outcomes have high validity.

Question 5

Explain research for duration

Answer 5

Bahrick yearbook study (1975): Recognition test, 50 photos from high school yearbooks. Free recall tests - p’s listed names from their class. Recognition - 90% accurate after 15 years, 70% accurate after 48 years.

Question 6

AO3 of research for duration

Answer 6

Realistic - remembering faces and or names. Not just nonsense words. When repeated in lab environments with meaningless pictures recall was lower. This is a more realistic view of the duration of LTM. (In comparison to Peterson and Petersons)