Memory - coding, capacity and duration of STM

Question 1

define the term coding: (1)

Answer 1

format in which info is stored

Question 2

define the term capacity (1):

Answer 2

amount of info that can be held in a memory store

Question 3

define the term duration: (1)

Answer 3

length of time info can be held in memory

Question 4

who conducted research into coding ? (1)

Answer 4

Alaan Baddeley

Question 5

describe Baddeley’s research procedure + findings (6)

Answer 5

procedure
- ppnts shown list of words
- recall immediately
- accoustically or semantically similar or disimilar
- acoustic = sound, smantic = meaning

findings:
- accoustically similar = worst recall

conclusion:
- STM codes accoustically

Question 6

who conducted research into the capacity of memory ?

Answer 6

Jacobs + George Miller

Question 7

who conducted research into the duration of memory ?

Answer 7

Peterson and Peterson

Question 8

Jacobs procedure, findings and conclusion (5)

Answer 8

procedure:
- digit span test
- read out digit list, ppnts recall, 100% correct = add more digits

findings:
- Mean span for numbers = 9.3
- mean span for letters = 7.3

conclusion:
- capacity of STM = 7 + or - 2

Question 9

what obsrvation did George Miller make regarding the duration of STM ? (1)

Answer 9

alot of things in everyday life come in 7’s eg 7 days of the week, 7 notes on musical scale etc…

Question 10

describe the procedure, findings and conclusion of research done by peterson and peterson (8)

Answer 10

procedure:
- students given Trigram
- distraction task - no mental rehearsal
- recite trigram
- correct = new trigram
- distraction task for 3,6,8,9,12,15,18…30s

findings:
- 32 avg recall = 80%
- 18s avg recall = 3s

conclusion:
- duration of STM = 18-30s

Question 11

Baddeley’s research AO3 (3)

Answer 11

1. artificial stimuli

2. Application
identified a clear difference between 2 memory stores
- led to development of multi-store model
- + identification of 2 sep memory strores still true to this day
- application in revision
- as we know that LTM codes semantically we can revise using mind maps that make semantic links rather than just reading passages out lout as LTM doesntr code accoustically so this won’t be effective

3. sample:
- large sample of 72 - anomalies unlikely to impact findings
CA: only 15-20 ppl in a group so anomalies can now have a large impact
++ all british volunteers

4. reliable
   - standardiesed procedure
   - easily replicated using the same list of words

Question 12

Joseph Jacobs AO3 (3)

Answer 12

1. very early research in psychology
   - lack of control variable = low int V
2. ppmnts repeat procedure several times
   - order effects arise - bored or fatigues which affects results
   - demand characteristics more likely - guess aims
   - cofounding V’s = lower validity
3. artificial stimuli
4. application in revision - make acronyms with 7 letters to imrpove memorisation

Question 13

Peterson and Peterson AO3 (3)

Answer 13

1. ppnts have to repeat procedure
- order effects + demand characteristics

2. artificial stimuli

3. lab experiment
- control - fixed timings for ppnts to count backwards from to prevent mental rehearsal - eliminated noise and other factprs that influence memory
- standardised procedure - easily replicable
- = scientific credibility

4. limited findings:
- only considered duration of STM for 1 types of stimuli, didnt look into duration when stimuli was pictures or sounds

5. practical applications - demonstrates how interference in the form of verbal ditractions can affect our ability to retain info
- understand that we should take care before exams or when trying to revise that we sould avoid distractions