Memory: Coding, capacity, duration

Question 1

Capacity

Answer 1

measure of how much can be held in memory

represented in ‘bits’ of info, such as number of digits

Question 2

Coding

Answer 2

the way info is changed so it can be stored in memory

Question 3

Types of code

Answer 3

visual code (picture)
acoustic code (sound)
semantic code (meaning)

Question 4

Duration

Answer 4

a measure of how long a memory lasts before its not longer available

Question 5

Researcher who studied coding in STM and LTM

Answer 5

Baddeley

Question 6

Findings for STM coding (Baddeley)

Answer 6

Immediate recall (STM) was worse with acoustically similar words. 
Therefore STM is coded acoustically

Question 7

Findings for LTM coding (Baddeley)

Answer 7

Recall after 20 mins (LTM) was worse with semantically similar words.
Therefore LTM is coded semantically

Question 8

STM: duration, capacity, coding

Answer 8

18-30 secs
7 +/- 2
acoustic

Question 9

LTM

Answer 9

unlimited
unlimited
semantic

Question 10

Why is a lab experiment a strength of Baddeley’s research?

Answer 10

lab experiment = high internal validity due to control of extraneous variables

Question 11

How can Baddeley’s results be applied to the wider world, specifically in education?

Answer 11

He found we coded semantically in LTM
Enables teachers to improve learning strategies that improve memory in the future
In turn, leads to economic growth in terms of education and training as the future work force able to be more productive because they can retain info for long periods of time.

Question 12

Why is there limited application for Baddeley’s research

Answer 12

The words were random, no personal meaning. Processing meaningful info may be encoded semantically for STM tasks
Need to be cautious about generalising findings to different types of memory tasks

Question 13

What is another weakness to Baddeley’s research in addition to limited application

Answer 13

No-one classed LTM as 20 mins. Should be a longer time period

Question 14

Weakness of Jacob’s study in terms of the date

Answer 14

Early research in psychology lacked control of extraneous variables
Participant may have been distracted, affecting performance
Therefore reduces validity of the study

Question 15

Findings for Miller (STM capacity)

Answer 15

digit span was 7+/- 2 numbers remembered. Improved by chunking

Question 16

Procedure for P&P (STM duration)

Answer 16

24 students given consonant trigram to remember

Asked to count back form either 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, or 18.

Question 17

Procedure for Bahrick

Answer 17

392 Americans ages 17-74
2 separate tests:
1) recognition test: 50 photos recognised from school year book
2) Free-recall test: List names of people from graduation

Question 18

Researcher who did study involving digit span for capacity of memory

Answer 18

Jacobs (1887)

Question 19

Procedure for Jacobs (STM capacity)

Answer 19

Digit span. 4 digits read to participants. Increased number until participants couldn’t recall correctly

Question 20

Researcher who did study involving 7+/- 2 items

Answer 20

Miller

Question 21

Who conducted research into the duration of STM

Answer 21

Peterson & Peterson

Question 22

Findings for P&P (STM duration)

Answer 22

3 sec interval = recall 80% correct
18 sec interval = recall 3% correct
Therefore suggests STM lasts 18-30 secs

Question 23

Weakness for Peterson and Peterson study

Answer 23

Lacks external validity due to artificial stimulus
IRL, dont memorise consonant trigrams
Therefore lacks external validity bc doesn’t reflect how memory works daily

Question 24

Findings for Bahrick

Answer 24

PP’s tested 48yrs after graduation = 70% accurate in recognition
free recall = less accurate

Question 25

Findings for Jacobs (STM capacity)

Answer 25

Avg recall: 9.3 numbers 7.3 letters

Question 26

Evaluation for Miller

Answer 26

Cowen found Miller overestimated
Capacity of STM was about 4 chunks
Lower end of millers 7+/-2 more appropriate (5 items)

Question 27

Reseacher who investigated LTM

Answer 27

Bahrick

Question 28

Procedure for Miller (STM capacity)

Answer 28

(STM capacity)

magic number book - observed everything came in 7’s

Question 29

Procedure for Baddeley

Answer 29

Gave participants a list of acoustically similar/dissimilar words, and semantically similar/dissimilar words.