Memory: Short and Long term memory Flashcards
Explain Capacity
How much can be measure in a memory store.
STM tends to have a limited capacity whilst LTM potentially has an endless capacity.
Explain coding
The way information is changed so it can be stored in memory
Information enters the brain through senses and is then stored in visual, semantic or acoustic codes
Explain duration
How long your memory can last before it disappears.
Explain STM
This is your memory for immediate events.
These memories disappear unless rehearsed
They have a span of around 4 chunks and tends to be coded acoustically.
Explain LTM
This is your memory for events which have happened in the past.
These memories have potentially unlimited duration and capacity
Tends to be coded semantically
Outline the capacity for STM
Can be assessed using digit span
Jacobs found that the average span for digits was 9.3 items and 7.3 for letters
Outline George Miller’s research
He reviewed psychological research and concluded that the span of immediate memory is around 7+-2. He noted that people could count seven dots which flashed on a screen but not many more.
The same is true when trying to recall letters or music notes.
Duration of STM: Outline the procedure for L and M Peterson’s study
24 students were tested over 8 trials.
participant was given a consonant syllable and a 3 digit number.
They were then asked to recall the consonant syllable after an interval of up to 18 seconds.
During this time they asked to count backwards from their 3 digit number.
Duration of STM: Discuss the findings of L and M Peterson’s study
Participants 90% correct after 3 secs, 20% correct after 9 secs and 2% after 18 secs
This suggests that STM has short duration as long as verbal rehearsal is prevented
Duration of LTM: Outline the procedure of Bahrick’s study
Tested 400 people between 17-74 yrs old on their memory of their classmates.
Photo recognition- 50 photos partly from year book.
Free recall- asked to list names they could remember of grad class
Duration of LTM: Discuss the findings of Bahrick’s study
90% accurate in identifying faces who tested within 15 years
After 48 years this dropped to 70% for photo recognition
free recall 60% accurate after 15 years, dropped to 30% after 48yrs
Coding: Outline the procedure for Baddeley’s test
used words which were acoustically similar but semantically different (cat, cab, cad).
Also used words which were semantically similar but acoustically different (large, big, huge)
He wanted to test semantic similarity on STM and LTM.
Coding: Discuss the findings for Baddeley’s test
Participants had difficulty remembering acoustically similar words in STM not LTM.
Participants had difficulty remembering semantically similar words in LTM not STM.
Suggests that STM codes acoustically and LTM semantically.
