Memory (short-term and long-term memory)

Question 1

What is short-term memory?

Answer 1

Your memory for immediate events that take place, measured in seconds and minutes instead of other measurements. Largely encoded acoustically (via sound). Duration is 15-30 seconds and capacity is 7+/-2.

Question 2

Long-term memory

Answer 2

Refer to events that happen in the past, this can last anywhere between 2 minutes and 100 years, unlimited capacity and duration and is thought to be coded semantically (via meaning)

Question 3

Capacity

Answer 3

Capacity is defined as how much information can be held in the memory, it is determined by bits of information e.g number of digits

Question 4

Coding

Answer 4

(encoding) coding is defined as the way information is changed so it can be stored in memory, info enters the brain through senses e.g eyes and ears and then stored in different forms visual, acoustic and semantic

Question 5

Semantic coding definition

Answer 5

The meaning of experience mostly, in common with LTM.

Question 6

Acoustic coding definition

Answer 6

Sounds, mostly in common with STM.

Question 7

Visual coding definition

Answer 7

visual experience

Question 8

Duration

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Capacity of STM - (study)

Answer 9

George Miller found the magic number 7+/-2 and concluded the span of immediate memories is about 7 items, Joseph Jacobs found the average span of items to be roughly 7.3 plus 9.3. He found this from assessing people through the use of digit span.

Question 10

STM duration - (study)

Answer 10

Peterson and Peterson used 24 students to measure duration over 8 trials, each were given a constant syllable and 3 digit number. They were asked to recall the syllable over a certain time period (3 second, 6 seconds). 90% correct after 3 seconds but was suggested as a short memory due to 2% being correct after 18 seconds. Idea of 15- 30 seconds.

Question 11

Limitations of STM studies - (capacity)

Answer 11

Simon found that people who interpret larger chunks of given information at any time (8 letter words than 1 syllable) are more likely to have a shorter memory span therefore further suggesting the limited capacity of 7+/-2.

Question 12

Limitation of STM (duration) -

Answer 12

Test was artificial as is most studies and did not reflect everyday activities of what we remember is meaningful. However, in some instances learning meaningless things such as phone numbers. But the study does show meaningless information in Peterson and Peterson study.