[Memory] Topic 1 - Short and long term memory

Question 1

What is capacity?

Answer 1

the measure of how much be held in memory

Question 2

What is the capacity of STM?

Answer 2

7+-2 ‘chunks of information’ (miller)

Question 3

What is the capacity of LTM?

Answer 3

Unlimited (Bachrick et al)

Question 4

What is Duration?

Answer 4

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

Question 5

What is the duration of STM?

Answer 5

18 Seconds (peterson and peterson)

Question 6

What is the duration of LTM?

Answer 6

Lifetime (Bahrick et al)

Question 7

What is coding?

Answer 7

is the way in which information is changed so that it can be stored in memory

Question 8

How is memory coded in STM?

Answer 8

Acoustic (Baddeley)

Question 9

How is memory coded in LTM?

Answer 9

Semantic (Baddeley)

Question 10

Evaluation 1: One criticism of the research investigation STM is that the capacity may be more limited than 7+-2 chunks of information

Answer 10

• One criticism of the research investigation STM is that the capacity may even be more than 7+-2
• Cowan reviewed a variety of studies on the capacity of STM and found that STM is likely to be limited to about four chunks of information rather than 7+-2
• These results contradict the original findings of miller who suggested that humans can hold 7+-2 chunks of information
• This matters because the original findings have not been replicated by subsequent studies and suggest that STM is more limited than original thought

Question 11

Evaluation 2: Another criticism of the research investigating STM is that testing methods are artificial

Answer 11

• Another criticism of the research investigating STM is that the testing methods are artificial
• Trying to memorise strings of digits or consonant syllables does not reflect memory in everyday life