MSM: Short Term Memory Flashcards
How did Miller test the capacity of the STM?
The digit span test
What was the procedure of the digit span test?
Participants given a series of digits and asked to immediately recall them in order, they got progressively longer. The amount of digits each pp could successfully recall was recorded without incorrectly recalling any of the previous lists
What did Miller find?
The majority of pps had a digit span between 5 and 9 which meant that the capacity is 7+/-2
What was Miller’s conclusion?
We can often hold much larger amounts of information by chunking information
What are 3 evaluation points of the digit span test?
- Control of variables
- High internal validity
- Lacks ecological validity
How did Peterson and Peterson test the duration of the STM?
The trigram test
What was Peterson and Peterson’s procedure?
24 university students asked to remember consonant trigrams, rehearsal was prevented by using a distraction task (count back in 3s), after intervals of 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 or 18 seconds pps asked to stop counting and repeat trigram
What were the findings of the trigram test?
- 90% recalled after 3 seconds
- 2% recalled after 18 seconds
What were the conclusions of the trigram test?
Without rehearsal information is quickly displaced from the STM and that the duration lasts about 30 seconds
What are 3 evaluation points of the trigram test?
- Lacks ecological validity
- High internal validity
- Control of variables
What is the capacity of the STM?
7+/-2
What is the duration of the STM?
18 - 30 seconds
What is the encoding of the STM?
Acoustically
