Murdocks Serial Position Curve (Paper 1)

Question 1

What was the aim of Murdocks study?

Answer 1

To prove that short term memory and long term memory are separate things in the multi store modle of memeory

Question 2

What was the method of his study

Answer 2

It was done in a lab

Gave participants ( male and female ) words to remember

He repeated the words and gave then different ones as well

Question 3

What were his results

Answer 3

First few words (primacy effect) and the last few words ( recency effect) were remembered more than the middle bit of list

Question 4

What was his conclusion

Answer 4

There is a separation of the short term and long term memory

Question 5

Evaluate murdocks study

Answer 5

Positive

• done in a lab which removes extraneous variables
• also he did standardised procedures

Negative

• artificial task
• lacks ecological validity