Coding, Capacity, Duration

• What is the average capacity of short-term memory (STM) according to Jacobs and Miller studies?

  7 items of information
• What does Bahrick's research suggest about the capacity of long-term memory (LTM)?


  It suggests that LTM has theoretically unlimited amounts of information
• What is the duration of short-term memory (STM) as supported by Peterson and Peterson?

  Up to 18-30 seconds
• How long can long-term memory (LTM) last according to Bahrick's findings?


  Up to a lifetime
• What type of words are easier to recall instantly according to Baddeley's research?

  Acoustically different words
• What type of words are easier to recall over time according to Baddeley's research?

  Semantically similar words
• What are the pros and cons of Baddeley's study on STM and LTM encoding?


  Pros:

  • Clear evidence in different types of coding in STM and LTM memory

  
  

  Cons:

  • Low ecological validity
• What are the pros and cons of Peterson & Peterson's study on STM duration?

  Pros:

  • Clear evidence for how short-term memory decays quickly when new information is presented

  
  

  Cons:

  • Low ecological validity
• What are the pros and cons of Bahrick's study on LTM duration and capacity?

  Pros:

  • High ecological validity

  
  

  Cons:

  • Extraneous variables between graduation and competing the test
• What are the pros and cons of Jacobs & Miller's study on STM capacity?

  Pros:

  • Identified concept of memory span and the benefit of chunking

  
  

  Cons:

  • Low ecological validity
• What does the term 'capacity' refer to in memory studies?

  How much information memory can hold
• What does the term 'duration' refer to in memory studies?

  How long information can be held in memory
• What does the term 'coding' refer to in memory studies?

  The format in which memories are stored
• What is meant by 'ecological validity' in research studies?

  Findings in a research study can be transferred to the real world
• What are 'extraneous variables' in research studies?

  Variables that can unknowingly affect dependent variables
• What are the key features of short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM)?

  • STM:
  • Capacity: 7 items on average
  • Duration: Up to 18-30 seconds
  • Coding: Acoustically different words easier to recall instantly

  
  

  • LTM:
  • Capacity: Theoretically unlimited
  • Duration: Up to a lifetime
  • Coding: Semantically similar words easier to recall over time