Jacobs - Short Term Memory

• What is short term memory store used for?

  Retaining information for a short period
• How does the duration of short term memory compare to sensory register?

  It has a longer duration than sensory register
• What happens to information in short term memory when it is no longer needed?

  It stops being stored in short term memory
• What is the limited duration of short term memory?

  18-30 seconds
• What are the limitations of short term memory?

  Both duration and capacity are limited
• What types of coding are used in short term memory?

  Coding can be semantic or sensory
• What is the primary type of coding in short term memory?

  Mainly acoustic
• Who conducted a study on short term memory capacity?

  Jacobs
• What method did Jacobs use to test short term memory capacity?

  Participants repeated strings of letters or digits
• What did Jacobs do to determine the maximum recall capacity?

  Increased the length of the string test
• What was the average number of digits or letters participants could recall?

  Around 7 digits and letters
• What did Jacobs conclude about the capacity of short term memory?

  It is set at 7+/-2 digits or letters
• What evidence did Jacobs' study provide regarding short term memory?

  It demonstrated that short term memory is limited
• What is a trigram in this study?

  A three-letter nonsense syllable
• What is the purpose of counting backwards in this study?

  To test the duration of short term memory
• What task do participants perform after counting backwards?

  Recall the original trigram
• What is the procedure followed in this memory test?

  1. Participants receive a trigram.
  2. They count backwards from a specified number.
  3. They do this for a specified time.
  4. Participants recall the original trigram.