Research into capacity, duration and coding

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Created by
Lucy

Cards (5)

  • Research on coding:
    > The way in which information is stored into memory. For example STM codes acoustically.
    > RESEARCH:
    > Baddeley:
    • showed ppts lists of words in 4 categories:
    1. acoustically similar
    2. acoustically dissimilar
    3. semantically similar
    4. semantically dissimilar
    Conclusion - STM mainly codes acoustically

    LTM - codes semantically
  • Research on capacity
    > The amount of information that can be held in the memory. For example, short term memory is limited to 5-9 items
    > MILLER
    • digit span technique
    • Participants were given strings of unrelated digits that increased by one digit every time. The participant’s digit span was measured until the point where they could no longer recall the digits in the correct sequence.
    > ppts could recall 5-9 items, more could be recalled if items were ‘chunked’. E.g. participants can remember 5 words just as well as 5 letters.
  • Research on duration
    > The length of time information can be held in the memory.
    > PETERSON AND PETERSON STM
    • 24 undergrad students
    • Participants were briefly presented with a consonant trigram to remember. They were then given a three-digit number and asked to count backwards from this number to prevent rehearsal. They were stopped at different intervals and asked to recall the consonant trigram.
    > After 3 seconds only 80% recalled trigram correctly, after 18 seconds fewer then 10% recalled correctly.
    > Info lasts 18-30 seconds unless rehearsed
  • BAHRICK DURATION LTM
    > Bahrick tested 392 American high school graduates aged between 17 and 74 on their memory of their former classmates.> In condition 1 they had to recall the names of classmates using a photo yearbook, in condition 2 they had to recall the names of their class with no photo cue.  
    > In condition 1, 70% of participants recalled accurately after 48 years.
    > In condition 2, 30% of participants recalled accurately after 48 years.> This shows certain info can potentially last a lifetime, with correct cues
  • AO3 -
    :( lacks mundane realism
    :) high control over extraneous variables
    :) high reliability
    BAHRICK EVALUATION
    :) high in mundane realism
    :( low control over extraneous variables