Baddeley's Study- unnamed

• Aim- to see if there was difference between the type of encoding used in short and long term memory
• Method-

  4 groups of participants and each group were given different word lists.

  Group 1 were given 5 words from list A and asked to immediately recall them.

  Group 2 were also asked to do this but with words from list B

  Group 3 were given a 5 words from list C and asked to recall after 20 minutes. This was the same for Group 4 but with words from list D.
• Results- Participants in group 1 and 2 did worse with acoustically similar words than acoustically dissimilar words.

  Participants in group 3 and 4 did worse with semantically similar words than semantically dissimilar words.
• Conclusion- participants did worse with acoustically similar words than dissimilar suggests that STM is encoded acoustically. STM was tested as recall was immediate.

  Participants did worse with semantically similar words suggests LTM is encoded semantically. This applies to LTM as recall was not immediate and after 20 minutes.
• Evaluation (strength)-

  Baddeley's study was well controlled as it was conducted in a lab so has valid results.
• Evaluation (strength)-

  The study was fair and controlled as Baddeley's made sure all participants hearing was at a substantial level by giving them hearing tests.
• Evaluation (weakness)- overlooks cases where the encoding may be visual and not acoustic. STM may not always be acoustic
• Evaluation (weakness)- Only tested word lists which were read out which is both an artificial task and only testing acoustically.
• Evaluation (weakness)- it may not have been LTM that Baddeley was testing as they only waited 20 minutes.
• Why might Baddeley's study not have tested LTM?

  Only waited 20 minutes