baddeley Flashcards
(21 cards)
What was the aim of Baddeley’s (1966b) study?
The aim was to investigate how information is encoded in memory, specifically whether short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM) encode information acoustically (by sound) or semantically (by meaning)
What design was used in Baddeley’s (1966b) study?
The study used a lab experiment with an independent groups design.
Who were the participants in Baddeley’s (1966b) study?
72 male and female volunteers from the Applied Psychology Research Unit, recruited from Baddeley’s university.
What were the four experimental conditions in Baddeley’s (1966b) study?
List A: 10 acoustically similar words
List B: 10 acoustically dissimilar words (control)
List C: 10 semantically similar words
List D: 10 semantically dissimilar words (control)
What was the purpose of the interference task during the learning phase?
The interference task (recalling a sequence of 8 numbers) was used to prevent rehearsal and target long-term memory (LTM) rather than short-term memory (STM).
How were words presented to participants during the learning phase?
Words were shown one at a time via projector, with each word displayed for 3 seconds.
How did Baddeley test recall in his experiment?
Participants were asked to reorder the words shown on a card to test sequence recall.
What was the delay before the long-term memory (LTM) test in Baddeley’s (1966b) study?
Participants completed a 15-minute interference task before a surprise retest on word sequence recall.
What did the results show regarding acoustic similarity in Baddeley’s (1966b) study?
There was minimal difference in recall between the acoustically similar (List A) and acoustically dissimilar (List B) words, suggesting that acoustic similarity had little effect on LTM.
What did the results show regarding semantic similarity in Baddeley’s (1966b) study?
Recall was significantly worse for the semantically similar words (List C) compared to the semantically dissimilar words (List D), indicating that semantic similarity interfered with LTM recall.
What conclusion did Baddeley (1966b) draw regarding STM and LTM encoding?
Baddeley concluded that STM encodes acoustically, while LTM encodes semantically. Semantic encoding is not exclusive to LTM, but it plays a larger role in LTM recall.
What model does Baddeley’s study support, and why?
The study supports the Multi-Store Model (MSM) of memory because it shows that STM and LTM use different encoding methods.
What is a strength of Baddeley’s (1966b) study regarding internal validity?
The study was conducted in a lab setting with strict control over variables (e.g., word presentation time, interference tasks), which reduces the risk of extraneous variables and allows for cause-and-effect conclusions.
How does Baddeley’s (1966b) study support the Multi-Store Model of memory?
The study provides experimental evidence that STM and LTM use different encoding methods, supporting the distinction made by the Multi-Store Model (MSM).
What is a strength of Baddeley’s (1966b) study regarding replicability?
The study’s highly controlled procedures make it easy to replicate. It has been replicated and extended, showing consistent results, which increases reliability.
What methodological strength did Baddeley (1966b) use to isolate LTM effects?
The use of an interference task before the LTM test helped isolate the effects of LTM, increasing the validity of the results.
What is a weakness of Baddeley’s (1966b) study regarding ecological validity?
The task of recalling word lists in a lab is artificial and doesn’t reflect real-world memory use, limiting its ecological validity and generalizability.
What is a weakness of Baddeley’s (1966b) study regarding sampling bias?
The participants were volunteers from the Applied Psychology Research Unit, likely more motivated, educated, and psychology-aware, meaning they may not represent the general population.
What limitation does Baddeley’s (1966b) study have regarding encoding types?
The study focused only on acoustic and semantic encoding, excluding other potential types of encoding, such as visual or contextual encoding.
What limitation in Baddeley’s (1966b) study is related to recall type?
Participants were only tested on sequence recall, not word recall, which some argue does not fully reflect long-term memory encoding and may only test sequence memory.
What is a key tip for writing about Baddeley’s study in an A* essay?
Always link the findings to theory, especially the Multi-Store Model, and include both methodological strengths and weaknesses. Consider real-world relevance and alternative explanations to show critical thinking.
