Coding, capacity and duration Flashcards
(16 cards)
What is the process of converting information between different forms called?
Coding
Information is stored in memory in different forms depending on the memory store.
Who conducted research on different types of word lists in memory recall?
Alan Baddeley
Baddeley (1966a, 1966b) used four groups with varying types of word lists.
What type of words did Group 1 in Baddeley’s study use?
Acoustically similar words
Examples include cat, cab, can.
What type of words did Group 3 in Baddeley’s study use?
Semantically similar words
Examples include great, large, big.
In Baddeley’s study, which group performed worse when recalling immediately from STM?
Group 1 (acoustically similar words)
They had difficulty recalling similar-sounding words.
What did participants struggle with when recalling semantically similar words after a 20-minute delay?
They tended to do worse
This indicates that information is coded semantically in LTM.
What is the mean digit span found by Joseph Jacobs?
7.3 items
The mean span for digits was 9.3 items.
What concept explains the ability to recall five words as easily as five letters?
Chunking
Chunking involves grouping sets of information into manageable units.
How long did Peterson and Peterson find the duration of STM to be?
About 18 seconds
This duration is unless information is rehearsed.
What percentage of participants was accurate in photo recognition within 15 years of graduation in Bahrick et al.’s study?
About 90%
This accuracy declined to about 70% after 48 years.
What is a strength of Baddeley’s study regarding memory stores?
It identified a clear difference between two memory stores
This led to the development of the multi-store model.
What is a limitation of Baddeley’s study regarding the stimuli used?
Use of artificial stimuli
The word lists had no personal meaning, limiting real-world application.
What did Jacobs’ study find about digit span?
It has been replicated and confirmed
Later studies improved control over confounding variables.
What did Nelson Cowan conclude about the capacity of STM?
About 4 chunks
This suggests Miller’s estimate may have been too high.
What limitation did Peterson and Peterson’s study face regarding stimulus material?
Use of artificial stimuli
This affects the external validity of the study.
What aspect of Bahrick et al.’s study contributes to its high external validity?
Investigation of meaningful memories
This includes names and faces, which improves real-world applicability.
