Coding, Capacity and Duration of Memory Flashcards
(18 cards)
AO1 coding capacity and duration of memory
- Coding is the format in which information is stored. The sensory register is modality-specific. Baddeley researched coding of STM and LTM using 4 conditions, which tested memory of acoustically or semantically similar or dissimilar words. Immediate recall was worse with acoustically similar words, meaning that the STM encodes acoustically. Recall after 20 minutes was worse with semantically similar words, showing LTM is encoded semantically.
- Capacity is the amount of information that can be held in memory store. Through a digit span study, Jacobs found that on average people could remember 9.3 digits and 7.3 letters. Miller advanced these findings by noticing that thing often come in 7s and concluded that it 7+-2 chunks of information may be a better representation of STM capacity. The capacity of the LTM is unlimited.
- Duration is the length of time that information is held in memory stores. The sensory register has a duration of less than half a second, unless paid attention to. Peterson and Peterson found a limited duration of 18 seconds in the STM, by testing how well participants could remember a nonsense-trigram when counting backwards to prevent maintenance rehearsal. Bahrick found that after 48 years, people are still able to remember names and faces of classmates, tested from a yearbook, suggesting an unlimited duration of the LTM.
AO3 (1) coding capacity and duration of memory
- A weakness of research into the capacity of STM is that it might be outdated.
- For example, Jacob’s study was conducted in 1887, over 100 years ago at a time where psychology often lacked adequate control.
- This is a weakness because 137 years ago, psychologists would not have been aware of the need for such tight manipulation of the environment and variables, meaning that participants may have experienced confounding variables such as distraction which may have affected how much they could remember.
- However, it could be argued that Jacob’s findings have been confirmed by other, better controlled studies when it has been replicated, showing the internal validity of the results for STM
- Despite this, the research lacks temporal validity as the researchers may not find the same conclusions about capacity of STM if they were to do in 2024 where we have control.
- Therefore, the MSM may not be relevant nowadays as an explanation of memory and therefore lacks temporal validity.
AO3 (2) coding capacity and duration of memory
- A weakness of research into the duration of STM is that it uses meaningless stimuli.
- For example, Peterson and Peterson used nonsense trigrams such as YCG as their memory stimuli and provided random 3 digit numbers such as 789 to count back from.
- This is a weakness because using such meaningless stimuli is a weakness of the research because it limits how confident we can be when generalizing the findings about how long our memory lasts, outside of the experimental setting. In everyday life, we form memories related to all sorts of useful and relevant things, such as names, faces, facts and birthdays and not a random groups of letters
- Additionally, meaningless stimuli creates a lack of mundane realism as it cannot be generalised to real-life natural settings
- However, some could argue that meaningless stimuli was important to use in this situation, because if participants were given trigrams that meant something to them, it undoubtedly would have gone to their LTM quicker due to the personal meaning, and therefore the study would not be truly testing what it intended to.
- Despite this, the research has low external validity as there has not been research to show how long the STM is when the stimuli is more relevant information to us.
- This consequently decreases our trust in the multi-store model to be able to accurately describe human’s memory processes.
AO3 (3) coding capacity and duration of memory
- A weakness of research into coding is that they may not have investigated what they intended to.
- For example, the longest gap that Baddeley left between learning and recall was 20 minutes.
- This is a weakness because this methodological choice can be questioned, as 20 minutes may not represent what we mean by LTM. When people refer to LTM, they tend to also think about years in the future, which this research may not represent.
- However, it may be argued that 20 minutes is good level of control for someone to be able to rehearse something.
- Despite this, to truly test coding of LTM they should have measured further into the future, in order to be more robust with the findings.
- Therefore, the MSM lacks internal validity we cannot be sure it explains what it wanted to.
AO3 (4) coding capacity and duration of memory
- A strength of research into the duration of LTM is that it used meaningful stimuli.
- For example, Bahrick used real life events such as school photos within the recall tasks
- This is a strength because using meaningful and person stimuli is a strength of the research because means we can be more confident when generalizing the findings about how long our LTM lasts, outside of the experimental setting.
- However, it can be argued that using year book photos can be considered as an extraneous variable as it is easier for the person to remember as with Barricks study he doesn’t know how many times that person has looked at the year book over time which means he can’t control for the extraneous variable that people could have read the yearbook, reducing its reliability.
- Despite this, the research is useful as we can be more assured that the conclusions represent human memory.
- This means that we can claim the Multi-Store Model has high levels of external validity as it is likely to explain our memory processes in everyday situations.
what are the different stores
Coding – the form in which the information is stored
Capacity – how much information can be stored
Duration – how long information can be stored for
explain all the AO3s for coding capacity and duration of memory
weakness - capacity STM - outdated, Jacob’s study was conducted in 1887 over 100 years ago, not adequate control then = no tight manipulation of environment which could mean ppts experienced confounding variables like distractions which could affect how much they remember, however his results have been confirmed by other better controlled studies, despite this may not find the same results now where we have control compared to then
weakness - duration STM - meaningless stimuli, Peterson and Peterson used nonsense trigrams like YCG and provided random 3 digit number to count back from, limits how confident we can be generalizing findings as in real life we form memories related to things like names faces important stuff not random group of letter + creates lack of mundane realism as cannot be generalised to real-life natural settings, however if it had a personal meaning it would’ve gone to their LTM quicker and would not be testing what was intended, despite this low external validity as no research for STM duration if the stimuli was more relevant to us
weakness - coding LTM - may not investigated what they intended, longest gap Baddley left between learning and recall was 20 mins, this methodological choice can be questioned as 20 mins may not represent what we mean by LTM they think like years in the future, however 20 mins is good level of control for someone to rehearse something, despite this should’ve measured further into the future to truly test coding of LTM
strength - duration LTM - meaningful stimuli, Bahrick used real life events (yearbook photos), means we can be more confident when generalising the findings about how long LTM lasts outside experiment setting, however can be extraneous variable as we don’t know how many times they’ve looked at the yearbook overtime which cant be controlled, despite this can be more assured conclusions represent human memory
coding SR
seperate sensory stores for different sensory inputs
N/A
coding STM
mainly acoustic (by sound) but other codes used too
Baddley: immediate recall condition
coding LTM
mainly semantic (by meaning) other codes used too
Baddley: delayed recall condition (20 mins)
capacity SR
very large
Sperling (1960)
capacity STM
small chunks of info (7+/- 2 or 5-9 items)
Jacobs: span digits 9.3 letters 7.3
capacity LTM
unlimited
Konkle (2010)
duration of SR
brief (between 1/2 and 3 seconds) varies between sensory stores
Sperling (1960)
duration of STM
short (max of 30 secs)
Peterson and Peterson: nonsense trigrams after 3 secs 90% but after 18 secs 5%
duration of LTM
potentially for a life time
Bahrick et al: yearbooks
90% young
80% name & 40% face over 48 years
free recall 60% after 15 years and 30% after 48 years
strengths of coding capacity and duration of memory
lab environments P&P like by counting back
practical application - real world benefits helping ppl tackle bad memory
limitations of coding capacity and duration of memory
artificial nature of the research like Jacobs random digits or Peterson & Peterson nonsense trigrams not like real life at all
