Coding, Capacity + Duration of Memory

Question 1

What is Coding?

Answer 1

• the format of which information is stored in the various memory stores

Question 2

Baddeley (Coding)

Answer 2

• gave participants a different list of words to 4 groups of people to remember
• when recalling straight away (STM) the tended to do worse for acoustic similar
• when recalled after 20 minutes (LTM) they did worse with semantically similar

Question 3

What is Capacity?

Answer 3

• the amount of information that can be held in a memory store

Question 4

Jacobs (Capacity)

Answer 4

• measured our digit span - participants would recall the digits in correct order (starts with 4 numbers, one higher each time)
• mean digit span (numbers) - 7.3
• mean for letters - 9.3

Question 5

Miller (Capacity)

Answer 5

• noted that most things come in 7s
• he argued the digit span to be 7+/-2
• we are able to recall words through grouping sets of digits/letters

Question 6

What is Duration?

Answer 6

• the length of time information can be held in memory

Question 7

Short-term memory (STM)

Answer 7

• the limited capacity store

Question 8

Long-term memory (LTM)

Answer 8

• the unlimated storage for information to be maintain for long periods

Question 9

Peterson and Peterson (Duration of STM)

Answer 9

• gave participants a consensus syllable to remember and a 3 digit number in which they had to count backwards from to prevent rehearsal
• participants had to stop for intervals
• after 3 seconds 80% could recall vs 18 seconds only 3% could
• Duration is about 18 seconds unless repeated

Question 10

Bahrick (Duration of LTM)

Answer 10

• asked participants to recall information from high school year books (photo recognition or names)
• participants that graduate after 15 years were about 90% accurate in photo recognition and 60% for free recall
• 48 years post graduation was 70% photo recognition and 30% name recall
• LTM duration can be up to a lifetime for some