Duration

Question 1

Psychologist and year?

Answer 1

Peterson and Peterson 1959

Question 2

Aim?

Answer 2

To test the duration of STM

Question 3

Procedures?

Answer 3

• 24 students
• each participant tested over 8 trials
• each trial, given a consonant syllable and a 3 digit number
• asked to recall consonant syllable after retention interval (3, 6, 9 sec…)

Question 4

Findings?

Answer 4

90% of participants correct over 3 seconds
2% correct after 18 seconds

Question 5

Conclusion?

Answer 5

Suggests STM has a very short duration as long as verbal rehearsal is prevented

Question 6

Psychologist and year?

Answer 6

Bahrick et al 1975

Question 7

Aim?

Answer 7

To test duration of LTM

Question 8

Procedures?

Answer 8

• 400 people, aged 17-74
• photo recognition test (50 photos)
• free recall test (participant to list names they could remember from the yearbook)
• participants tested within 15 yrs of graduation

Question 9

Findings?

Answer 9

• 90% accurate in identifying faces
• after 48 yrs, declined to 70% for photo recognition
• free recall: 60% accurate after 15 yrs
• 30% accurate after 48 yrs

Question 10

Evaluation? ❌

Answer 10

• Research investigating STM can be artificial
• trying to memorise consonant syllables does not truly reflect most everyday activities where what one is trying to remember is meaningful

Question 11

Evaluation? ❌

Answer 11

• Petersons’ study did not actually measure what it set out to measure
• participants were counting numbes in their STM, which may displace the syllables to be remembered
• Reitman 1974: auditory tones insead of numbers so displacement wouldnt occur
• suggests that forgetting in the Ptersons’ study was due to displacement rather than decay