Memory Flashcards
(25 cards)
Outline Jacob’s experiment in the capacity of STM
A= Test the capacity of STM using digit span test
P= 443 female students (aged 8-19). Told to repeat a number of digits and letters which gradually increased until they could no longer recall
F= 7.3 letters recalled and 9.3 digits recalled
C= limited STM capacity
Evaluate Jacob’s study in the capacity of STM (Lim)
P= Limitation as it was conducted a long time ago
E= Early Psychology did not take into consideration need of control over variables
Ex= Meant that Jacob’s findings could have been affected by confounding variables such as demand characteristics.
L= Therefore, decreasing the validity
Outline Miller’s experiment into the capacity of STM
A= investigate research into the capacity of STM
P= Lit reviewed research into perception and STM from 1930s - 1950s
F= Chunking information such as phone numbers helps the STM cope with about 7+- 2 items
C= Chunking helps emphasise the capacity of STM
Evaluate Miller’s study into the capacity of STM (Lim)
P= A limitation of Miller’s research is that he may have overestimated the capacity of STM
E= Cowan (2001) reviewed other research and concluded that 4 items is the more accurate estimate
Ex= This means that, Cowan found Miller’s lower estimate of 5 times to be more applicable when speaking on the capacity STM
L= Therefore, decreasing the validity of chunking as it does not portray an accurate idea of the capacity of STM
Which two psychologists conducted studies into the capacity of STM?
Jacobs (1887) and Miller (1956)
Outline Peterson and Peterson’s experiment on the duration of STM (1959)
A= To investigate how long information is held in the STM
P= Had participants remember a trigram (ie KGM) and then immediately count down in 3s from a number of seconds (interference task) before recalling the trigram given
F= The longer the interval, the lesser the recall
C= Rehearsal is needed in order to be able to hold information in the STM, without rehearsal information in the STM lasts about 18 seconds
Evaluate Peterson and Peterson’s study into the duration of STM (Lim)
P= A limitation of their study is that the stimulus given was artificial
E= Trigrams given to memorise
E= This means that task given of memorising trigrams is not a reflection of real life activities an individual would have to perform on their day to day lives.
L= Therefore, decreasing the validity of the study as it lacks mundane realism
However,
Study is not completely irrelevant as sometimes we do have to remember meaningless material such as phone numbers showing findings of the study cannot be completely disregarded
Evaluate Peterson and Peterson’s study into the duration of STM (Str)
P= One strength of Peterson and Peterson’s study is that it was conducted in a lab
E= The participants had been given the same trigrams, stopwatches had been used for each interval and participants had been made to count down in 3s out loud
E= The use of standardised procedures meant that Peterson and Peterson had control over extraneous variables that could possibly affect their results
L= Therefore, increasing the reliability and internal validity of the findings of their study
Outline Bahrick et al’s (1975) study into the duration of LTM
A= To investigate the duration of LTM
P= 392 US high school graduates between 17-74. Broken down into 2 test: Photo recognition test - ppts asked to recall 50 classmates by pictures from their yearbook
Free recall test - ppts asked to recall people from their graduating class
F= (Photo recog test) PPTS who graduated within 15 years accurately recalled 90% while PPTS who graduated within 48 recalled 70% accurately
(Free recall test) PPTS who graduated within 15 yrs accurately recalled 60% while PPTS who graduated within 48 recalled 30% accurately
C= This shows that LTM stores information permanently
Evaluate Bahrick et al’s study into the duration of LTM (Str)
P= Strength as it as high external validity
E= Used meaningful memories such as high school classmates
Ex= Reinforced by Shepard (1967) who found that studies into LTM who used meaningless pictures has lower recall rates
L= Therefore, showing the study has high external validity as it has been applied to real world scenarios
What are the three main ways of coding?
Acoustically = sound, hearing
Visually = images, sight
Semantically = feeling
What type of coding does the STM use?
Acoustic coding
What type of coding does the LTM use?
Semantic coding
What is a visual memory referred as?
Iconic
What is a auditory memory referred as?
Echoic
Which two psychologist conducted studies to investigate the capacity of STM
Jacob (1887) and Miller (1956)
Who conducted a study to investigate the duration of STM
Peterson and Peterson (1959)
Who conducted a study to investigate the duration of LTM?
Bahrick et al (1975)
Who was the working memory model created by?
Baddeley and Hitch (1974)
Why was the working memory model created?
To explain how STM works
What does the working memory model explain STM to be?
A dynamic processor of different information using sub united coordinated by a central decision making system
What is the dual task system?
If you do two tasks at the same time using one sense (eg visual) you will not perform as well as you would if done separately
If you do two tasks at the same time using two senses (eg visual and auditory) you will perform as well simultaneously as separately
Outline the central executive
- Modality free
- Manages incoming data
- Limited capacity (4 items)
- Delegates tasks to the 3 systems
- Cooperates the actions of the 2 subsystems
- Known as the most important part of WM
- Manages all operations of the WM
- “the boss”
- Known as the attentional system
Outline the phonological loop
The phonological loop is a 1st slave system that deals with auditory information and is also known as the inner ear. It has a limited capacity of what we can hear which is 2 seconds. It contains the articulatory control system which rehearses information we can see (maintenance rehearsal - known as the inner voice). It also contains the phonological store which stores information we can hear (inner voice)
