MEMORY: Research into Capacity Flashcards
name the 2 types of research into capacity
digit span
span of memory and chunking
who founded digit span
joseph jacobs
Explain didigt span test
researcher calls out 4 digits
pt recalls out in correct order if correct add another digit till pt cant recall correctly anymore
this indicated pt digit span
What was mean span for digits across all ppt
9.3
mean span for letters
7.3
who did span of memory and chunking
george miller
miller made obsv of everyday practice and *noticed things come in
7 e.g seven days of week , seven deadly sins
span aka
capacity
Miller thought span of STM was
7+-2
Miller noted people can recall 5…
5 words as easily as 5 letters
How can we recall 5 words as easily as 5 letters
chunking
Define chunking
grouping sets of digits/letters into chunks
Strenght of Jacobs study
valid study as been replicated
explain strength of jacobs study- valid study due to replication
study’s old ,
early research in psych often lacked adeqquate control
may have been confounding variables e.g pt digit span may been underestimated as distracted during testing
however jacobs findings confirmed by better and more controlled studies
therefore suggests Jacobs study: a valid test of digit span in STM
Limitiation of Millers research
May have overestimated STM capacity
