what is AB known as in cognitive psychology?
The classic study
aims
AB wanted to find out if long-term memory in codes acoustically or semantically
what were AB three experiments?
his first experiment attempted to test LTM using word lists on tape recordings but then realise that STM was being used as well
His second experiment, he introduced a interference task to cancel out the effects of STM and made one last change
Instead of a tape recording, he switched to a slideshow. This was to remove any problems. Participants may have had with hearing.
procedure IVs
this was a lab experiment
several independent variables
part one was an acoustically similar or dis similar word list
Part two was a semantically similar or this similar word list
These were independent group designs
sample
72 participants through volunteer sampling
Mainly from the university of Cambridge mainly student students
each condition had 15 to 20 participants between four groups
procedure task
Participants were split into four groups
Acoustically similar
Acoustically dis similar
Semantically similar
Semantically dissimilar
All participants viewed a slideshow of words that appeared for three seconds each
All groups carried out an interference task and had to remember and write down eight numbers three times to remove STM
Procedure Final n surprise
Total of four trials
Participant scores would get better each time only focusing on the order of words
After the fourth trial participants got a 15 minute rest and another interference task
Then asked to recall the list again, which was unexpected
results
Results showed that the semantically similar list of words was harder to recall in order and the acoustic is similar was the same
conclusions
AB concluded long-term memory in codes semantically
LTM gets confused when retrieving order of semantically similar words
STM is impaired by acoustically similar words
LTM is impaired by semantically similar words.
strengths
High internal validity change of procedures and control variables lab experiment
Volunteer sampling was quick and time efficient also cost-efficient
High reliability due to his standardised procedure
weaknesses
Low generalisability because student students were from Cambridge this means they would be naturally smarter
Low ecological ability through artificial task tasks
The sample may have individual variables that may impact scores lowering internal validity
