Long-Term Memory

Question 1

What is the capacity of Long Term Memory (LTM)?

Answer 1

Unlimited

LTM can store an infinite amount of information.

Question 2

What is the duration of memories in Long Term Memory (LTM)?

Answer 2

Lifelong

Memories can last for an entire lifetime in LTM.

Question 3

What type of coding is used in Long Term Memory (LTM)?

Answer 3

Semantic

Semantic coding involves the meaning of information.

Question 4

What was the aim of Bahrick et al’s (1975) study on LTM?

Answer 4

To investigate the length of time that memories can be held in long-term memory

The study focused on how long memories persist over time.

Question 5

What was the method used in Bahrick et al’s (1975) study?

Answer 5

Investigators interviewed graduates over a 50-year period

392 graduates were shown photographs from their high school yearbook.

Question 6

In Bahrick et al’s (1975) study, what were the two groups participants were split into?

Answer 6

• Photo recognition group
• Recall group

Each group had different tasks related to memory retrieval.

Question 7

What did the photo recognition group do in Bahrick et al’s study?

Answer 7

Participants given a list of names and asked to select the name that matched the person in the photo

This method tested recognition memory.

Question 8

What did the recall group do in Bahrick et al’s study?

Answer 8

Participants asked to name the people in the photos without being given a list of possible names

This method tested recall memory.

Question 9

In the photo recognition group, what percentage of 15-year-olds could accurately match the correct name to the person in the photo?

Answer 9

90%

This indicates a high level of accuracy in recognizing faces among younger individuals.

Question 10

In the photo recognition group, what percentage of 48-year-olds could accurately match the correct name to the person in the photo?

Answer 10

70%

This shows a decline in accuracy compared to the 15-year-olds.

Question 11

In the recall group, what percentage of 15-year-olds could accurately name the people in the photos?

Answer 11

60%

This reflects the ability of younger individuals to recall names from memory.

Question 12

In the recall group, what percentage of 48-year-olds could accurately name the people in the photos?

Answer 12

30%

This indicates a significant decline in recall ability with age.

Question 13

What conclusion can be drawn about the duration of long-term memory (LTM) based on this study?

Answer 13

LTM can last at least 48 years

The evidence from this study supports the idea that long-term memory retention is possible over decades.

Question 14

High ecological validity (eval of duration in LTM- Bahrick)

Answer 14

-strength, high ecological validity
-study used meaningful stimulus materials (high school yearbooks) tested people for memories from their own lives
-provides valuable real life evidence, duration of LTM is lifelong
-high external validity

Question 15

Low control (eval of duration in LTM- Bahrick)

Answer 15

-limitation, low control over extraneous variables
-participants identification of their classmates might have been affected by external factors (like if participants had met their old classmates more recently than when they left school)
-might not have high internal validity
-therefore it’s weak evidence into the duration of LTM