Short term & working memory

Question 1

Define STM and state its capacity and duration

Answer 1

STM is a temporary store used to integrate incoming sensory info and existing experience and transfer it to LTM. Capactiy is 5-9 items and has a duration of 15-30 seconds

Question 2

Explain the serial position effect

Answer 2

• U shaped curve.
• Primacy effect: info at the beginning of a list are transferred to LTM as they receive more attention and rehearsal but is impacted if a concurrent task is introduced such as a repetition of a word
• Recency effect: info at the end of a list indicates info being still present in STM but is impacted if an interval is introduced
• Items in the middle decay as they are too early for STM and too late for LTM as there is little opportunity for rehearsal