Studies into Coding, capacity and duration

Question 1

● What kind of words led to more STM recall errors?

Answer 1

Acoustically similar

Question 2

● What increased STM capacity in Miller’s study?

Answer 2

Chunking

Question 3

✪ Why can Miller’s conclusions be questioned despite high reliability?

Answer 3

Controlled conditions do not guarantee ecological validity or real-world relevance.

Question 4

▲ What does Bahrick’s photo condition show?

Answer 4

Cues help recall

Question 5

● What is duration in memory?

Answer 5

Length of time information is held

Question 6

▲ Why did Baddeley conclude STM uses acoustic coding?

Answer 6

More errors with acoustically similar words

Question 7

● How long did Bahrick’s study last?

Answer 7

48 years

Question 8

✪ Why does Peterson and Peterson’s research lack mundane realism, and how does this affect external validity?

Answer 8

The task was artificial (recalling consonant trigrams), which does not reflect real-life memory use, reducing generalisability and external validity.

Question 9

✪ Why might Bahrick’s findings not be solely explained by memory duration?

Answer 9

Uncontrolled variables, like ongoing contact, could influence recall.

Question 10

✪ Why is Miller’s research considered high in reliability?

Answer 10

It was conducted in a controlled lab with standardised procedures, making replication and consistency easier.

Question 11

● What is a consonant trigram?

Answer 11

Three-letter nonsense syllable

Question 12

● How does STM code information?

Answer 12

Acoustically

Question 13

● What is the duration of STM?

Answer 13

18-30 seconds

Question 14

● What is coding in memory?

Answer 14

The way information is stored

Question 15

▲ What shows that STM duration is limited?

Answer 15

Recall drops significantly after 18 seconds

Question 16

● What percentage recalled trigrams after 18 seconds?

Answer 16

<10%

Question 17

● What percentage recalled trigrams after 3 seconds?

Answer 17

80%

Question 18

▲ What does chunking do in STM?

Answer 18

Increases digit span

Question 19

✪ Why does Baddeley’s research into LTM coding have high internal validity?

Answer 19

Controlled lab setting with matched word lists ensured cause and effect between word type and recall.

Question 20

▲ How does Bahrick’s study show LTM duration?

Answer 20

Participants remembered classmates after decades

Question 21

● What is the STM capacity according to Miller?

Answer 21

7 +/- 2 items

Question 22

● Who investigated coding in STM and LTM?

Answer 22

Baddeley

Question 23

✪ How does the artificial setting of Miller’s study affect its ecological validity?

Answer 23

It may not reflect everyday STM use, limiting generalisability.

Question 24

✪ Why is it difficult to generalise from Peterson and Peterson’s STM duration findings?

Answer 24

Because the task does not mirror real-life meaningful memory use, limiting application.

Question 25

● How many participants were in Bahrick’s study?

Answer 25

392

Question 26

● Who investigated LTM duration?

Answer 26

Bahrick

Question 27

● What kind of words led to more LTM recall errors?

Answer 27

Semantically similar

Question 28

✪ How does the use of artificial stimuli in Baddeley’s study affect its applicability to real-life memory?

Answer 28

Artificial word lists reduce ecological validity and may not reflect real-life semantic or acoustic memory use.

Question 29

✪ How does Bahrick’s use of real-life memory increase external validity?

Answer 29

It assessed real memories of classmates, making findings more generalisable to everyday memory use.

Question 30

● What technique did Miller use?

Answer 30

Digit span technique

Question 31

● What is the duration of LTM?

Answer 31

Potentially a lifetime

Question 32

▲ What task did Peterson and Peterson use?

Answer 32

Consonant trigrams and counting backwards

Question 33

✪ What is a limitation of Bahrick’s study in terms of internal validity?

Answer 33

It lacked control over extraneous variables, such as post-school contact, reducing causal conclusions.

Question 34

● How does LTM code information?

Answer 34

Semantically

Question 35

● Who investigated STM duration?

Answer 35

Peterson and Peterson

Question 36

▲ Why did Peterson and Peterson use backward counting?

Answer 36

To prevent rehearsal

Question 37

▲ How does Miller's digit span test show STM capacity?

Answer 37

Participants recalled 5-9 items

Question 38

● Who investigated STM capacity?

Answer 38

Miller

Question 39

● What is capacity in memory?

Answer 39

Amount of information that can be held

Question 40

▲ Why did Baddeley conclude LTM uses semantic coding?

Answer 40

More errors with semantically similar words

Question 41

▲ Why was there less recall in Bahrick’s no-photo condition?

Answer 41

Fewer retrieval cues