Coding, Capacity and Duration of Memory

Start with the overview

This topic page is part of the Memory unit in Psychology. It brings together user-made resources on how information is coded, how much can be held and how long it lasts. The mind map Coding, capacity and duration of memory is a useful starting point: it brings research on coding, capacity and duration together with evaluation.

Use the map to identify the terms and studies you want to look at more closely. Then choose a resource that focuses on one part of the topic.

Explore coding and capacity

The flashcards Cognitive Psychology - Capacity and encoding cover capacity and encoding, including work associated with Jacobs and Miller. Use them to check your recall after looking at the overview map. You can return to the map when you need to reconnect an individual term or study with the wider topic.

For a closer look at coding, the mind map Baddeley (1966) focuses on whether long-term memory encodes information by sound or meaning. Compare its focus with the broader overview before moving on.

Check duration with a quiz

The quiz STM, LTM and duration asks about short-term memory and a study of its duration. Start by recalling what you know from a mind map, then take the quiz and return to the map to study anything you found difficult.

For another check, Capacity and encoding of memory offers a quiz focused on those aspects of the topic. The page also lists flashcards on duration in short- and long-term memory.

Connect your study

Each resource offers a different way into this section of the Memory unit. An overview map can help you organize coding, capacity and duration, while flashcards and quizzes give you ways to check specific terms and studies. Choose a map and quiz to use together.