Intro to Memory (Unit 1)

Intro to Memory (Unit 1)

1. Functions of LTM & STM

   • Encoding - the format the memory is stored in
     • Formats
       • Acoustic
       • Semantic
       • Visual
       • These are also the ways environmental stimuli can be processed
     • Baddeley (1966)
       • Aim - find which form of processing LTM + STM use
         • STM - Acoustic
         • LTM - Semantic
       • Word lists, immediate recall test, recall test after 20 mins,
         • Acoustically similar/dissimilar words, Semantically similar/dissimilar words
   • Capacity - how many items you can hold in the STM/LTM
     • Joseph Jacobs (1887)
       • Aim - determine capacity of STM
         • Digit Span: 9.3
         • Word Span: 7.3
       • Word/Number lists of increasing length
         • Immediate recall
     • Miller (1956)
       • Common occurence of things in 7s
         • Discovered STM Capacity is 7 (+/- 2)
   • Duration - how long we can keep info stored in the STM/LTM
     • Peterson & Peterson (1959)
       • Aim - find duration of STM
         • <18 Secs. without rehearsal
     • Bahrick et al
       • Aim - determine capacity of LTM
         • Free recall of as many names a possible, Recall with visual cue
         • >15 years from High School, 90% accurate with photo, 60% in free recall
         • 48 Years from High School, with photo 70%, free recall 30%

2. STM

   • What the brain is actively processing

3. LTM

   • Memory for anything that occurred > 18 secs. ago