Sperling

Sperling

1. Sensory memory

2. Used a chart containing 3 rows of 4 letters which he showed for brief exposures

   • Participants were immediately asked to recall as many letters as possible which was usually 4 or 5
     • They reported seeing other letters but couldn't remember them
   • the procedure was changed
     • Participants had to distinguish between three tones
       • They were exposed to the chart then played the tone immediately after
         • Participants had to recall top row if high tone, middle row if middle tone and bottom row if low tone
           • they could recall 3 letters on average
             • This suggested on average they would have been able to recall on average 3 letters from any row making 9
               • It was concluded that they saw around 9 images but memory fades

3. Methodological

   • Laboratory, high level of control,
     • Can be replicated
   • However stimuli was artificial , lacked ecological validity