CODING: Process of converting information from
one format to another to be stored. RESEARCH: Alan
Baddeley (1966): Acoustically similar words caused
more confusion in STM suggesting information is
stored on acoustic basis in STM.Small difference
between semantically similar and dissimilar lists
suggest there is also semantic coding in STM.
Semantically similar words caused more confusion
in LTM suggesting information is stored on semantic
basis in LTM. E: Ecological validity (Artificial stimuli:
words no personal meaning).
Capacity
CAPACITY: How much information can one hold
at any one time? RESEARCH: Joseph Jacobs (1887)
Digit recall mean for numbers 9.5, for letters 7.5
(video). George Miller (1956) observations on
every day practice (things come in 7). Chunking
makes it easier to remember things-people recall
5 letters and 5 words. (video/exercise). E: Jacobs'
study lacks validity due to confounding variables
that weren't controlled in early psych research.
But later replications confirmed his findings.
Cowan (2001) on Miller: evaluated other
research: "Miller overestimated the STM capacity.
It is only 4 chunks."
STM: Peterson&Peterson(1959) RESEARCH: 24 undergrad-8 trials,
trigram consonants and 3 numbers/had to say them in reverse
as well to stop rehearsal. Recall measured after 3,6,9,12,15,18
sec . The accuracy of recall decreased with the recall interval.
STM is short without rehearsal.