Outline and evaluate research into encoding in memory
Outline and evaluate research into encoding in memory (8)
A study by Baddeley was conducted in 1966. He did two experiments looking into the STM and LTM. In these two studies he gave participants four lists of words. These were a list where the words were acoustically similar another where they were acoustically different and one where they were semantically similar and the last where they were semantically different.
They were read the lists and then given an interference task for 20 seconds for the STM and 20 minutes for the LTM. This task was to prevent any rehearsal. Participants were then asked to recall the list.
Baddeley found that it was hard to recall acoustically similar words and semantically similar words in LTM. He concluded that encoding In LTM is mainly semantically and the encoding of STM Is mainly acoustic.
There are two strengths of this study one of them being that as it is a lab study it is highly controlled and so the results are reliable. Another strength is that due to it being a lab study it is easy to repeat so this is good as it makes it easy for people to do other experiments that could support or refute this study.
A weakness of the study is that as it is a lab study it has low ecological validity so its not true to life as the participants will know that they are in a different setting to normal life.
Anther weakness is that frost and Brandimote et al both have studies that refute this study. Another weakness is that it could be biased and have the screw you effect as participants know that they are being studied and so could purposely change the results.
A study by Baddeley was conducted in 1966. He did two experiments looking into the STM and LTM. In these two studies he gave participants four lists of words. These were a list where the words were acoustically similar another where they were acoustically different and one where they were semantically similar and the last where they were semantically different.
They were read the lists and then given an interference task for 20 seconds for the STM and 20 minutes for the LTM. This task was to prevent any rehearsal. Participants were then asked to recall the list.
Baddeley found that it was hard to recall acoustically similar words and semantically similar words in LTM. He concluded that encoding In LTM is mainly semantically and the encoding of STM Is mainly acoustic.
There are two strengths of this study one of them being that as it is a lab study it is highly controlled and so the results are reliable. Another strength is that due to it being a lab study it is easy to repeat so this is good as it makes it easy for people to do other experiments that could support or refute this study.
A weakness of the study is that as it is a lab study it has low ecological validity so its not true to life as the participants will know that they are in a different setting to normal life.
Anther weakness is that frost and Brandimote et al both have studies that refute this study. Another weakness is that it could be biased and have the screw you effect as participants know that they are being studied and so could purposely change the results.