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C81MPR Practical Methods (Lab 2)

C81MPR Practical Methods (Lab 2). Jonathan Stirk & Danielle Ropar. Sternberg’s Study of Short Term Memory Storage. Introduction. Researchers can use external measures to identify component cognitive processes Two of the most important measures have been:

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C81MPR Practical Methods (Lab 2)

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  1. C81MPR Practical Methods (Lab 2) Jonathan Stirk & Danielle Ropar

  2. Sternberg’s Study of Short Term Memory Storage

  3. Introduction • Researchers can use external measures to identify component cognitive processes • Two of the most important measures have been: • (1) the study of errors in memory or problem-solving • (2) the study of reaction times or the time needed to perform a cognitive task

  4. Studying Short Term Storage • Sternberg (1966) proposed a method of studying how people search short-term memory • He used reaction times as his dependent variable

  5. Searching Short Term Memory • Sternberg’s experiment attempted to address two questions: • Do we search STM one item at a time (serially) or all at once (in parallel)? • Does the search stop when the item is located (self-terminating) or must it continue through the entire contents of STM (exhaustive)?

  6. Sternberg’s Task • The participant is given a list of from one to six digits • These digits are called the memory set • The participant is allowed to rehearse this list • A few seconds later, the participant sees a single digit • This number is called the probe • The participant must indicate whether the probe digit is (+ve probe) or is not (-ve probe) a member of the memory set

  7. Serial vs. Parallel Search • If you search serially, then the more items there are to search, the longer it should take. • RT should increase as the memory set size increases. • If you can search all the items at once, it should not matter how many there are • RT should be the same for any memory set size (up to the capacity of STM). • Does RT increase with memory set size or not?

  8. Predictions for Serial vs. Parallel Search

  9. Exhaustive vs. Self Terminating Search • For a self-terminating search searching can cease as soon as the probe is found • More items in the memory set leads to longer search times • For an exhaustive search search continues even if the probe is found. • More items in the memory set leads to even longer search times. • Negative probes always lead to exhaustive searches

  10. Predictions for Exhaustive vs. Self Terminating Search This graph is assuming a serial search strategy Probe absent (-ve probe, exhaustive search) Reaction Time (time to respond) Probe present (+ve probe, self-terminating search) 1 6 Memory Set Size

  11. Summary • Sternberg (1966) makes two sets of predictions • One set of predictions focuses on RTs for different set sizes • One set of predictions considers the position in the list of the probe item by set size • If Sternberg is correct we should be able to distinguish • Serial vs. Parallel Search • Exhaustive vs. Self-Terminating Search

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