Questions and Answers
What is the title of the experiment?
The influence of acoustic and semantic similarity on long-term memory for word sequences.
What was the aim of the study?
To investigate the influence of acoustic and semantic word similarity on learning and recall in short-term and long-term memory.
What was the sample size of the study?
72 men and women recruited from the Applied Psychology Unit subject panel at Cambridge University.
Which word list was NOT used in the study?
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How were the words in list D controlled?
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How many participants were in each group for the acoustic conditions?
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What occurred in each condition of the study?
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What was the first interference task?
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What happened after the first interference task?
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What was the second interference task?
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How did they test long-term memory?
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What were the results for the acoustically similar words?
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What were the results for the semantically similar words?
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What were the results regarding the learning of word lists?
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What was observed throughout all groups?
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What do the results suggest about long-term memory?
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How does short-term memory influence acoustic encoding?
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What does short-term memory rely on?
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What does long-term memory use?
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What were the conclusions of the study?
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What did Baddeley say the study showed?
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What was the independent variable in the study?
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What was the dependent variable in the study?
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What experimental design was used?
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What research method was used?
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What can be said about the generalizability of the study?
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What can be said about the reliability of the study?
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Study Notes
Study Overview
- Investigated the influence of acoustic and semantic similarity on long-term memory for word sequences.
Aim
- To examine how acoustic and semantic similarities affect learning and recall in short-term (STM) and long-term memory (LTM).
Sample
- Included 72 men and women from Applied Psychology Unit subject panel at Cambridge University.
Procedure
- Used four types of word lists:
- Acoustically similar (e.g., man, cab, can)
- Acoustically dissimilar (e.g., pit, few, cow)
- Semantically similar (e.g., great, large, big)
- Semantically dissimilar (e.g., good, huge, hot)
- Word list D was controlled for frequency of occurrence to ensure comparison validity.
Experimental Groups
- Group A: 15 participants
- Group B: 20 participants
- Group C: 16 participants
- Group D: 21 participants
Memory Trials
- Each word list presented via projector for 3 seconds per word, followed by a short delay.
- First interference task involved recalling six sequences of 8 digits with a time delay.
Memory Testing
- After the first interference task, participants had 1 minute to write out the 10 word lists.
- Second interference task: 15 minutes of copying 8-digit sequences at their pace.
Long-Term Memory Testing
- Participants attempted to recall the word list in a surprise retest.
- Focused on order of recall rather than exact word remembrance.
Results
- Acoustically similar words led to difficulty during early learning; no evidence of forgetting between tests.
- Semantically similar lists showed slower learning compared to semantically dissimilar lists by trial 4.
- On the retest, recall of semantically similar words was poorer than for semantically dissimilar words.
Conclusions
- Short-term memory is primarily acoustic, evident through initial recall difficulties.
- Long-term memory relies significantly on semantic encoding, despite initial acoustic similarities during learning.
- Learning of semantically similar words is notably impaired, confirming the need for differing encoding strategies.
Key Findings
- Suggests LTM can be influenced by either the meanings (semantic) or sounds (acoustic) of words.
- STM primarily operates on acoustic encoding, minimally affected by meaning.
Research Design
- Independent measures experimental design, utilizing a lab experiment methodology.
Generalisability
- Sample limited to Cambridge University participants, leading to concerns about its representativeness of the wider population.
Reliability
- Structure and controlled environment of a lab study contribute to consistent and reproducible outcomes.
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Description
This quiz covers the classic study conducted by Baddeley in 1966, focusing on the influence of acoustic and semantic similarity on word sequence recall. It includes key concepts such as the study's aim, sample, and definitions related to long-term memory. Perfect for psychology students wanting to delve deeper into memory research.