A researcher tests participants’ short-term memory. In one task, participants hear sequences of different lengths and immediately recall as many items as they can. In another task, they hear a sequence of seven items and try to recall it after a delay without rehearsal. The mean results are shown below.
| Task | Condition | Mean number of items correctly recalled |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate recall | 5-item sequence | 4.9 |
| Immediate recall | 7-item sequence | 6.6 |
| Immediate recall | 9-item sequence | 7.1 |
| Delayed recall | 5 seconds after hearing the 7-item sequence | 6.2 |
| Delayed recall | 15 seconds after hearing the 7-item sequence | 4.0 |
| Delayed recall | 30 seconds after hearing the 7-item sequence | 1.2 |
Using the results, explain what they suggest about the capacity and duration of short-term memory.
84 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Psychology 5.2 Theories/Explanations, covering 5.2.1 Multi-store Model structure, 5.2.2 Differences between memory stores; criticisms, 5.2.3 Multi-store Model research study: Wilson et al. (2008), 5.2.4 Reconstructive memory: schemas, experience and expectation, 5.2.5 Reconstructive memory: confabulation and leading questions; criticisms, and 5.2.6 Reconstructive Memory research study: Braun, Ellis and Loftus (2002). Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.