A study to show the difference in the Duration of STM between males and females

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A study to show the difference in the

 Duration of STM between males and females

Summary

        The aim of my study was to repeat the work of Peterson and Peterson on the duration of short-term memory between males and females aged 17-18.  I took a random sample of 16 pupils from Egglescliffe Sixth Form 8 males and 8 females.  They were all asked to complete the Brown-Peterson technique.  The statistics used for analyzing the results was Chi-square.  The recall sheets showed more females recalled correctly than males, and that the duration of STM is 18 seconds.  This accepts my alternative hypothesis and suggests that Peterson and Peterson’s findings still hold true today.

Introduction

        Peterson and Peterson (1959) demonstrated the duration of STM using a method that became known as the Brown-Peterson technique.  Participants were shown a trigram of 3 consonants e.g. DRS, GTH.  They were then asked to recall the trigrams either after 3,6,9,12,15 or 18 seconds.  Participants were given an interference task before they were asked to recall the trigrams.  The interference task was to prevent the participants from rehearsing the trigrams, which might have improved their performance.  The interference task was to count backwards from a three-digit number e.g. 354,674.

        Peterson and Peterson found that participants recalled 80% of the trigrams correctly after 3 seconds, this however decreased as the time increased.  After 18 seconds only 10% of trigrams were recalled correctly.  This study showed that STM has duration or 18 seconds.  However, if the information is rehearsed then the information is remembered for longer.

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                I decided to apply the Brown Peterson technique to males and females to see if there is any difference in the duration of STM between the two genders.  This would be able to show whether or not a particular sex is able to carry out two tasks at the same time and so them both successfully. I felt it would be interesting to find out if there was a clear difference in duration in SMT between the two genders and if Peterson and Peterson’s findings were still relevant to today.

Aim:  To investigate whether there is a gender difference ...

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