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Summary and Reflection

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Summary

Word Length and the Structure of Short-Term Memory by ALAN D. BADDELEY,

Nell THOMSON AND MARY BUCHANAN

The main research question in the article is, “What are the impacts of the word length on

memory span?” The research aims to compare the memory span of the participants for a range of

long and short words of similar regularity of occurrence in the English language. The main

variable examined included independent and dependent variables. The dependent variables were

the length of words being recalled. The independent variable included the memory span. The

study predicted that the immediate memory span is not constant but differs according to the

length of the words to be recalled.

The participants used in the study included 8 postgraduate or undergraduate students

from the University of Stirling, The types of material used included a sequence of long and short

words. The basic procedures used in the study entailed the use of the 4, 5, 6, 7, and word

sequences. 8 sequences of every length came from a pool of long words and similar sequences

from short words. The sequences were assigned randomly, and every participant was assessed on

long and short words. Every subject got the sequences in ascending organization of list length till

they failed each of the 8 consequences. Half of the participants started with a pool of short words

and half with long words and were read at a rate of 1.5 seconds. The subjects had 15 seconds to

remember the words verbally according to how they were presented and were given a chance to

familiarize themselves with the words in advance. The words were visible to them on the prompt

card during the experiment.

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The main findings were that the short words could be remembered more efficiently

irrespective of the number of words. The memory span is sensitive to word to length of a word

across a variety of verbal materials. When the number of syllables and phonemes remains

constant, the word length does not change. The study also found out that there is a logical

relationship between memory span and time of articulation, such that memory span equals the

number of words that can be read out in about 2 seconds. Additionally, there is a correlation

between memory span and reading rate across subjects. The articulation suppression eliminates

the word length effect when the material is presented visually. Their predictions were supported

using the eight experiments.

The results relate to the previous research in several ways. According to the article, the

study's limitations included using a small sample. The eight undergraduate or postgraduate

students were inadequate to draw conclusions. The tasks are artificial and impractical in

everyday life, hence lacking ordinary realism. The research entailed the use of lab experiments;

hence it is not generalizable to all the settings and hence does not have ecological rationality.

The findings led to an understanding that word length has an impact on memory. The findings

imply that it was discovered that it was easier to recall shorter words than longer ones. Short-

term memory can also be said to function like working memory, as evidenced by learning,

reasoning, and comprehension tasks.

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Reflection

I learned several ideas from the article that I did not know before. From the article, I

realized that the immediate memory span is more effective with short as contrasted to long

words. Short words tend to be articulated quickly, ensuring that words can be silently spoken

before they decay. I also learned that working memory is similar to a multi-part system. Every

system performs various tasks autonomously. The ideas will change how I approach the world,

especially when studying for my exams. I will understand that it will be easier to recall the short

words for the tests.

The article is related to my personal experience. Before the exams, I often read much

information, which becomes hard to recall during the exams. Nevertheless, remembering shorter

words is often easier than longer ones. It is also easier to recall the small amount of information I

read a few minutes before the exam begins. It is evident that my short-term memory can only

hold little information. During the exams, I tend to fail questions that require longer words as

answers. Additionally, I have had a personal experience where it is easy to remember an email or

phone number that has just been recited. The major question in my mind that is not answered is

what whether the memory span can be increased with training. The researchers should respond to

this question by demonstrating how an individual can hold certain items in their short-term

memory.
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There are connections between this article's findings and other areas of psychology. In

other areas of psychology, short-term memory is essential in the study of high-level cognition as

they considerably contribute to cognitive functions. Short-term memory is also related to

learning, reasoning, general fluid intelligence, language comprehension, and planning. I can also

relate the idea of short-term memory with various conditions, such as short-term memory loss.

Short-term memory impairment is a psychological condition whereby an individual forgets the

information they have just gotten or cannot retain it in the short term. Psychological factors that

contribute to short-term memory include depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),

severe stress, and substance abuse. I wish the article had covered the potential issues for short-

term memory.

There are several ways I could apply the findings in the real world. During the exams, I

can focus on the shorter words when revising the school work as they are easier to remember

than the longer words. Short-term memory can help one to remember the information recently

read or taught. The idea of working memory will play a crucial role in my understanding of

various concepts learned throughout my courses. Another idea that I consider essential after

reading this article is that the information stored in short-term memory is increasingly vulnerable

to interference. The little information which gets into the short-term memory rapidly displaces

the previous information. For instance, it is hard for an individual to recall a person's name in a

noisy place. Devoid of rehearsing a name or short word until it becomes committed to the

memory, the information can easily vanish from the short-term memory.