Which of the following statements about short-term memory (STM) is true?

Answer options:

STM can hold information for up to 30 seconds.

STM can store approximately 15 pieces of information.

STM transfers information to long-term memory through attention.

STM usually encodes information semantically.

How to approach this question

Recall the key features of short-term memory: capacity, duration, and encoding. Evaluate each statement against these known features. Statement A correctly identifies the duration of STM.

Full Answer

A.STM can hold information for up to 30 seconds.✓ Correct

Short-term memory (STM) is a temporary storage system. Its key features are: a limited capacity of around 7 items, a limited duration of up to 30 seconds, and it primarily encodes information acoustically. Option A correctly states its duration. Option B overestimates its capacity. Option C misidentifies the transfer mechanism to LTM (it's rehearsal, not just attention). Option D incorrectly states the encoding method (it's acoustic, not semantic).

Common mistakes

Confusing the features of STM and LTM. For example, thinking STM has a large capacity or encodes semantically.

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Which of the following statements about short-term memory (STM) is true?

How to approach this question

Full Answer

Common mistakes

Practice the full AQA GCSE Psychology Paper 1

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