In a classic memory study by Peterson and Peterson (1959), participants were given consonant strings to remember-such as DBX and HLM-and then were instructed to count backward from 100 by 3. After a variable amount of time (delay), the participants were asked to recall the consonant strings. Which statement accurately describes the results of the experiment?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Peterson and Peterson found that there was a rapid decrease in accuracy for recall of the consonant strings as the delay increased. After a delay of 20 seconds, recall accuracy had decreased by over 80 percent, indicating that short-term memory has a limited duration. Choice A is incorrect because there was a decrease in accuracy even with shorter delays. Choice B is incorrect because the decrease in accuracy was not as large as almost 80 percent with a 3-second delay. Choice D is incorrect because there was a decrease in accuracy even with a delay of 7 seconds.

In a Classic Memory Study by Peterson and Peterson (1959)