Which statement correctly describes how Sperling modified his partial report method to measure the duration of visual sensory memory, AND what is the estimated duration of the iconic trace using this method?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Let’s break down each option to see what Sperling’s partial report method actually manipulated and what duration it yields for the iconic trace.
Option 1: 'Sperling systematically varied how long the letter array was visible to determine the briefest duration at which all four letters could be recalled immediately from the cued row. This method estimates the duration of the iconic trace as approximately 50 milliseconds.' Here, the key manipulation is the exposure duration of the array, not the interval after the array disappears. Partial report is not about the minimum time to recall all four letters from any row, and 50 ms is far too short as the estimated iconic duration. The description mixes visibility time with full report performance, which mischaracterizes the classic approach and the estimated duration.
Option 2: 'Sperling randomly varied the number of letters in each row of the letter array to determine the maximum number of letters that could be reported from the entire array. This method provides an estimate of 50 milliseconds for the duration of the iconic trace.' This choice confuses two aspects: the array’s composition (how many letters per row) versus the temporal manipulation of when a cue is given. Randomly changing the number of letters per row is not how the iconic duration is estimated, and the stated duration of 50 ms remains inconsistent with Sperling’s findings.
Option 3: 'Sperling systematically varied the number of letters in each row of the letter array to determine the maximum number of letters that could be reported from the cued row immediately after the array disappeared. This method estimates the duration of the iconic trace as approximately 500 milliseconds.' Although this option mentions reporting from the cued row after the array disappears, it incorrectly ties the manipulation to varying the number of letters, which is not how the iconic duration is probed. The reported duration (500 ms) is inconsistent with the standard estimate attributed to iconic memory, and the method description is flawed for determining duration via letter count changes.
Option 4: 'Sperling systematically varied the duration of the retention interval between the off-set of the letter array and the onset of the cued row. This method estimates the duration of the iconic trace as approximately 500 milliseconds.' This option correctly describes the partial report technique: after showing the brief array, a cue indicates which row (or letter) to report, and by varying the delay (retention interval) between array offset and cue, researchers measure how long the sensory memory (iconic trace) persists. The reported estimate of about 500 milliseconds aligns with common summaries of the iconic memory duration, capturing that the trace decays over a fraction of a second.
In summary, options 1–3 misstate either the manipulations used or the purpose of those manipulations in Sperling’s paradigm, and they assign an incorrect or inconsistent duration. Option 4 correctly identifies both the experimental manipulation (varying retention interval) and the estimated duration (roughly 500 ms) for the iconic trace.}

PSYC10003_2025_SM1 Exam: Mind, Brain & Behaviour 1 (PSYC10003_2025_SM1)

Which statement correctly describes how Sperling modified his partial report method to measure the duration of visual sensory memory, AND what is the estimated duration of the iconic trace using this method?

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