AQA A-level DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY: PRODUCT DESIGN GRADED A+
Paper 1 Technical Principles QUESTION PAPER JUNE 2025/2026
Coding - The format in which information is stored. (How)
Who Did Research On Coding? - Baddely
Process of Baddely's Experiment on coding - Group 1 - Accoustically similar
Group 2 - Acoustically disimilar
Group 3 - Semantically similar
Group 4 - Semantically disimilar
They were given a list of original words in wrong order. Had to recall in correct order. (LTM 20 Min
Interval)
Result of Baddley's Experiment For coding STM - Confusion between acoustically similar words
Result of Baddley's Experiment for coding in LTM - Confusion between semantially similar words
Conclusions for Baddley's Experiment on coding - STM - Acoustic confusion, coded acoustically
LTM - Semantic confusion, coded semantically
Positive Evaluation for Baddley's Experiment on coding - Cause and effect is shown.
Replicable
Makes cognitive sense - Shopping list = words aloud. Recall of book = recall of plot
Negative Evaluation of Baddley's Experiment on coding - Artificial Stimuli - Cautious about
generalising
Lacks EV
Small difference in recall between semantic lists = semantic coding is STM.
What is Capacity? - Amount of information that can be held.
, Research for Capacity - Jacobs and Miller
Method for Jacob's Study on capacity - Aim - See how much info STM can hold at one time
Developed a technique - Digit Span
Research gave a certain number of digits then the PP recalled in correct order. If recalled correctly,
amount of digits increased. Determines individuals digit span.
Results of Jacob's Study on capacity - 7.3 letters
9.3 words
Positive Evaluation(s) of Jacob's Study on capacity - Supported by other research - More validity
Negative Evaluation(s) of Jacob's Study on capacity - Conducted a long time ago - Lacked adequate
control
Lacks EV - Lacks Mundane realism
May not have controlled for confounding variables - reduces validity
What Did Miller's Study Discover? - Instead as keeping the information as individuals, the unit of
informaiton can be increased by chunking.
What is Miller's Magic Number? - 7 +/- 2 (5-9 chunks)
Evaluation Points For Miller's Study - Lacks EV
Miller may have overestimated STM capacity
Cowan reviwed the research and found it was only 4 chunks.
Evaluation of Capacity - Other factors at play - Age and practice effects
Nowadays limitations of STM seen as due to processing limitations associated with STM
What is Duration? - Length of time information can be held
Who Conducted STM Duration Research? - Peterson and Peterson
Paper 1 Technical Principles QUESTION PAPER JUNE 2025/2026
Coding - The format in which information is stored. (How)
Who Did Research On Coding? - Baddely
Process of Baddely's Experiment on coding - Group 1 - Accoustically similar
Group 2 - Acoustically disimilar
Group 3 - Semantically similar
Group 4 - Semantically disimilar
They were given a list of original words in wrong order. Had to recall in correct order. (LTM 20 Min
Interval)
Result of Baddley's Experiment For coding STM - Confusion between acoustically similar words
Result of Baddley's Experiment for coding in LTM - Confusion between semantially similar words
Conclusions for Baddley's Experiment on coding - STM - Acoustic confusion, coded acoustically
LTM - Semantic confusion, coded semantically
Positive Evaluation for Baddley's Experiment on coding - Cause and effect is shown.
Replicable
Makes cognitive sense - Shopping list = words aloud. Recall of book = recall of plot
Negative Evaluation of Baddley's Experiment on coding - Artificial Stimuli - Cautious about
generalising
Lacks EV
Small difference in recall between semantic lists = semantic coding is STM.
What is Capacity? - Amount of information that can be held.
, Research for Capacity - Jacobs and Miller
Method for Jacob's Study on capacity - Aim - See how much info STM can hold at one time
Developed a technique - Digit Span
Research gave a certain number of digits then the PP recalled in correct order. If recalled correctly,
amount of digits increased. Determines individuals digit span.
Results of Jacob's Study on capacity - 7.3 letters
9.3 words
Positive Evaluation(s) of Jacob's Study on capacity - Supported by other research - More validity
Negative Evaluation(s) of Jacob's Study on capacity - Conducted a long time ago - Lacked adequate
control
Lacks EV - Lacks Mundane realism
May not have controlled for confounding variables - reduces validity
What Did Miller's Study Discover? - Instead as keeping the information as individuals, the unit of
informaiton can be increased by chunking.
What is Miller's Magic Number? - 7 +/- 2 (5-9 chunks)
Evaluation Points For Miller's Study - Lacks EV
Miller may have overestimated STM capacity
Cowan reviwed the research and found it was only 4 chunks.
Evaluation of Capacity - Other factors at play - Age and practice effects
Nowadays limitations of STM seen as due to processing limitations associated with STM
What is Duration? - Length of time information can be held
Who Conducted STM Duration Research? - Peterson and Peterson
