... memory disappears in about 20 seconds. Participants in one experiment were asked to learn 3 sets of consonants. They were also asked to count backwards in threes from a 3 digit number. This was done to prevent them rehearsing the sets of letters. After 6 seconds of counting, 50% of the letters were recalled and after 18 seconds the recall of the letters dropped to 10%. The result of this experiment suggests that information held in short term memory is quickly lost when rehearsal is prevented. In the early years of the 20th century, a group of German psychologists conducted investigations into problem solving. This was known as the Gestalt approach. Gestalt is a German word meaning 'whole', the Gestalists believed the idea that people view things as a whole rather than as a combination of parts. According to the Gestalt's, problem solving behaviour can be productive or reproductive. This means ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now