2.1.4 Multi-store model of memory Flashcards
What is the multi-store model?
It is a cognitive model of memory written in very much in the same way information processing models in computing are designed.
How does information pass through the MSM?
/Sensory data/information passes from SM to STM via attention
/The information/data then passes from STM to LTM via rehearsal
/Information can be passed back from LTM to STM via retrieval
Evidence of MSM?
/The fact that SM, STM and LTM all have different durations, capacities and means of encoding indicates that they are three separate stores
/Glanzer and Cunitz (1966) researched the Primacy/Recency effect. If you give participants a list of words to learn and allow them to recall them in any order (free recall) you will find that the first few words and the last few words on the list are most commonly recalled
/This is because the first few words are rehearsed and so enter LTM
/The last few words in the list are still in your STM as the duration is less than 18 seconds so they would still be available
/This again indicates two separate stores
/Squire et al (1992) found that when you conducted a brain scan on a participant then STM and LTM are located in different parts of the brain
/This shows that they must be two separate stores if they are in two distinct parts of the brain
/Patients with severe amnesia are also evident as they may have lost all LTM but retain STM
/This again indicates they are two separate stores as one can still exist without the other
/Shallice and Warrington (1970) reported the case of a man named KF who had been in a motorcycle accident
/KF had severe damage to his STM whilst his LTM remained intact
This again indicates that there are two separate store
Evaluation points for MSM?
/It has been very influential and over 50 years later is still being used
/There is a lot of evidence for its existence from research, brain scans and case studies of amnesia
/It provides a good understanding of the structure and processes of memory, meaning we can expand on this model
/However, the model is seen as oversimplified in how it approaches STM in particular
/We now know, from Working Memory, that STM is a lot more complex than MSM allows for
/We also know there are different types of LTM (episodic, procedural and semantic) that the model does not account for
/The use of the term rehearsal is problematic as there are different types of rehearsal, such as elaborative and maintenance
/The more elaborately we try to remember something, the more likely it will be stored in LTM and easily recalled
/The model also ignores factors like motivation and ability to learn
