4 - Evaluation of the Multi - Store Model of Memory Flashcards
What is the neurobiological evidence that supports / doesn’t support the multi - store model of memory ?
+ A patient called HM has epilepsy and so his serval areas of his brain were removed as part of the treatment. This meant he was unable to code new long - term memories, but his STM was unaffected. This supports the idea of separate and distinct STM and LTM.
+ A patient called KF who was involved in a motorbike accident had reduced STM of only 1-2 digits, but his LTM was fine. This supports the idea of separate STM and LTM stores.
- KF had poor STM for verbal tasks but not visual tasks which suggests there is more than one type of STM which contradicts the MSM.
- According to the MSM, long term memories are retrieved by STM so if STM is damaged it should be difficult to retrieve LTM. However , KF was able to access LTM without difficulty.
What laboratory experiments supports the MSM?
Participants were presented with a long list of words to be recalled in any order, referred to as the free recall experiment.
Words at the start and end of the lists were recalled better than those in the middle. This is called the serial position effect.
Words at the start were recalled because they have been constantly rehearsed and transferred to LTM ( the primacy effect ). Words at the end were recalled because they are still in STM and haven’t been displaced yet ( the recency effect ).
This supports the idea of separate and distinct STM and LTM.
What are the general evolution points of the MSM?
- The MSM is over simplified in assuming that there is only one type of STM and one type of LTM. Research indicates that there are several types of STM, such as one for verbal information (phonological loop)and another for non-verbal information (visuo-spatial sketchpad). Research also suggests that there are several types of LTM, we have episodic memory for life events, semantic memoryfor knowledge and facts and procedural memory
- Baddeley and Hitch claimed that the MSM could not explain the ability to multi - task; if there is only one type of STM then multi - tasking would mot be possible. However, people multi - task all the time, for example listening to the radio while driving.
