4.1.2 MULTI-STORE MODEL OF MEMORY

Question 1

• who devised the multi-store model of memory?
• when?
• why?

Answer 1

• Atkinson and Shriffin
• 1968
• to explain how the sensory memory, short-term memory and long-term memory link together, processing information

Question 2

what is the multi-store model of memory?

Answer 2

• a cognitive model of memory written in the same way information processing models in computers are designed
• involves the forward flow of information
  sensory input -> sensory memory -> short-term memory -> long-term memory -> output

eg) output could be a person recalling the info to use

Question 3

how does the information pass through the multi-store model of memory?

Answer 3

incorporates how information is passed across the types of memory

• info from SM to STM is via attention
• info then passes from SM to LTM via rehearsal
• info can be passed back from LTM to STM via retrieval

eg) learning a phone number you may have to chunk it into smaller components and use your LTM to make sure the chunks have meaning

• LTM is required to help guide STM to do this
• hence info passing back from LTM to STM to give the numbers/chunks meaning

Question 4

what does the MSM look like?

Answer 4

Question 5

what evidence is there for the Primary/Recency effect? (AO3)

Answer 5

GLANZER AND CUNITZ (1966)
- researched this effect

• if you give ppts a list of words to learn and allow free recall you’ll find that the first few words and last few words on the list are most commonly recalled
• this is because the first few words are rehearsed and so enter the LTM
• last few words are still in your STM as the duration is less than 28 seconds so they’ll still be available
• this indicates two separate stores

Question 6

what evidence is there that there are two separate stores?

Answer 6

SQUIRE ET AL (1992)

• found that when you conducted a brain scan on a ppt then STM and LTM are located in different parts of the brain
• shows that they must be two separate stores if they’re in two distinct parts of the brain
• patients with severe amnesia are also evident as they may have lost all LTM but retain STM
• also indicates that they’re separate stores as one can exist without the other

Question 7

what was the case study of K.F?

Answer 7

SHALLICE AND WARRINGTON (1970)

• reported the case of a man named KF who’s been in a motorcycle accident
• had severe damage to his STM but his LTM remained intact
• his STM had the ability for verbal information
• could process visual information
• suggests his phonological loop has been damaged, leaving the VSS intact

Question 8

what are the pros of the MSM (AO3)

Answer 8

PROS
- has been very influential, over 50 years later it’s still being used
- lots of evidence for its existence from research, brain scans and case studies of amnesia
- provides a good understanding of the structure and processes of memory, meaning we can expand on this model
- K.F supports the existence of a seperate visual and acoustic store in the STM which is what the model suggests
-> therefore this gives higher model validity
- can explain the primary recency effects
- can pinpoint where H.M is suffering from

Question 9

what are the cons of the MSM? (AO3)

Answer 9

CONS
- unitary STM is a limitation of the MSM because research shows that at the very least there must be one short-term store to process visual info and another to process auditory info

• model is seen as oversimplified in how it approaches STM
• model doesn’t account for the different types of LTM
• rehearsal is problematic as there are different types, such as elaborating and maintenance
• model ignores factors like motivation and ability to learn