Atkinson and Shriffin - MSMM - 2

Question 1

MSMM

Answer 1

1. In 1968 Atkinson and Shriffin developed the Multi-Store Model of Memory (MSMM
2. They did this by drawing conclusions from memory experiments that were conducted by other researchers
3. They identified three distinctly different stores in our memory system: sensory register, short-term memory, and long-term memory
4. Atkinson and Shriffin proposed that memory stores differ from each other in the way information is encoded, their capacity and duration, and how information is retrieved

Question 2

The sensory register

Answer 2

1. We receive a large amount of sensory information from our environment - from images that we see or sounds that are detected
2. We register a lot of information very briefly but do not pay attention to all of it
3. The sensory register is the store that receives all of the sensory information around us and holds it very briefly
4. If we pay attention to the sensory information it is transferred to the short-term memory where it can be processed further. If no attention is payed to it, it will quickly decay
5. It is believed that there are separate sensory registers for each of our principle senses
6. modal specific

Question 3

Iconic memory

Answer 3

a sensory register for visual information that lasts for around 1 second before visual information decays

Question 4

Echoic Memory

Answer 4

sensory register for auditory (sound) information that lasts for a few seconds before sound information decays

Question 5

Sensory Registers

Answer 5

1. iconic sensory register (sight)
2. echoic sensory register (sound)
3. gustatory sensory register (taste)
4. olfactory sensory register (smell)
5. tactile sensory register (touch)

Question 6

Short-term memory MSMM

Answer 6

1. Atkinson and Shriffin describe how information that we pay attention to gets transferred into short-term memory where it can be stored for around 15-30 seconds (18 seconds)
2. If the information is rehearsed, it can be maintained in the short-term memory for much longer
3. The short-term memory is modality free so it can store different types of information from any of our senses
4. In 1956, psychologist George Miller found that the average short-term memory can hold between 5 and 9 chunks of information (7) - a chunk of information tends to be a grouping

Question 7

Role of rehearsal

Answer 7

1. MSMM suggest that repeating information over and over helps to hold it in short-term memory for longer
2. If the information is rehearsed enough, it gets transferred into the long-term memory store
3. Rehearsal refers to repeating things out loud or in our heads in order to remember them

Question 8

Long-term memory MSMM

Answer 8

1. Can hold information potentially forever and it has potentially limitless capacity
2. Long-term memories are thought to be mainly organised semantically, that is, according to their meaning

Question 9

Strengths of the MSMM

Answer 9

1. There is a lot of evidence to support the theory of separate memory stores - to show the distinction between memory stores (e.g. amnesia only affecting one memory store and not the other)
2. Ben Murdock (1962) conducted an experiment to provide evidence for the MSMM. He discovered the serial position effect which is the tendency to recall more words and the beginning and end of a word list. This is because the beginning of the list is rehearsed and transferred to the long-term memory while the end of the list is remembered as it is still in the short-term memory (evidence for the theory)
3. Is logical
4. Inspired further research such as the Working Memory Model

Question 10

Weaknesses of the MSMM

Answer 10

1. Has been criticised for overstating the role of rehearsal as a means of transferring information into long-term storage. Not all information has to be repeated over and over again to be remembered (flashbulb memory)
2. It is unlikely that we only have one type of long-term memory. Cases of amnesia patients demonstrate that while some long-term memories are damaged other types remain intact. This demonstrates that we do not have one long-term memory store but perhaps several different types - The model is arguably over-simplified (reductionism)
3. It is only assumed that LTM has an unlimited capacity and can last forever, as research has been unable to measure this accurately.
4. Some research into STM duration has low ecological validity, such as the Peterson and Peterson (1959) which uses trigrams

Question 11

Primary (memory)

Answer 11

the tendency to recall words at the beginning of a list when asked to remember is as it has been rehearsed and transferred to the long-term memory

Question 12

Recency (memory)

Answer 12

the tendency to recall words at the end of a list when asked to remember it as it is still in the short-term memory

Question 13

Flashbulb memory

Answer 13

1. Flashbulb memories are burned into your brain when you learn of traumatic happenings
2. e.g. 9/11