Atkinson and Shriffin the MSM model of memory

Question 1

Describe the application of the MSM model by Atkinson and Shiffrin

Answer 1

• It has an application to ways of improving memory
• Research has shown that the limited capacity of STM can be increased by a process called chunking.
• This shows that knowledge of the memory system can be applied to practical ways of improving memory.

Question 2

Describe the disadvantage of the MSM model by Attkinson and Shriffin

Answer 2

• The model is disproved by research with amnesiac patients as they show that there is more than 1 store of STM.
• Shallice and Warrington did a case study on an amnesiac patient named KF.
• He had poor STM for auditory information but had no problem with visual.
• His recall of words and digits was better when he processed them visually than when he auditorily processed them.
• This suggests that there could be multiple short-term memory stores such as ones for non-verbal sounds.
• This shows that MSM isn’t a complete explanation of memory because there could be separate STM stores for visual and auditory information.

Question 3

Describe the advantage of the MSM model by Atkinson and Shriffin

Answer 3

• The model is supported by reliable research studies that show STM and LTM are qualitatively different.
• Baddeley found that acoustically similar words are mixed up when using STM.
• In LTM, words with semantic meanings that are similar are mixed up.
• This shows that encoding in STM is acoustic but semantic in the LTM.
• This supports the MSM model in stating that the STM and LTM are 2 different and independent memory stores.

Question 4

List the components of the MSM model by Attkinson and Shriffin

Answer 4

1. Sensory register
2. STM
3. LTM

Question 5

Describe the STM in the MSM model by Attkinson and Shriffin

Answer 5

• Information that is attended to passes into the STM, it is a temporary store for information.
• Encoding: Mainly acoustic.
• Duration: 15-30 seconds.
• Capacity: 7+/-2 items

Question 6

Describe the LTM in the MSM model by Atkinson and Shriffin

Answer 6

• Permanent memory store for material that has been rehearsed for a prolonged time.
• Encoding: Semantic
• Duration: Unlimited (but memories do decay)
• Capacity: Unlimited, potentially up to a lifetime

Question 7

Describe the sensory register in the MSM model by Attkinson and Shriffin

Answer 7

• All stimuli from the environment pass into the sensory register
• Encoding: It has stores for all senses, encoding depends on the sense being used.
• Duration: Less than half a second.
• Capacity: High