Contrast models of memory (Milner & Robbins et al.)

Question 1

Contrast two models of memory

Answer 1

Two models of memory that will be contrasted in this essay are Atkinson and Shiffrin’s multi-store model of memory and Baddeley and Hitch’s working memory model.

Question 2

What is MSM? (Memory is a cognitive process used to encode, store and retrieve information.)

Answer 2

• Consist of 3 components (Sensory, Short-term, Long-term)

- Each has duration and capacity, and information passes through the memory stores once conditions have been met

Question 3

What is sensory memory?

Answer 3

Sensory detect info -> short term or lost, limited by perception, everything received by senses

Question 4

What is short term memory?

Answer 4

Short term -> holding small amt of information for short time, 7+- 2 seconds

Question 5

What is long term memory?

Answer 5

Through rehearsal -> Long term -> holding large amts of info, duration is infinite

Question 6

Aim of Milner

Answer 6

Case study to study the role of the hippocampus on memory formation and biological reason for anterograde amnesia in HM

Question 7

Findings of Milner

Answer 7

HM could not acquire new episode knowledge (events) and not retain in long-term memory. Had capacity for working memory as he could carry out conversation

Question 7

Procedure of Milner

Answer 7

Accident, tissue from temporal lobe removed along with hippocampus removed to cure epilepsy but he was unable to form new memories

Personality didn’t seem to change, but anterograde amnesia (unable to recognise faces after operation)

IQ testing, cognitive testing (memory recall tests)

Question 8

How does Milner link to MSM?

Answer 8

Support for MSM as it explains different parts of the brain reliable for multiple stores of memory (requires encoding, storage, and retrieval), one area damage did not affect the other (HM damaged LTM but not STM (Hippocampus converts memories of experiences from STM to LTM)

Question 9

Strengths of Milner

Answer 9

Longitudinal

Question 10

Limitations of Milner

Answer 10

Not replicable, other researchers can’t get the same results as the study unless you find someone who went through the same damage. High ecological validity (generalisation to real life settings, patient was in a real life setting) and ethical standards.

Question 11

What is WMM?

Answer 11

• Working memory going into three different systems
• Central executive: COMMAND SYSTEM allocates data into VSS, phonological loop, episodic buffer
• VSS: Visual and spatial info
• Phonological loop: spoken and written material
• Episodic buffer: remembering memories as a sequence

Question 12

Aim of Robbins

Answer 12

To study the role of working memory in the visuo-spatial task of memorizing chess board pieces.

Question 13

Sample of Robbins

Answer 13

20 male chess players from Cambridge, split into weak/strong players

Question 14

Procedure of Robbins

Answer 14

10 seconds to memorise placing: 16 chess pieces from actual chess games and recreate the placing from memory on another board

Question 15

2 conditions of Robbins (interferences)

Answer 15

• Verbal interference using articulatory-loop suppression inhibit memory performance repetition of the word ‘the’
• Visuospatial interference using VSS suppression: press keys on calculator to metronome

Question 16

Findings of Robbins

Answer 16

Articulatory suppression task (phonological loop) no effect- VSS and central executive blocking worsened performance

Question 17

How does Robbins et al. link to WMM?

Answer 17

Supports that the working memory is made up of ‘slave systems’. When using VSS for both memorizing chess pieces and carrying out task of pressing numbers had a reduced ability. Those who repeated words using phonological loop were not affected -> Suggests that two tasks can be carried out at the same time as long as different parts of the memory system were used.

Question 18

Strengths of Robbins

Answer 18

All conditions were tested on every player

Question 19

Limitation of Robbins

Answer 19

Only done on male chess players (small sample size, cannot generalise to population

Question 20

Eval of models of memory (similarities and differences)

Answer 20

One key difference between MSM and WM is that WMM attempts to model the whole STM system (consists of central executive, controlling subsystems, while MSM focuses only on three store systems that info flows through with different capacities and durations.

MSM does not explain multitasking, whilst WMM explains that multitasking occurs when 1+ STM Store is being used, supports the existence of separate phonological loop and VSS, as the chess players in Robbins et al study were unaffected using phonological loop + VSS but reduced performance when VSS was used for more than 1 task