Memory Flashcards
What is The Multi-Store Model of Memory
- A Theoretical Model
- Shows link between SR, STM and LTM
- Discovered by Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968)
What are the three stages of the Multi-Store Model
SR - Sensory Register
STM - Short Term Memory
LTM - Long Term Memory
Define Unitary
Single form that stands alone (Nothing else affecting another)
What is the duration for each stage in regards to holding information before it decays
Sensory Register - Up to 1.5 seconds
Short Term Memory - Up to 30 Seconds
Long Term Memory - Possibly Lifetime
What happens during the following stage - SR
- External Stimuli presents information
- We pay attention to observe the info
- We must attend to info to allow it to be moved onto our STM
- Info comes from the 5 senses (coding)
What happens during the following stage - STM - LTM
- Information is fragile, easy to be lost
- Interference can disrupt pattern of stage
- Subvocal Repetition (Repeat Information) is required to recall info
- Information must be understood to move onto LTM
Rehearsal helps keep information in memory
What happens during the following stage - LTM Onwards
- Memory trace is necessary to revisit information
- Information must stay in the LTM or it can decay
- Duration can last lifetime
What is an important factor in regards to keeping information in the LTM
- Information must be understood
- Information must be rehearsed with methods such as sub-vocal repetition etc.
Define Capacity
A measure of how much information that can be stored in memory
Define Duration
How long the information can be held in a store
Define Coding
How we take in information = Our 5 senses
What is the Capacity of the STM, and accoring to which research
5-9 Words according to Miller’s Magic 7
Explain Miller’s Magic 7
Miller researched the capacity of the STM
He thought that short-term memory could hold 7 (plus or minus 2) items
What is a positive and negative to Miller’s Magic 7
Negative - Miller’s research lacks ecological validity. It is not a generic thing to recall words and numbers randomly, meaning it cannot be generalised to real life
Positive - Miller conducted his research under lab conditions which would imply that he was able to rule out any extraneous variables
What is the capacity of the LTM
Capacity of the LTM is thought to be unlimited
What factor can affect memory between different people
Individual Differences
Some people may have exceptions or majorly intellectually affected memories that have affected them in their long term thought processes
What is the Duration of the STM, and accoring to which research
30 seconds, Peterson and Peterson
Explain Peterson and Peterson’s Research
Triad
Aim - Investigate duration of STM
Students were asked to read a random triad and then immediately count backwards in 3’s from a random 3 digit number
Students were able to correctly recall 80% of trigrams after a 3 seconds delay; 50% after 6 seconds. After 18 seconds less than 10%
Shows that the STM declines rapidly without rehearsal
What is a positive and negative to Peterson’s Triad Study
Negative - Recalling Triads do not reflect most everyday memory activities. Lacks external validity as it does not generalise to how we use memory in the real world
Positive - The experiment took place in a lab which would imply that it cleared any possible extraneous variables, to further validate results
What is the duration of the LTM, and according to what research
Lifetime, Bahrick et al
Explain Bahrick’s method of his study
Yearbook
Bahrick (1975) investigated the duration of long-term memory using American university graduates. The graduates were shown photographs from their high-school yearbook and for each photograph participants were given a group of names and asked to select the name that matched the photographs.
Evaluate Bahricks Study
Photobook
We are unable to conclude whether other populations apart from US would demonstrate the same ability to recall names and faces after 47 years
Personal Differences - Some students may not have enjoyed the way they grew up on the school, or may have some form of post trauma.
High levels of ecological validity as it uses real life memories with no interpretation. Can be applied to everyday human memory
How does the Sensory Registor take in information
It takes it in from a sense organ and keeps it in that form
Define Acoustically similar
Words that sound the same